Nature & Outdoors

Floating Down the Kaw

  • 5 minutes

Photography by Michael Pearce State programs, nonprofit groups and outdoor equipment suppliers have made it easy to explore and enjoy a treasured waterway Growing up in the early 1980s, Dawn Buehler…

  • Kaw River State Park Map*click to enlarge
    300 SW Wanamaker Rd. Topeka, KS 66606

    • Kaw River Mountain Bike Loop
      • Length - 3.3 miles
      • Terrain - Natural 
      • Difficulty level – Moderate
      • Usage – Walking, Mountain Biking
    • Eagles
    • Waterfowl
    • Deer
    • Turkey
  • MacLennan Park contains ADA trails
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  • Kaw River State Park Photos

    About Kansas State Parks

    Kansas State Parks

    Cedar Bluff

    A few minutes south of the hustle and hassle of I-70 in western Kansas, life goes relaxingly slow at Cedar Bluff State Park. 

    Wilson

    Terms like “world-class” and “one of the nation’s best” are usually unwarranted. Both are accurate for Wilson…

    Little Jerusalem Badlands

    Welcome to the "Badlands of Kansas" - Little Jerusalem State Park in Western Kansas is truly a sight to see!

    Mushroom Rock

    Just south of Salina stands one of Kansas' many natural wonders - Mushroom Rocks.

    Perry

    Perry State Park sits well within Kansas, but with long ridges of hickory and assorted oaks it wouldn’t look out of place in the…

    Kanopolis

    Carson and Custer once explored the jagged prairies in what’s now Kanopolis State Park on horseback.

    El Dorado

    El Dorado State Park’s 4,000 acres makes it Kansas’ largest. Yet you can be as secluded or social as you like amid landscapes…

    Flint Hills Trail State Park

    It’s the kind of place where you can travel many miles in near silence as your hiking boots or bike tires move over a surface velvety…

    Historic Lake Scott

    Just north of Scott City lays a stunning canyon nestled among the prairie and natural springs.

    Tuttle Creek

    Tuttle Creek State Park is a story of two special places. One sits where both land and lake are expansive, with a campground on classic…

    Fall River

    Life’s easy at Fall River State Park, where crowds are few but recreational possibilities are many.

    Sand Hills

    Rather than water, it’s the work of the wind that draws people to Sand Hills State Park.

    Pomona

    For decades visitors have come to Pomona State Park by automobile. Now, they’re also coming by horseback and bicycle.

    Clinton

    Clinton State Park is a 1,400 acre island of unspoiled nature amid the suburban sprawl of northeast Kansas.

    Crawford

    Where the Ozarks spill into Kansas, in the Great Depression the government gave jobs to hundreds of destitute men with the Civilian…

    Elk City

    Elk City State Park sits in a gorgeous valley with natural greatness on both sides. 

    Meade

    “Oasis” may be the best way to describe this 400-acre paradise shaded by tall cottonwoods, with an 80-acre lake of cool…

    Eisenhower

    Within Eisenhower State Park sits 1,000 acres of some of the last wild prairie in eastern Kansas. 

    Lovewell

    It’s been called the “Serengeti of the Sky”, when hundreds of thousands of northward migrating snow geese arrive at…

    Webster

    Far from any sizable cities, many might consider Webster State Park “in the middle of nowhere.” Those who know the park will…

    Glen Elder

    Long before civilization, native people came to be healed within the sacred waters of Waconda Springs. The springs are now deep within Glen…

    Cross Timbers

    Southeast Kansas’ Cross Timbers region is a narrow, rugged, 50-mile finger of steeply timbered hillsides that rise to towering…

    Lehigh Portland State Park

    Visit the newest State Park in Kansas - Lehigh Portland Trails, a vast network of hiking and biking trails around Elk's Lake in Iola.

    Cheney

    The park’s 1,900 acres are laced with good trails and dotted with shaded cabins and campsites. In the reservoir you can sample some of…

    Prairie Spirit Trail

    A century ago Kansans took the train from town to town, watching the countryside lazily pass as they road the rails.

    Milford

    Kansas’ largest, Milford Reservoir has enough shoreline to reach from Kansas City to Salina. The waters within that 161 miles of land…

    Hillsdale

    Hillsdale State Park is only minutes away from the 2 million-plus people of the greater Kansas City area. It’s a place where…

    Prairie Dog

    On the high plains of northwest Kansas, Prairie Dog State Park is a rare and welcome place to play in the water and shade.

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