KIRKSVILLE, MO. --  

With the help of grant money, Thousand Hills State Park will be adding more trails for people to enjoy and Governor Jay Nixon was at the Park Wednesday afternoon for the big announcement.

A total of $100,000 dollars was given to help with this project. The grant will help finance the completion of the first phase of a four-mile trail connecting the park with Kirksville’s historic square.

“All across our state, tourism means big business and bicycling, jogging and other outdoor activities are major attractions for Missouri families,” Gov. Nixon said. “As we look to the future, health is very important and getting people outside, getting them to exercise is vital and we as a state want to be a strong partner in providing a place that people can stay fit.” Nixon said.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Program awarded $2.3 million to support 32 trail projects across the state.

“This is phase one, so there is more money that we are going to need in order to complete this project,” said Dan Martin, Director of A.T. Still University Thompson Center. “We can’t wait to make this project a reality in the next couple of years.” Martin said.

Each year, the Missouri DNR administers a competitive grant process to award these federal funds for local trail projects. The funds come from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, administered by the Federal Highway Administration.

One of the trails will connect the marina, dining lodge, rental cabins, swimming beach, petroglyph site and campground. The 10-foot-wide trail segment will be .59 miles long.

“These new trails will allow people to explore scenic parts of Thousand Hills that aren’t currently accessible,” Martin said.

The first phase of this project is expected to begin this summer, and it’s still unclear when the entire four-mile project will be completed.
 

Earlier story:

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon visited Thousand Hills State Park on Wednesday afternoon to announce grant money the park will be receiving.

The grants will be used to support the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle trail that will connect key attractions within the park, such as the marina, dining lodge and petroglyph site. 

The trail will be the first phase of a longer trail that ultimately will connect Kirksville’s historic downtown square with Thousand Hills, giving an extra boost to the city’s tourism industry and economy. 

The announcement was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the Petroglyph Shelter. Nixon was joined by First Lady Georganne Nixon, State Parks Director Bill Bryan, local officials and representatives of the Forest Lake Area Trail System.

We will have the details on our news tonight.


Click here for a map of Thousand Hills State Park