NE Kansas couple left shocked after they find armadillo in window well
18 August 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Opportunities are everywhere in the U.S. to enjoy the great outdoors and Kansas is no exception.
The Sunflower State is home to 28 state parks, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). Kansas recently welcomed its newest state park after Governor Laura Kelly signed off on a bill designating the Lehigh Portland Trails in Allen County as a new state park on April 19, 2023.
In addition to state parks, Kansas is also home to National Historic Landmarks operated by the National Park Service (NPS). These include numerous historic trails shared by Kansas and neighboring states and more unique sites like Fort Scott and Fort Larned.
KSNT 27 News spoke with Kansas State Parks Director Linda Lanterman about which state parks people are choosing to visit the most in recent years. In total, state parks in Kansas saw nearly 8 million visitors over the course of 2022.
1. El Dorado State Park
View of El Dorado lake. (Photo Courtesy/KDWP)
Coming in at No. 1, El Dorado State Park claims this spot by a landslide. People choose El Dorado as their state park of choice in Kansas at an overwhelming majority compared to other state parks as it had nearly a million more visitors when compared to the No. 2 state park. From 2020-2022, it regularly attracted more than a million visitors.
El Dorado State Park contains about 2,000 acres of park space and 4,000 acres of wildlife area surrounding 8,000 acres of water, according to the KDWP. Hiking, biking and horse trails can all be found at the park along with plentiful fishing locations. The park is located about three miles east of El Dorado and nearly 35 miles from Wichita.
2. Clinton State Park
A view of Clinton Lake. (Photo Courtesy/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Clinton State Park comes in at No. 2 for most popular state parks in Kansas, according to the KDWP. It is situated a short distance from the City of Lawrence and around 23 miles from the City of Topeka.
The park offers amenities in the form of hundreds of camping locations, a 25-mile hiking and biking trail, an archery range, 18-hole disc golf course, swim beach, trout pond and more. The park is also home to the Clinton Marina for boat storage, rentals and sales.
The park came under the national spotlight in 1989 when Clinton Lake became the home of a pair of bald eagles, according to the KDWP. This was the first time bald eagles were recorded as nesting in Kansas since pioneer days with more returning in the years to follow for nesting purposes.
3. Cheney State Park
Overhead view of Cheney State Park. (Photo Courtesy/KDWP)
The No. 3 most popular state park is Cheney State Park in south-central Kansas, according to the KDWP. Cheney Reservoir was completed in 1964 and covers 1,913 acres. The reservoir draws in visitors with its plentiful boat launching sites, fishing opportunities and sailing options.
Located just 17 miles west of Wichita, the park occupies land in three counties, according to the KDWP. The park is home to two marinas, 223 reservable electrical hookup sites with water and more than 400 primitive campsites.
4. Hillsdale State Park
View of Hillsdale State Park. (Photo Courtesy/KDWP)
Found in Miami County in northeast Kansas, Hillsdale ranks as the No. 4 most popular state park in the Sunflower State, according to the KDWP. With Kansas City north of the park, it sees thousands of visitors every year who come to enjoy the more than 12,000 acres of park and wildlife areas.
Hillsdale Reservoir is notable as it contains much of the original standing timber from when the park was completed in 1982 which is now used to provide fish habitat. Walleye, catfish, largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill all call this reservoir home. Around 7,000 acres are also open to hunting at Hillsdale within the wildlife area of the park.
5. Tuttle Creek State Park
The Cottonwood Nature Trail at Tuttle Creek State Park. (Photo Courtesy/KDWP)
Found near the Little Apple, Tuttle Creek State Park covers 1,200 acres, according to the KDWP. Features include electric and water hookups, a swimming beach, boat ramps, courtesy docks and dump stations. More than 150 water/electric campsites and 200 primitive campsites can be found within the park along with cabin options.
Trails for hiking, biking and horse riding are all available at the park, according to the KDWP. Other activities found at Tuttle Creek State Park include horseshoe pits, an 18-hole disc golf course, volleyball courts, archery range and a state-of-the-art shooting range. Tuttle Creek Lake is home to bass, saugeye, channel catfish, flathead catfish and more. The nearby wildlife area, covering 12,000 acres, provides wildlife watching and hunting opportunities.
The Full List
Kansas’ state parks are organized below from most popular to least popular. Included alongside the number of visitors is the economic impact for each park as measured through a 2021 study by Wichita State University. The number of visitors is current as of 2022:
El Dorado – 1,615,212
2021 – 1,123,975
2020 – 1,357,869
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $39,047,670
Clinton – 643,176
2021 – 693,137
2020 – 642,176
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $22,146,349
Cheney – 631,188
2021 – 709,611
2020 – 759,059
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $21,213,133
Hillsdale – 606,529
2021 – 619,029
2020 – 903,402
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $29,368,728
Tuttle Creek – 550,176
2021 – 580,777
2020 – 693,512
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $25,470,146
Wilson – 334,652
2021 – 391,912
2020 – 270,753
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $3,942,354
Crawford – 332,880
2021 – 314,188
2020 – 284,583
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $11,999,504
Milford – 330,005
2021 – 341,068
2020 – 389,045
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $16,029,794
Kanopolis/Mushroom Rock State Park – 290,436
2021 – 248,038
2020 – 390,978
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $8,169,023
Lovewell – 286,389
2021 – 304,634
2020 – 302,240
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $7,690,924
Elk City – 282,360
2021 – 210,633
2020 – 218,288
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $6,914,884
Glen Elder – 227,225
2021 – 203,910
2020 – 214,960
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $6,419,964
Scott – 222,860
2021 – 202,686
2020 – 229,754
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $6,479,153
Prairie Dog – 191,972
2021 – 201,661
2020 – 224,332
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $8,889,150
Cedar Bluff – 182,252
2021 – 210,604
2020 – 228,048
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $7,985,071
Perry – 166,293
2021 – 172,393
2020 – 197,793
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $8,921,982
Pomona – 159,779
2021 – 176,148
2020 – 183,480
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $4,785,736
Webster – 143,400
2021 – 147,116
2020 – 189,430
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $4,178,828
Sand Hills – 138,616
2021 – 108,742
2020 – 67,208
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $2,482,505
Eisenhower – 97,375
2021 – 126,178
2020 – 219,353
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $7,465,306
Cross Timbers – 96,648
2021 – 116,148
2020 – 127,728
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $13,623,561
Meade – 82,680
2021 – 89,205
2020 – 142,598
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $4,305,545
Flint Hills Trail – 76,400
2021 – 77,200
2020 – 81,800
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $1,847,333
Fall River – 71,965
2021 – 79,432
2020 – 92,690
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $6,612,956
Prairie Spirit Trail – 70,500
2021 – 71,500
2020 – 80,600
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $3,396,046
Kaw River – 43,884
2021 – 63,948
2020 – 81,256
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $1,456,235
Little Jerusalem – 17,465
2021 – 27,003
2020 – 38,377
Economic contributions to state economy in 2021 – $225,028
Lehigh Portland Trails State Park – NA