Eastern Kansas

OTTAWA: Prairie Spirit Trail Recently designated as a Kansas State Park, this 51-mile north-south trail extends from Ottawa south through Princeton, Richmond, Garnett, Welda, Colony and Carlyle to Iola. Composed of finely crushed and compacted limestone and virtually flat, the 12-foot-wide trail is suitable for most bikes. One-day permits ($3.50 for riders age 16 and older) can be purchased at kiosks at trailheads in each city. Keep in mind that most of the trail is rural and often lightly traveled except on weekends. Always be prepared with spare tires, a pump, rain jacket, cell phone, water and snacks. (785) 448-6767

LAWRENCE: Clinton Lake It’s easy to see why summer crowds pack Clinton Lake and surrounding park areas. Noted as one of the country’s top  50 boating lakes, its steady winds and large stretches of glistening water attract motorboats, water-skiers, sailboats and windsurfers. Sandy beaches and four playgrounds entertain kids. Hiking and mountain biking trails wind through wooded ravines along the lake’s north shore, and a skills loop challenges experienced mountain bikers. For runners and bikers, a network of paved trails affords easy access to shops and restaurants in nearby Lawrence. A full-service marina offers boat slips, supplies and equipment rentals. (785) 842-8562

CHERRYVALE: Big Hill Lake The bass and catfish always take the bait at Big Hill Lake. After catching your fill, stroll through oak woodlands and bluestem prairies on the mile-long Ruth Nixon Trail or saddle up on the 17-mile-long bridle trail. For more great fishing, dip a line into one of the ponds neighboring the lake in Big Hill Wildlife Area. (620) 336-2741

More Eastern Kansas state parks and wildlife refuges:

BIG HILL Catch bass, crappie, and walleye at this trophy fishing lake or camp, hike and horseback ride. (620) 336-2741

CRAWFORD Spectacular scenery, lakefront cabins, archeological sites and even scuba diving highlight experiences at this park. (620) 362-3671

CROSS TIMBERS Visitors come to hike, camp, fish and boat in this naturally diverse 1,075-acre preserve. (620) 637-2213

EISENHOWER Melvern Lake offers anglers excellent fishing from shore or boat. (785) 528-4102

ELK CITY Hike through dense woodlands and past huge limestone formations. (620) 331-6295

HILLSDALE Equestrian-only campgrounds available along with 32 miles of marked trails. (913) 783-4507

KAW RIVER Hardwood forest overlooks the Kaw River at Kansas’ newest state park. (785) 273-6740

PERRY The highly regarded mountain biking trail boasts 22 miles of single track. (785) 246-3449

POMONA Full-service marina caters to  boaters, fishermen, skiers and campers. (785) 828-4933

FLINT HILLS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE/JOHN REDMOND LAKE Birders come to see thousands of waterfowl that rest in this preserve during spring and fall migrations. (620) 392-5553

MARAIS DES CYGNES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Diverse natural habitats provide for more than 300 bird species. (913) 352-8956

For park details: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (620) 672-5911; kdwp.state.ks.us [1]

Central Kansas

SALINA: Kanopolis State Park Kansas’ first state park (founded in 1955 about 30 miles southwest of Salina) ranks as one of the most beautiful. The 1,600 acres of hills, rugged Dakota Sandstone bluffs and big stands of mature trees frame 3,500-acre Kanopolis Reservoir and its 41 miles of shoreline. You’re in luck if you camp or travel with horses; Kanopolis is one of a handful of equestrian-only campgrounds. Horsethief Canyon offers 26 miles of trails for hikers, horseback riders and bicyclists. The multiuse 1½-mile Buffalo Tracks Canyon Nature Trail follows Bison Creek to a rugged box canyon that Plains tribes once used to trap bison. The reservoir features two swimming beaches. South of the dam, the beach along Langley Point is within walking distance of campgrounds, the marina and a kids’ fishing pond. A valid park permit is required to swim. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the campground and Venango Beach north of the dam ($1 per person/maximum $4 per car). On a hot day, swimmers will appreciate the southwesterly breeze. (785) 546-2565

MANKATO: Lovewell State Park This haven (14 miles north of Mankato) provides camping, fishing, wildlife watching and year-round special events. The 3,000-acre reservoir, complete with marina, is known for its excellent walleye fishing. Summertime also brings a variety of special events, including a sandcastle contest (July) and Lovewell Lake Fun Day in August. (785) 753-4971

PHILLIPS COUNTY: Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge Located in the rolling hills and narrow valley of the north fork of the Solomon River (about 65 miles north of Hays), 5,000-acre U-shape Kirwin Reservoir is the centerpiece of this 10,778-acre national wildlife refuge. Kirwin is a key migration stop. From November to March, expect to see Canadian geese and ducks, along with bald and golden eagles. Visitors can hike on dirt roads and walk along interpretive nature trails and dikes. (785) 543-6673

More central Kansas parks and preserves:

CHENEY Steady prairie winds make this among the top Midwest sailing lakes. (316) 542-3664

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS WILDLIFE AREA Gravel roads allow close views of countless thousands of migrating birds. (620) 793-7730

GLEN ELDER This park frames Waconda Lake, one of the state’s largest reservoirs. (785) 545-3345

MUSHROOM ROCK Odd-shape rocks star at the smallest park. The largest formation measures 27 feet in diameter. (785) 546-2565

QUIVIRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Boardwalks and trails wind through wetlands; observation platforms offer prime viewing. (620) 486-2393

SAND HILLS Fifteen miles of trail weave through sand dunes and natural areas. (316) 542-3664

WILSON RESERVOIR Kayakers paddle among limestone castles that rise out of the lake. (785) 658-2465

For park details: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (620) 672-5911; kdwp.state.ks.us [1]

Flint Hills region

JUNCTION CITY: Milford State Park Five miles north of Junction City, this park’s centerpiece lake calls itself the “Fishing Capital of Kansas.” In addition to smallmouth bass, the 16,000-acre prairie lake (with 160 miles of shoreline) teems with walleye, largemouth bass, blue catfish and wipers, a hard-fighting white and striped bass hybrid. And you don’t have to be a veteran to have fun reeling them in. Novices and kids have good luck at the frequently stocked Gathering Pond below the dam. The small tranquil pond (no motorized boats allowed) features piers for easy fishing access and even hosts kids’ tournaments. (785) 238-3014

MANHATTAN: Tuttle Creek State Park Boating, swimming and fishing bring visitors to Manhattan’s huge reservoir, the state’s second largest. But they’re not the only story. Marksmen can target-shoot at the Fancy Creek Shooting Range (open the first and third full weekends of every month). Miles of backcountry trails beckon to ATVers and motorcyclists. (In some areas, vehicles must have wheelbases of less than 66 inches.) Horseback, mountain biking and hiking trails weave through the park and along 100 miles of shore. Some 700 campsites and 11 camping cabins attract families.The adjacent 12,000-acre wildlife area harbors deer, quail, turkeys and birds. (785) 539-7941

EL DORADO: El Dorado State Park On summer weekends, there’s a festival atmosphere at El Dorado State Park on the southern edge of the Flint Hills (38 miles northeast of Wichita). Much of the fun centers on four camping areas with multiple campgrounds that have more than 1,000 sites, some along 98 miles of shore. The park also features five small sleeping cabins and five deluxe cabins with kitchens and baths. Plan ahead;  these book quickly. Six trails include the easy-going Shady Creek Nature Trail where fawn often are spotted in spring and more challenging hiking and biking trails, which climb into uplands. The scenic Boulder Bluff Horse Trail follows the shore. (316) 321-7180

More Flint Hills area parks and preserves:

Council Grove Lake This park offers campsites close to Santa Fe Trail historic sites and scenic Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. (620) 767-5195

Fall River State Park Birders come hoping for  sightings of more than 400 species. (620) 637-2213

Marion Reservoir Big water brings boaters and anglers to this lake and four parks with campgrounds on the shore. (620) 382-2101

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Guided bus tours take visitors to eye-popping views of the world’s largest surviving prairie. (620) 273-8494

Cross timbers Some of the largest white bass in the world live in these waters. (620) 637-2213

For park details: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (620) 672-5911; kdwp.state.ks.us [1]

Western Kansas

WAKEENEY: Cedar Bluff State Park An overlook atop a 100-foot limestone bluff provides a sweeping view of the campgrounds, trails and picnic areas in this park wrapped around 6,000-acre Cedar Bluff Reservoir (20 miles south of WaKeeney). Three of the park’s camping areas—Butterfield, Overland and Despatch—are named for the famed trails that cut through the park. Wagon train ruts still are visible in some places. Plenty of room to spread out and steady prairie winds make Cedar Bluff a popular destination for windsurfers, sailboaters and powerboat enthusiasts. The reservoir is also a renowned fishing lake, known for white and largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and walleye. (785) 726-3212

NORTON: Prairie Dog State Park Along the shores of 2,500-acre Keith Sebelius Lake (about 60 miles north of WaKeeney), Prairie Dog is home to a colony of the sociable burrowing rodents that once colonized prairie meadows. Other wildlife species include badgers, turkeys and deer. Within the preserve, you also can visit the last remaining adobe house in Kansas. A 19th-century one-room schoolhouse stands near the 1890s soddy. (785) 877-2953

ELKHART: Cimarron National Grassland Sprawling across more than 108,000 acres in the far southwestern corner of the state (about 80 miles northwest of Liberal), this preserve hasn’t changed much in more than a century. The Companion Trail parallels the famed Santa Fe Trail for nearly 19 miles through buffalo grass, spiky yucca, aromatic sage and, after rare rains, a carpet of wildflowers. The trail is open to hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Campers can pitch a tent at one of the primitive sites (no water/electricity). Standing atop Point of Rocks, a Santa Fe Trail landmark, visitors can sense and see evidence of the history that passed this way. The view from the high point includes washboard ridges furrowed into the prairie earth, the well-worn path left behind by the iron-shod wheels on thousands of wagons in the mid-1800s. Trail trekkers see few fences and other modern conveniences along the mowed path, but may spy grazing elk and antelope or eagles wheeling on the steady winds. The grassland is home to more than 360 types of birds, thanks to its remote and varied terrain. For birders, its most notable attraction is the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. The increasingly rare bird still thrives in this peaceful tract reclaimed in part from farmland abandoned during the Dust Bowl era. In mating season, you can view booming from a U.S. Forest Service blind. (620) 697-4621

More Western Kansas parks and preserves:

MEADE Camp here to explore the Red Hill country of southwest Kansas. (620) 873-2572

SCOTT Hiking, biking and equestrian trails climb and twist through the canyon. (620) 872-2061

WEBSTER Fish the lake and visit nearby Nicodemus National Historic Site. (785) 425-6775

For park details: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (620) 672-5911; kdwp.state.ks.us [1]