River Hills Traveler

11/26/2025

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL for NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Buy one 12-month subscription at half-price & give one!

https://www.riverhillstraveler.com/sale/

11/15/2025

If you shoot a deer this opening weekend or anytime during deer season, please share it with us! You can upload a photo here along with the "who, what, when and where" details or text them to us at (417) 451-3798 straight from the field.

If email is more convenient, please send the photo and info to [email protected]. Good luck this season and be safe!

11/06/2025

Veterans & active-duty military who camp on
Veterans Day will receive free night at
Missouri State Parks

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 6, 2025 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Missouri State Parks recognize and thank all veterans and active-duty military members for their service by offering two promotions in honor of Veterans Day.

To show appreciation for their service, all veterans and active-duty military members who camp at a Missouri State Parks campground Tuesday, Nov. 11, will receive a promotional code for a free night of camping. The veteran must be staying the night of Nov. 11 and show identification of veteran/active-duty military status when checking in to receive the promotional code. Missouri State Parks will accept several types of identification.

Veterans and active military members are also invited to take free tours of Missouri state historic sites Saturday, Nov. 8, through Tuesday, Nov. 11, with valid identification.

Some Missouri state parks and historic sites change their hours of operation during the fall for the off-season. Visitors are encouraged to check current hours online at mostateparks.com before heading to a state park or historic site.

In addition, Missouri State Parks offers a $2 per night camping discount year round at state park campgrounds for military members and veterans. Nightly camping rates vary from campground to campground based on different criteria. Retired, veteran and active-duty military personnel, as well as family members of active-duty military personnel (with valid military identification provided at check-in), will receive the military discount.

Missouri State Parks seeks team members who have demonstrated their commitment to protecting public resources. In accordance with state law, if you are a veteran, a family member of a veteran or a surviving spouse of a veteran, you receive preference in the employment selection process when you are similarly qualified to other applicants for the same position. Veterans are encouraged to include their military experience on every application submitted for employment at Missouri State Parks.

For more information, visit mostateparks.com/page/83631/missouri-state-parks-honors-veterans. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

10/04/2025

Join us at the Shannon County Museum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, for a fascinating history program featuring Richard McGee, author of the new book, "The Mills and Springs of the Ozarks."

Richard will highlight the history and natural beauty of the Ozarks' iconic springs and mills including some of those in Shannon County.

He will discuss:
• The unique geological forces that shaped our breathtaking springs and caves.
• The remarkable technology that powered the mills of the Ozarks.
• The impact of statehood, western expansion, and the Civil War on the region’s once-thriving mill economy.

His new book serves as a wonderful guide to both the cultural and geological treasures of the Ozarks. Don’t miss this chance to connect with the region’s history and natural heritage! For more information, call (573) 247-8706.

08/29/2025

LABOR DAY SPECIAL! The only thing better than one is THREE! Buy one digital subscription to the River Hills Traveler and GIVE TWO DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS to friends or family for FREE!

https://www.riverhillstraveler.com/sale/

08/10/2025

07/23/2025

It's one of those things that sounds obvious until it isn't. Make sure you have everything and, more importantly, everyone when you exit your car in this summer heat!

06/30/2025

UPDATE — 2025 Unauthorized Large Group Use Incident
June 27, 2025 (from US Forest Service)

Current Situation
As of today, the estimated attendance is around 405 participants. We anticipate a slow continual increase of participants through the weekend and into next week until the peak of the incident on July 4.

If you are traveling in the vicinity, please be mindful of turning traffic from County Highway 99 onto County Road 430. Participants are also accessing the incident site from other roads that lead into the incident from the north.

Background Information
The Forest Service is responding to an Unauthorized Noncommercial Large Group Use Incident (Rainbow Family Gathering) on the Mark Twain National Forest, Eleven Point/Doniphan Ranger District. The incident is approximately 6 miles northeast of Thomasville, Missouri, in Oregon County along
County Road 430 (Banner Road).

The Forest Service has mobilized a National Incident Management Team with experience managing these
types of incidents. The team works closely with the local community, including law enforcement agencies, throughout the incident to protect the health and safety of everyone involved, and to lessen environmental impacts to the site by providing information and enforcing laws.

An incident of this size can have significant impacts on traffic, communities, local resources, residents, and visitors. Local businesses can expect to see large numbers of Rainbow Family participants visiting stores and buying food and supplies along routes to the incident location.

The Rainbow Family of Living Light is a loose-knit group of people from throughout the United States and other countries who gather annually on a national forest. Since the first gathering near Strawberry Lake on the Arapaho National Forest in Colorado in 1972, the incident has taken place on a different national forest each year.

Forest Orders and Closure Information
The Mark Twain National Forest issued Forest Order 09-05-25-03 closing Forest Roads 4155 and 4155A on June 24 at 1600 hrs. This closure will be in effect through July 14 at 0800 hrs.

06/26/2025

The Arcadia Valley Chamber of Commerce will again partner with Missouri State Parks and Battle of Pilot K**b State Historic Site to celebrate Independence Day with a fireworks display Friday, July 4. The event will go from 7-10:30 p.m. on the historic site grounds.

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring insect repellent and a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.

For more information, contact the site’s office at 573-546-3454. The Battle of Pilot K**b State Historic Site is located at 118 E. Maple in Pilot K**b.

06/24/2025

The Forest Service is responding to an Unauthorized Noncommercial Large Group Use Incident (Rainbow Family Gathering) on the Mark Twain National Forest, Eleven Point/Doniphan Ranger District.

The incident is approximately 6 miles northeast of Thomasville, Missouri, in Oregon County along County Road 430 (Banner Road).

The Forest Service has mobilized a National Incident Management Team with experience managing these types of incidents. The team works closely with the local community, including law enforcement agencies, throughout the incident to protect the health and safety of everyone involved, and to lessen environmental impacts to the site by providing information and enforcing laws.

Currently, the estimated attendance is approximately 183 attendees.

06/17/2025

A couple rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms will also bring heavy rain back to the area along with the potential of some localized flooding today into Wednesday night.

06/17/2025

An update to the National Weather Service (NWS) weather system will create an outage of NOAA weather radios. This outage is expected to be short-term, from Monday, June 16, through sometime on Wednesday, June 18. All citizens to have alternative ways to receive weather warning information during this time.

There are multiple sources to access for weather warnings, including local TV and radio stations, weather apps on a mobile device, and the NWS website at weather.gov/sgf.

The National Weather Service in Springfield will be conducting a required, scheduled update to their Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) system from June 16-18. The NWS uses the AWIPS computer system to display and integrate weather and water information, and to send life-saving information, such as weather and water warnings, to the public.

Springfield officials also noted that this work will not impact their core services of forecast products, and weather watches, warnings and advisories are expected during this period. The KSGF radar will remain operational and products will continue to be distributed as normal.