Top 5 most popular Kansas state parks revealed
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
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
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
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
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
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