Our book signings and presentations as well as things to do around the state.
From 12 to 12:45 pm starting this Friday, April 10, the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan will be running live sessions on various Flint Hills topics. It’s interactive, so if you have any questions – they’ll be answered right then and there!
Tomorrow’s session is on Bison. It will run every Friday for the next several weeks on their Facebook page, and there are printable worksheets for kids ages 5-9 and 10+. Check out their page here.
Start 2020 with a hike! The cold weather is abating a bit and if you bundle up, it should be an enjoyable way to start the new year.
Guided First Day Hikes are being led around the state on Wednesday, January 1, sponsored by America’s State Parks. There are hikes all around the state, including at the new Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park.
Cedar Bluff State Park from 10am to 2pm
Trail: Bluffton Area
Meeting Location: State Park Office
Details: Water, snacks, appropriate winter clothing, good walking shoes/boots, binoculars, cameras. Hot chocolate after hike.
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – On Leash
Clinton State Park at 10am
Trail: X-Country Ski Trail
Meeting Location: Entrance of Campground 3
Details: Warm clothing, good hiking boots or shoes, water, binoculars, cameras, trail easy in difficulty, 1 mile in length, daily vehicle permit required
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash
Crawford State Park at 10am
Trail: Spider Leg Bridge Trail
Meeting Location: Beach Shelter House
Details: Warm clothing, water resistant boots/shoes, water, binoculars, cameras, trail moderate in difficulty, 2 miles in length
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash
El Dorado State Park at 1pm
Trail: Walnut River Trail
Meeting Location: Walnut River Cabins
Details: Dress warm and bring a camera for wildlife pictures. Easy to moderate 2 mile hike. Hot Chocolate and coffee will be provided.
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash.
Fall River State Park at 2pm
Trail: Post Oak Trail
Meeting Location: Fall River Maintenance Shop/Trail Head
Details: Warm clothing, good boots, water, trail easy in difficulty, 3/4 mile in length, Refreshments provided. What you might see: winter waterfowl, eagles, tallgrass ID, and other KS wildlife. The hike will also feature the Cross Timbers ecosystem, with oak savannas that are part of gold growth forests.
Restrictions: Pet friendly – on leash
Green Property, Pratt at 1pm
Trail: Green Recreational Trail
Meeting Location: Barn/Shop, Pratt, KS
Details: Water, snacks, appropriate winter clothing, good walking shoes/boots, binoculars, camera easy to moderate difficulty, 1 mile. Hot cider and hot chocolate after hike
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash
Kanopolis State Park at 10am
Trail: Split Boulder Trail
Meeting Location: State Park Office
Details: Water, snacks, appropriate winter clothing, good walking shoes/boots, binoculars, cameras, easy 1.6 miles. Coffee and hot chocolate provided at the park office before and after the hike.
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash
Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park at 12pm
Trail: Life on the Rocks Trail (on-trail hike) or Little Jerusalem Badlands (off-trail hike)
Meeting Location: Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park
Details: Dress warm, water, snacks, and bring binoculars or a camera for wildlife pictures. On-trail hike easy difficulty, 1-2 miles. Off-trail hike advanced difficulty, 1 mile, may want hiking poles.
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash for on-trail hike. No pets for off-trail hike.
Perry State Park at 10am
Trail: Jack-O-Lope Trail
Meeting Location: Wild Horse Equestrian Day Use Area in in Wild Horse Campground
Details: Dress warmly; warm gloves and head covering; good walking/hiking shoes; walking/hiking poles, if desired; water and snacks provided.
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash
Pomona State Park at 1pm
Trail: FHNT and Campgrounds – 1.5 to 2 miles
Meeting Location: Pomona State Park Office
Details: Weather appropriate clothing, camera and water, easy 1.5 to 2 miles. May see Eagles on hike. Hike along POMP roads and bike on FHNT. Hot chocolate and coffee served.
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash
Wilson State Park at 1pm
Trail: Cedar Trail
Meeting Location: Parking Lot across from Cedar Trail Trailhead – Otoe
Details: Dress warm, water, and bring a binoculars or camera for wildlife pictures. Hike will be 1 mile and easy in difficulty, daily vehicle permit required.
Restrictions: Pet Friendly – on leash.
From noon to 5pm on Sunday, September 15, 2019, it’s a free day at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan. If you’ve never been, now is the time to go.
It’s an amazing space with interactive exhibits for the entire family. From auctioneering contests to the displays of just how deep the roots are of the prairie grasses.
Plus at the community day event, there will be extra bonus activities around to enjoy. And remember, it’s free! Regular price for adults is $9. No excuse to miss it! Enjoy!
July 20, 1969 was the day that a man first walked on the moon. 50 years later, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson is going all out this summer for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Through the summer
This includes showing the APOLLO 11: First Steps Edition film, watch the trailer below, an Apollo 11 scavenger hunt, a selfie station, and perhaps coolest of all — an authentic Apollo-era Mission Control back room console in the Our Universe Gallery. Designed and built by the Cosmosphere, this exhibit was funded by the NASA TEAM II Grant.
Anniversary Week 7/15 to 7/20
For anniversary week, there are loads of special events with more details here. Presentation and book signing by Rick Houston, author of the book Go, Flight! The Unsung Heroes of Mission Control on Monday.
Tuesday is the world record attempt for most rockets launched in a day, an initiative by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, and in the evening, a free presentation on what it was like to be one of the 600 million people watching footage on the moon landing.
Opera Kansas will perform moon-themed songs in the Grand Lobby from 10:30 to 11am on Thursday.
And on the anniversary day itself, Saturday, July 20, at the Cosmosphere, there will be a screening of the Smithsonian documentary The Day We Walked on the Moon, 11:00 am, 1:00 and 3:00 pm docent led tours that are Apollo 11 and Apollo-era focused.
From 6 to 11:30pm on the Hutchinson Community College Lawn there will be a free “Landing on the Lawn” event with hands-on space themed activities, 1969 original moon landing footage, a screening of the Smithsonian documentary after dark.
The grand finale will be moon and planet observations through a giant 16” diameter telescope, led by Cosmosphere Space Science Educators. Learn more about the event here.
The Cosmosphere is a space museum with over 13,000 spaceflight artifacts, the world’s largest combined US and Russian collection of artifacts. It has the Apollo 13 command module, the Liberty Bell 7, the Gemini 10 space capsule, the backup of the Russian Sputnik 1, moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission, and much, much more.
From the Prairie Travelers:
Celebrate National Opening Day for rail trails with Prairie Travelers! It’s a national series of events organized by the Rails-to-Trails Conversancy, and this year is the 7th year!
Meet at the Goddard Park Trailhead of the Prairie Sunset Trail at 9 a.m. for a 12 mile round trip ride to the covered bridge and back. No registration needed.
After the ride, meet at the Goddard Pizza Hut (approx. 10:45 a.m.) for lunch.
PLUS!
Join us 12-4 p.m. for “Pathway to Ride” with Pathways Church in Goddard – a free kids bicycle clinic. Free shirts for registered youth. Register here.
Bald eagle pair in Kansas. Photo by Bo Rader.
The return of the bald eagle has been a remarkable success story. After being pushed towards extinction, the eagle steadily recovered under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. In Kansas, nesting eagles made a return to the state in 1989 at Clinton Reservoir and have been increasing in numbers ever since.
As the winter cold sets in, eagles push south in search of open water. In Kansas, mid-January is typically the ideal time to search for eagles along secluded coves of major reservoirs in the eastern half of the state.
For a good hike with a chance to see bald eagles, we recommend the Eagle Ridge Trail at Milford State Park or the Chaplin Nature Center trails by the Arkansas River. Throughout the month of January there are events throughout the state that celebrate the recovery of this iconic species. Each of the following events offer educational programs and guided viewing tours for the public.
January 5th: The first opportunity for guided eagle viewing is at Tuttle Creek Reservoir with a program and vehicle tour starting at the Manhattan Fire Station (Kimball & Denison Ave) from 9:00 – 12:30.
January 23rd: Kaw Valley Eagles day celebrates the natural history and recovery of the bald eagle in Kansas with a family-friendly event at Billy Mills Middle School in Lawrence from 8:30 – 4:00. There will be presentations, activities for the kids and viewing expeditions.
January 26th: Eagle Days at Milford Lake. The nature center at Milford Lake hosts an annual eagle day event that includes programs and guided bus tours running from 9:00 – 4:00 to view eagles along the lake. Admission to the state park is free for the event and there’s also hot chocolate and popcorn for all!
January 26th: Chaplin Nature Center will offer a short educational program and guided hike along the nature center trails to view eagles along the Arkansas River. Meet at the visitors center at 10:00 to join the fun.
So it may be cold for the start of 2019, but it should be dry and there are several First Day Hikes throughout the state on January 1. Many of them include snacks or hot chocolate before or after, and they are all pet-friendly, so long as that pet is on a leash.
Here’s where you can go to ring in the new year out on a Kansas trail:
Clinton State Park
Time of Event: 1:00 P.M.
Trail: North Shores Trail
Meeting Location: Park Office
Details: Warm clothing, good boots, water, trail moderate in difficulty, 2 miles in length
Crawford State Park
Time of Event: 10:00 A.M.
Trail: Spider Leg Bridge Trail
Meeting Location: Beach Shelter
Details: Warm clothing, water resistant boots, water, trail moderate in difficulty, 2 miles in length
Time of Event: 2:00 P.M.
Trail: Chautauqua Trail
Meeting Location: Chautauqua Hills Trailhead – Toronto Point
Details: 1.5 miles; Dress warm and bring a camera for wildlife pictures. Refreshments will be provided
El Dorado State Park
Time of Event: 1:00 P.M.
Trail: Walnut River Trail
Meeting Location: Walnut River Cabins
Details: Dress warm and bring a camera for wildlife pictures. Easy to moderate 2 mile hike. Hot Chocolate and coffee will be provided.
Wilson State Park
Time of Event: 1:00 P.M.
Trail: Cedar Trail
Meeting Location: Parking Lot across from Cedar Trail Trailhead – Otoe
Details: Dress warm and bring a camera for wildlife pictures. Hike will be 1 mile and easy in difficulty.
Time of Event: 2:00 P.M.
Trail: Post Oak Trail
Meeting Location: Quarry Bay Maintenance Shop
Details: Warm clothing, good boots, water, trail easy in difficulty, 3/4 mile in length, Refreshments provided, What you might see winter waterfowl, eagles, tallgrass ID, and other KS wildlife. The hike will also feature the Cross Timbers ecosystem, with oak savannas that are part of gold growth forests.
Time of Event: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Trail: Green Recreational Trail
Meeting Location: Barn/Shop, Pratt, KS
Details: Water,snacks,appropriate winter clothing,good walking shoes/boots,binoculars,cameras. Hot Cider and Hot Chocolate after Hike
Time of Event: 10:00 A.M.
Trail: Split Boulder Trail – 1.6 miles
Meeting Location: State Park Office
Details: Water,snacks,appropriate winter clothing,good walking shoes/boots, binoculars, cameras. Coffee and hot chocolate provided at the park office before and after the hike
Time of Event: 1:00 p.m.
Trail: Wacanda Trail
Meeting Location: Church
Details: Water, snacks, appropriate winter clothing, good walking shoes/boots, binoculars, cameras.
Time of Event: 10:00 A.M.
Trail: Nature Trail – 2 1/2 miles
Meeting Location: Lakeview Parking Lot
Details: Dress in layers and dress warmly; warm gloves and head covering; good walking/hiking shoes; walking/hiking poles, if desired; water and snacks provided.
Time of Event: 2:00 P.M.
Trail: White Feather, Bunkers Cove & Morningstar Campgrounds – 1.5 to 2 miles
Meeting Location: Pomona State Park Office
Details: Appropriate Clothing, camera and water. May see Eagles on hike. There will be two options for hikes this year led by Pomona State Park Rangers.
Time of Event: 10:30 a.m.
Trail: Western Heritage Trail – 1 to 3.5 miles
Meeting Location: Tuttle Creek State Park Office
Details: Birdwatching hike, bring binoculars, bird ID booklet, spotting scopes, water, hiking shoes, warm clothing.
Time of Event: 1:00 P.M.
Trail: Eagle Ridge Trail
Meeting Location: Group Shelter parking lot
Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots. Easy to moderate in difficulty. Snacks
Meade State Park
Time of Event: 2:00 P.M.
Trail: Eagle Trail – 1.25 miles
Meeting Location: Park Office
Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots. Easy in difficulty. Learn park and area history along the hike.
Time of Event: 10:00 A.M.
Trail: Dune Trail/Prairie Trail 1 mile
Meeting Location: Park Office Cabin
Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots
Cheney State Park
Time of Event: 2:00 P.M.
Trail: West Side Trail – 1/2 to 3/4 mile
Meeting Location: Park Office
Details: Water, snacks, weather appropriate clothing, hiking boots, binoculars and camera.
Time of Event: 2:00 p.m.
Trail: Flint Hills Nature Trail
Meeting Location: Meet at the Old Depot in Ottawa
Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots. Pet friendly on leash. Hot Chocolate served after the hike!
Time of Event: 12:00 p.m.
Trail: Table Mound Hiking Trail
Meeting Location: Overlook Trail Head
Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots. Bring water and snacks, if desired. Pet friendly on leash. Easy to moderate in difficulty
Time of Event: 10:30 a.m.
Trail: Hidden Springs Nature Trail
Meeting Location: Park Office
Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots.
Time of Event: 9:00 A.M.
Trail: The Nature Trail
Meeting Location: Trail Parking Lot
Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots.
Share your photos! #FirstDayHikes and #MyKSStatePark
Flint Hills Nature Trail won the vote for Top Kansas Trail Destination of the Year, and we’ll be honoring that vote at a presentation at the Council Grove library on Friday, July 13 at 3pm.
We’ll be presenting a free copy of the book to the library as well as giving a short presentation on the FHNT and trails across Kansas. Books will be available for purchase as well as signing.
If you go:
Council Grove Public Library, 829 W Main St
3pm on July 13
In connection with HutchRec and Dillon Nature Center, we’re presenting our book talk along with a signing on July 10 in Taylor Cabin. Before the presentation, there will be a dinner at 6:30 — taco salad, rice & black beans, Mexican chocolate cake.
To register for the event (a head count is needed for the food) – follow this link for online registration or download the registration form here to return to HutchRec.
We look forward to seeing you!
It’s that time again, time to vote for your favorite Kansas trail destination. The inaugural winner of the award was Iola. Whichever location gets the most votes will be honored as our Top Trail Destination of the Year 2018, and we’ll be sending a free copy of our book to the winning town’s public library
We selected our finalists based on their plans to expand trails as well as their commitment to building and maintaining trails in the Sunflower State. Here’s a bit about them.
Bluffs at Lake Scott State Park
Scott City / Little Jerusalem. In addition to serving as the gateway to the outstanding trail system at Lake Scott State Park, Scott City will be the destination for travelers heading to explore the newly opened Little Jerusalum area.
Later this year, there will be trails open and available at the well-known, but not previously (legally) accessible chalk formations. Having a maintained trail system there is designed to help protect the area and the formations themselves.
Marysville. The Oregon Trail crossed near Marysville and more recently the Blue River Rail Trail (with the beautiful covered bridges) has expanded north to the Nebraska state line through the diligent work of Marshall County Connection.
The next step is working to extend the rail-trail south further into Marysville to increase accessibility.
Wyandotte County. The county has started its 20/20/20 movement — Expanding bike routes, trails, and safe sidewalks, 20 miles of each (if not more) by 2020. They also have a both hiking and equestrian trails already in place at Wyandotte County Lake.
Flint Hills Nature Trail. The Flint Hills Nature Trail has been a work in progress for many years, but the grand vision of the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy is finally coming close to fruition. The FHNT has been supported by many towns along the way, but this year we are highlighting Council Grove. From the old Santa Fe Trail to the current Flint Hills Natural Trail, Council Grove has been the original Kansas trail town since 1825.
Vote for your favorite destination! If it’s not in the list, let us know in the comments below.
Kansas Trail Guide 