Painted Rock Conservation Area: hunting and access
Painted Rock Conservation Area is 1,488 acres of MDC land in Osage County, 5 miles from St. Thomas. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,740 deer in Osage County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MDC's conservation area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025.
MDC conservation areasPainted Rock Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,488 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Osage County |
| Deer harvest unit | Osage County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 8145 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | St. Thomas (5 mi), Westphalia (5 mi) and Meta (5 mi) |
What is Painted Rock Conservation Area like?
Painted Rock Conservation Area is located on Highway 133, seven miles west of Westphalia in Osage County. The lands of Painted Rock Conservation Area show evidence of occupation by Native Americans as early as 9,000 years ago. An Indian burial cairn, located along Osage Scenic Bluff trail, was constructed between 500 and 1,500 years ago. The property was purchased in 1877 by a group of Jefferson City dignitaries, who named it the Painted Rock Country Club. Their successors sold the property in 1946. The Department of Conservation purchased the property from a private individual in 1981. Painted Rock Conservation Area consists of 1,480 acres. The Osage River intersects the property along the west boundary. Breathtaking views are offered from the Scenic Trail at two boardwalks and other locations. The forest contains six ponds, which are managed primarily for wildlife, and Clubhouse Lake. The forest consists primarily of oak and hickory, with the areas along the Osage River dominated by bottomland hardwoods. Several small glades can be found throughout the area and offer a kaleidoscope of wildflowers from May to October. Timber harvesting is managed to improve wildlife habitat, and 60 acres of open land serve as wildlife food plots on a crop rotation basis. This Conservation Area was acquired in part through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Fishing regulations on all impoundments on the area are: Largemouth Bass: Daily Limit 6; Length Limit 12-15" protected slot length Channel Catfish: Daily Limit 4; Length Limit None Crappie: Daily Limit 30; Length Limit None All Other Fish Combined: Daily Limit 20; Length Limit None
In MDC's words, from the Painted Rock Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Painted Rock Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Painted Rock Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Painted Rock Conservation Area?
MDC's standard conservation area rules (Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code) apply; the area's rules on MDC's site list any it adds.
How many deer are taken around Painted Rock Conservation Area?
Painted Rock Conservation Area lies in Osage County. Hunters checked 3,740 deer in Osage County in 2025, against 3,129 in 2024.
| County | Painted Rock Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osage County | 1,488 | 3,740 | 3,129 | 3,966 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Painted Rock Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Westphalia, take Highway 63 north, then Highway 133 west 7 miles to the area.
Nearest towns: St. Thomas (5 miles), Westphalia (5 miles), Meta (5 miles) and Taos (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 133.
What other public land is near Painted Rock Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Pikes Camp Access: 170 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Mari-Osa Access: 28 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Dr. Bernard Bruns Access: 84 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Honey Creek Access: 75 acres, 7.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Painted Rock Conservation Area
Counting Painted Rock Conservation Area itself, 1,489 of the 34,569 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,489 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Painted Rock Conservation Area?
In Osage County, 5 miles from St. Thomas.
Can you deer hunt on Painted Rock Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Painted Rock Conservation Area?
1,489 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Painted Rock Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Pikes Camp Access (3.8 miles).
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Missouri included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Painted Rock Conservation Area; MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Boundary and acres: MDC's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check MDC's rules and posted signs before you go.