There is much to see and do in Randolph County. The Moberly area has three clean, modern hotels and the county is home to dozens of restaurants. Dining choices range from down-home country cooking to fine dining, plus several fast food options. Mexican, Italian, Chinese, and American food will give you many choices and something to please everyone’s taste.

Randolph County is well-known for some of the best and most diversified hunting in the state. Deer, turkey, rabbits, quail, squirrels, and doves are plentiful. You can contact a local land owner for permission to hunt or schedule a guided hunt at Heggemeier Game Farm. The fishing is also outstanding, with lakes abundant in crappie, bass, sunfish, catfish, and others. Public fishing lakes include Rothwell Park Lake, Sugar Creek Lake, and Thomas Hill Lake. Thomas Hill Lake and Conservation Area, located 10 miles north of Huntsville, offers fishing, water skiing, and boating. This 4950-acre, man-made lake was created to provide cooling water for the turbines of Thomas Hill Power Plant, and the “warm-water” arm of the lake offers year-round fishing and larger-than-normal catches. There are four primitive campgrounds with numbered campsites, and three overflow camping areas.

Located just a few miles west of Moberly on Highway 24 is Shepherd Farms, Inc. This 3000 acre working farm is home to over 600 head of buffalo, and is also home to a large pecan orchard and the nation’s largest producer of Eastern Gamagrass. You can observe the herd and then purchase buffalo meat in their store. Dossey-Rasmussen Orchard, located in northwest Moberly, offers apples, cider, and strawberries in season. Make some memories by picking your own, or visit the barn and buy some picked by their staff. Either way, you’ll be delighted with the freshfrom-the-orchard sweetness.

For those who enjoy a quiet drive in the country, an Amish community is found in the southeastern part of the county. Stretching into several surrounding counties, this area provides an opportunity for a first-hand glimpse of the way things were done when horses supplied the power. There is even an Amish store where you can shop for home-grown produce and other items.

Drive 18 miles east of Moberly on Highway 24 and take Route C to one of the last remaining covered bridges in the state of Missouri – the Union Covered Bridge is a piece of history the entire family will enjoy seeing.

24 Raceway, a 4/10 mile dirt racetrack attracts drivers and fans from all over the country. Events include open and B-modified stock cars, “thunder trucks”, sprint cars, and pure stocks. Races are held each Saturday evening beginning in April. HLR Motorsports Park near Huntsville opens its dirt track each year in March for go-cart and motorcycle racing.

At the Southeast entrance to Rothwell Park is a military memorial area. The centerpiece of this area is the statue of General Omar Bradley, who grew up in Moberly. A short trip north to Jacksonville will take you to the breath-taking, park-like grounds of the Missouri Veterans Cemetery.

Rothwell Park is home to the Magic City Line miniature railroad. Train rides are available on Sunday afternoons April through October and by special appointment. Children and adults will enjoy the mile long train ride into the beautiful woods and back again. Right next to the train station is the Thompson campground. The RV area is fully blacktopped, and several natural camping spaces are available for those who like to rough it.

Cooper’s Oak Winery is located in Higbee. The winery is located on the premises of A & K Cooperage, manufacturer of fine American oak barrels. A unique feature is the historic Higbee jail cell that has been renovated into a wine cellar.

On the site of the former Wabash Depot, a new park is being developed called Depot Park. The Railway Express office located at this site houses a Railroad Museum, complete with an original caboose. A stately clock tower stands sentry at the end of Reed Street and reminds old timers of the depot that originally stood there before being destroyed by a tornado in 1995. Several more enhancements to this area are planned, including a visitors center and railroad observation platform. Just two blocks away is the Moberly Historical Society, which also maintains a museum of local history and genealogy research.