Parks

PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON TUTTLE CREEK ENTRANCES

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:03:29 GMT

River Pond Area entrance changes under consideration
MANHATTAN — Tuttle Creek State Park will host a public meeting to discuss the future of entrances into Tuttle Creek State Park’s River Pond Area on Monday, Nov. 16, at the Manhattan Fire Station, 2000 Denison in Manhattan. The meeting will run from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and will include a presentation and a public comment period. The public is encouraged to attend. There is no charge for attending the meeting. For more information, contact the park office at 785-539-7941.

If notified in advance, park staff will provide an interpreter for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the TDD Service at 1-800-766-3777. An individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting Sheila Kemmis, Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission secretary, at 620-672-5911.
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STATE PARKS TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD TO MEET NOV. 18

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:36:17 GMT

Meeting at Great Plains Nature Center to review project funding proposals
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Trails Advisory Board will hold a public meeting Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E. 29th St. North in Wichita to discuss projects submitted for funding under the Recreational Trails Fund Act. The meeting will begin at noon. Signs on the premises will provide directions to the specific meeting room. Anyone interested in commenting on projects should attend this meeting. Time for comments will be limited.

For more information, write Jerry Hover, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, 512 SE 25th Avenue, Pratt, Kansas 67124, or phone him at 620-672-5911. If notified in advance, KDWP will have an interpreter available for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the TDD Service at 1-800-766-3777. An individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting Sheila Kemmis at 620-672-5911.
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ENJOY INDIAN SUMMER AT A KANSAS STATE PARK

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:36:59 GMT

October can be one of the most pleasant times to visit a state park
PRATT — Events are winding down at Kansas state parks, but several events are still planned for October, one of the most pleasant months of the year in the Sunflower State. The weather is mild, and trees have begun to turn color. Hunting seasons open, as well, and many nonresident and resident hunters use Kansas state parks as base camps. Some of the best fishing of the year can also be found during Indian summer. Combining a hunting or fishing trip with a special event at a state park can make for a rich holiday.

Events this October include a trail run, fishing tournaments, Free Park Entrance Days, a mountain man rendezvous, and a Halloween event. All offer a chance to enjoy the special attributes of Kansas state parks, many of which feature rental cabins, as well as fascinating historical or geological features that enhance the park experience.

For more information on these events, phone individual parks or click the "Event Calendar" on the "State Parks" page of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us. Telephone numbers of all state parks offices may be found on the KDWP website. Click "State Parks" at the top of the page, then "" in the left-hand column.Locations

The following is a list of October state park events:

Oct. 3-4 — Free Park Entrance Days at El Dorado State Park;
Oct. 3 — OK Kids Day at El Dorado State Park;
Oct. 4 — Crappie Busters fishing tournament at Perry State Park;
Oct. 10 — Catfish Nation fishing tournament at Eisenhower State Park;
Oct. 17 — Monster Myths By Moonlight at Milford State Park;
Oct. 23-25 — Prairie Long Rifles fall rendezvous at Kanopolis State Park;
Oct. 24 — Great Plains Running Company trail run at Perry State Park; and
Oct. 31 — Free Park Entrance Day at Elk City State Park.

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FALL RIVER STATE PARK ADDS NEW CABIN

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:08:18 GMT

State park now offers two cabins as low as $65 per night
FALL RIVER STATE PARK -- Fall River State Park staff have announced the completion of a new cabin in the park, Heron's Cove Cabin, which is now ready to reserve. The cabin comes with bathroom/shower, microwave, refrigerator, four-burner cook stove with oven, full bed, Murphy twin bed, futon, table and chairs, air conditioning and heating, outside hydrant, shelter, picnic table, fire ring with grill, service for eight set with silverware and glasses, toaster, coffee pot, and other limited cookware.

This new cabin complements the park's Cedar Crest Cabin, and both may be reserved year-round by phoning 620-637-2213 or online at www.kdwp.state.ks.us. (Click "State Parks/Locations With Cabins/Fall River.") Overnight fees are $65 April 1 through Sept. 30, Sunday through Thursday, or $85 per night on Friday and Saturday. Reduced rates are available Oct. 1-March 31. Weekly rates are also available.

These and other cabins throughout the Kansas state park system were funded by the Kansas Wildscape Foundation and built by inmates at Kansas correctional facilities in Hutchinson, Ellsworth, and Norton. For more information, phone Wildscape's executive director, Charlie Black, at 316-841-8877 or email charlieblack@sunflower.com.
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HISTORIC SCOTT STATE PARK DIGS UP ARCHEOLOGY SCHOOL

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:08:36 GMT

Participants to explore prehistoric sites in revival of 1975 first-ever program

Once named by National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of the country's 50 top state parks, Scott State Park is known to many Kansans as a place of astounding beauty. For others, it is a place of great historical and archeological significance, particularly the park's El Cuartelejo Pueblo ruins, which are the northernmost Pueblo ruins in North America.

Because of this rich prehistoric value, the first-ever Kansas Archeology Training Program (KATP) field school was held at Scott State Park in 1975. Now, the Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS) and the Kansas Anthropological Association (KAA) have decided to return for the annual KATP field school on May 30-June 14. The field school will be open to members of KSHS and KAA, as well as the general public. Participants will experience a variety of fieldwork, including site surveys and recordings, as well as test excavations of new and previously recorded sites in the area.

The school will be a working archeological study and will include walking surveys of areas previously unexplored. Small crews will investigate a number of promising areas in the park, as well as surrounding areas. Sites will be fully documented and recorded, adding to the understanding of prehistoric and historic use of the area.

Scott City High School, 712 Main Street in Scott City, will be the project headquarters for registration, classes, artifact-processing lab, and some evening programs. Details will be included in a registration packet to be posted on the KSHS website , kshs.org/resource/ katpcurrent.htm, about March 1.

Registration forms submitted by May 1 qualify for a participation fee of $20 for KAA and KSHS members and $80 for nonmembers. After May 1, the participation fee increases to $30 for members and $90 for nonmembers. Volunteers may participate for a single day or the entire school period. Participants must be at least 10 years of age, but a legally responsible adult must accompany those younger than 18. For more information, phone 785-272-8681, ext. 266.

A detailed article on the school by KSHS archeologists C. Tod Bevitt and Virginia A. Wulfkuhle can be found in the Winter 2009 issue of Kansas Preservation magazine, available online at www.kshs.org/resource/kpnews.htm.

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