Kansas
Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Kansas is known primarily as an agricultural land but that does not give justice to the numerous recreational areas that this American state presently hosts, which include natural rivers and dense forests. Its Old West heritage likewise offers countless opportunities for exploration, making Kansas another major point of interest for travel enthusiasts, including RVers.A Regional Look of Kansas
In regional terms, the "Sunflower State" is divided into six different regions generally classified into Northwest Kansas (High Plains), North Central Kansas (Smoky Hills), Northeast Kansas (Glaciated Region), Southwest Kansas (Wellington-McPherson Lowlands), South Central Kansas (Red Hill), and Southeast Kansas (Cherokee Lowlands). Numerous attractions await the typical RVer in every region.
The High Plains
Geographically referred to as the High Plains area, Northwest Kansas is composed of vast tracts of flatlands dotted with rows of gentle hills. Adding color to the landscape are various river valleys and crystal-clear streams. These are generally the natural attractions here, but for more specific places where RVs can easily be taken, two cities are worth remembering. These are Colby and Oakley. The former houses the 10,000-acre wide Wildlife Refuge where various waterfowl species reside. The center is set within the Kirwin Reservoir where RV-boarded visitors can engage in water-based activities like fishing and sailing. In Oakley, meanwhile, RVers can drive across Prairie Dog Town where animals like pheasants, foxes, goats, bobcats, buffaloes, and prairie dogs can be seen. Another attraction here is Monument Rocks, also called Chalk Pyramids, where fossil remains of various marine reptiles await examination.
The two Northwest Kansas cities are definitely RV-friendly with Colby hosting two RV parks, namely, Goodland KOA Kampground along East Highway 24 and Mid America Camp Inn, which is found along Commerce Road. Oakley, for its part, offers High Plains Camping found along US Highway 83.
Smoky Hills
North Central Kansas is more commonly called Smoky Hills owing to the smoke produced by haze that usually forms around the regional valleys during early mornings. The area is quite obviously dominated by rolling hills though these are quite unique due to the sandstones that have gathered at their footsteps resulting from ancient outcrops dating back to the Cretaceous Age.
Several regional cities offer diverse opportunities for visiting RVers but only one is known for hosting two excellent RV parks. Lakeside Recreational Park and Sundowner West are two RV camping sites both situated in Salina, a city nestled at the extreme western corner of the Smoky Hills Region. Its most interesting attraction is the Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center, the home of about 80 endangered animal species including tigers, gorillas, Amur leopards, and white and Indian rhinoceroses. Standing on 95 acres of prairie lands, the center is located near Sundowner West which should prove to be quite convenient for most RV guests.
Glaciated Region
Northeast Kansas is sometimes called the Glaciated Region because it covers the Kansas area that used to be covered by about eight to nine glaciers approximately more than a million years earlier. However, largely due to erosion and the so-called glacial drift, these Kansas glaciers gradually broke up before eventually melting away from the regional landscape, giving way to large Sioux quartzite, which are found in many areas of the Glaciated Region.
A scenic drive across Kansas Highway 7 should be an exhilarating experience for RV travelers touring Northeast Kansas. The drive affords a good view of ancient river towns lining the byways of Iowa Point, extending to White Cloud before finally ending at the border limits of Nebraska state.
For cities in Northeast Kansas that are worth visiting, RVers can try Hiawatha. The city features the Highland-Native American Heritage Museum State Historic State where displays of various items from the Iowa, Kickapoo, Fox, Sac, and Potawami tribes are showcased. It is likewise the official home of the Country Squire Motel and RV Park where RVers can conveniently check in and enjoy a picnic with the family just before touring Hiawatha City.
Wellington-McPherson Lowlands
Southwest Kansas also goes by the name Wellington-McPherson Lowlands and stands atop an underground layer called the Equus bed, an aquifer composed of thick sand, gravel, and silt deposits that yield fresh water. The bed has become a vital water supplier for the cities of Newton, McPherson, Wichita, and other areas in Northwest Kansas.
Above the surface, the region is dotted with numerous sand dunes that are usually enveloped in rich vegetation. These features are considered an attraction by themselves, but for RVers in search of a more tangible destination, they can explore the wonders of Lake Scott State Park, with Lake Scott as its main feature. The 100-acre wide lake is highlighted by a 1930 dam and is surrounded by groves of cedar, willow, walnut, ash, elm, and hackberry trees where visitors can swim, hike, bike, set up camp, or simply observe the various wildlife living in the area. Another park offering is El Cuartelejo, an Indian Pueblo composed of seven rooms whose history dates back to the 1600s when Picurie and Taos Indians occupied the area.
For a specific RV park to stay in, Southwest Kansas offers Pine Tree RV Park perched along Main Street in Scott City. Its many pine trees are the perfect shade during summer and is only a block away from the nearest golf course. More importantly, Lake Scott State Park is only about twelve miles away.
South Central Kansas
Red Hills is the other name given to the South Central Region of Kansas owing to the red-colored Permian deposits found in three regional counties, namely, Barber, Comanche, and Clark. The deposits are mostly composed of iron oxide that produced a bright red color when they come in contact with oxygen. Exposure to erosion produced the so-called Red Hills, with several streams eventually forming in the immediate vicinity. Early Indian settlers referred to the hills as Medicine Hills because spirits were said to live there, providing cures for illnesses.
The hills may be considered a regional attraction owing to its distinct features, with RV riders welcome to explore them. However, if they prefer a more diverse destination, they can visit Great Bend City where the Brit Spaugh Park and Zoo is being kept. Home to approximately a hundred species of reptiles, insects, birds, and mammals, Brit Spaugh offers several outdoor recreations apart from wildlife-watching. These include skating, baseball games, and swimming because the park houses a skating park, a baseball court, and a swimming area respectively.
For other similar attractions, RV-boarded travelers can check in at Cottonwood Grove RV Park situated within Great Bend itself. It offers access to several nature-centered places that Rvers will simply find breath-taking. These include the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, the Nature Conservancy Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve, and the Wings and Wetlands Birding Festival. Alternatively, RV riders can opt for a leisure drive across nearby Kansas Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway where they can come across some very exotic wildlife species.
Cherokee Lowlands
The southeastern side of Kansas is principally composed of gentle plains endowed with rich and fertile soils. The soils came about as a result of the erosion of soft rocks belonging to the Cherokee group, from where the region got its other name, the Cherokee Lowlands. Needless to say, the area has become a traditional farming community although nearby sloping hills, banked by shallow streams, offer exciting outdoor opportunities for the typical RV-boarded tourist.
One city in the Cherokee Lowlands that RVers should try to consider visiting is Fort Scott because it hosts the famous Gunn Park, a 140-acre wide park situated along the Marmaton River banks where campers are known to regularly converge, engaging in such outdoor activities as paddle boating, canoeing, and fishing. Inside the park, a convenient RV site hosts 14 parking areas, which should make a tour of Fort Scott easy and enjoyable.
A Tour of Kansas Cities
Several cities situated in Kansas that should interest many RVers are Abilene, Osawatomie, Topeka, and Wichita. These cities offer not only amazing tourist destinations, they also provide a glimpse into the rich past of the Sunflower State and with accompanying RV parks to make the visit both enjoyable and memorable.
Abilene
A small city lying on the northeastern edge of Kansas, Abilene offers some very interesting and historic landmarks including the Eisenhower Center where the tomb of the 34th US president, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, is enshrined. Comprising 22 acres, the center stands on fully landscaped grounds and is divided into five buildings which includes a visitor area. Needless to say, RVers can take a tour of the facility to learn additional data about a great national leader.
For RVers who are more into outdoor fun, Abilene houses the Eisenhower Park located nearby. The park has an area coverage of 60 acres devoted to various outdoor recreational sports like basketball, tennis, and swimming. It also features the Tom Smith Stadium where indoor sports can be enjoyed and a landscaped garden for those who prefer to be surrounded by the soothing spirits of plants.
For RV-boarded trippers who find these attractions inviting, Covered Wagon RV Resort offers them easy access. From here, they need to walk only three short blocks to reach the Eisenhower Library and Museum. Apart from that, Covered Wagon RV Resort also provides guided tours of the other historic landmarks found in Abilene with excursion trains as a major transport system.
Osawatomie
Osawatomie is a hillside Kansas city that has a long historic past and among its chief attractions is the John Brown Memorial Park which specifically immortalizes that past, with John Brown at the center of it all. Among the park attractions are the John Brown Statue and Memorial, the John Brown Cabin, and several other areas where outdoor buffs can have a great time. Shelter houses, playgrounds, picnic tables, restrooms, and barbecue grills abound here, but what would most likely interest RVers to the area is its camp site found along the northeastern end where 35 sites await them, including ten fully hooked-up areas.
Another city attraction is the Osawatomie City Lake nestled at the northwest end of Osawatomie that is renowned for its fishing ventures and is also open for boaters aboard small marine crafts. The lake measures about 75 acres wide and also features a fully lighted shelter cabin, playgrounds, and picnic areas.
Topeka
Topeka is the state capital and quite obviously among its principal attractions is the Kansas State Capitol Building where RV riders can learn a great deal about city history. More than that, though, the building is an attraction by itself, being constructed in French Renaissance architecture and adorned with a bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln.
In terms of outdoor attractions, there are two parks in Topeka that are great places to discover. One is the Gage Park, home to several interesting areas like the Reinisch Rose Garden, and the Topeka Zoological Park where nature walking is a common activity aside from swimming. Other than that, the park also features a tennis court and an area devoted to sand volleyball games.
The other park, the Ward-Meade Park, is an 1854 complex that sports a botanical garden that spans two acres intended for those who love the scent of flowers. A tour of the the six-acre park should reveal several other interesting discoveries for the typical RVer which includes an ancient Victorian home, and an old log cabin.
For a park set near an RV camp site, there is Heartland Park Topeka which is near Forbes Landing RV Park, a new and exciting RV campground that offers a rural setting in its 30 RV sites. Perched on the southern corner of Topeka, Forbes Landing is also near Super 8 at Forbes Landing, a newly built hotel in Topeka.
Wichita
Wichita, being the largest Kansas City, has numerous offerings for the typical RV traveler. These include the Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, the Lake Afton Public Conservatory, and the Sedgwick County Zoo, with the latter hosting over 2,500 animals covering approximately 500 diverse species. The zoo is highlighted by four different recreated habitats namely the Pampas-Outback, the African Veldt, the Jungle, and the Herpatrium, each one serving as home for several specific species.
The Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, meanwhile is a theme garden setting covering 9.5 acres. Among its many themes, RVers should find the aquatic collection, the woodland glade, and the scenic garden as ideal sites to explore. Lake Afton Public Observatory, for its part, is an astronomy center that boasts of a reflecting telescope 16 inches long where visitors can get to study the stars more closely. Indoor activities like astronomy exhibits and astronomy games are likewise being offered at the site.
For a truly relaxing tour of Wichita, RV riders can go to All Seasons RV Park in Goddard City where access to several Wichita attractions like the county zoo and several historic museums is quite easy. The RV site has 55 sites with its pull-through's placed at shady and level positions.
Visiting the Sunflower State
Since Kansas is known more as an agricultural land, summer is usually welcomed by many farmers since it is usually harvest time. Tourists like RV-boarded travelers, however, may find the Kansas sun too hot to handle because it can be harsh, so settling for two other seasons is ideally a better option.
Fall is perhaps a good time to explore Kansas. Sunshine is still abundant but not the summer heat kind. Temperature by this time is quite mild with lots of beautiful scenery. At the Kansas City Sculpture Park, the trees provide scenic views during fall when their leaves transform into various shades like brown, yellow, and red.
Another season appropriate for a Kansas visit is winter. For RVers who love the outdoors, the state parks offer excellent camping opportunities during the cold season though it can cause water to be unavailable in several campsites, especially during extremely cold days, which is quite common.
Two specific Kansas public parks, though, are good ice fishing sites, and these are the Webster State Park found at the Webster Reservoir shores, and the Prairie Dog State Park set in northwest Kansas along the Keith Sebelius Reservoir shorelines. The latter is also a good site for wildlife viewing, particularly of eagles who normally spend their winters in Kansas.
Spring Lake RV Resort
Considered the biggest RV park in the Sunflower State, Spring Lake RV Resort boasts of 180 RV areas and powered by 30-50 electricity. The picnic areas are fully covered and complemented by numerous outdoor activities like swimming, fishing, biking, and hiking. Adding glitter to the active surrounding are the ponds that make up Spring Lake where majority of the water-based recreational activities are held.
Located in Halstead City, Spring Lake RV Resort can be accessed via three major Kansas cities,namely, Salina, Hutchinson, and Newton, making it the perfect vacation getaway for Kansas RVers.
Deer Grove RV Park
Deer Grove RV Park has the very enviable position of being located near two major Kansas cities, making access to their attractions quite convenient. From El Dorado proper, the site is only about three miles away. El Dorado boasts of two exceptional golf courses which should naturally attract many golf enthusiasts. From Wichita, Deer Grove RV Park can be reached in a few short minutes and RVers can easily tour several major Wichita attractions like the Grey Hound Race Track, the Gander Mountain, and the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper.
Deer Grove RV Park itself has its own share of attractions, including The Club House, a 1,500 square-foot structure where small groups of RVers are welcome to stay and avail of a fully equipped kitchen. The building can accommodate as many as 80 people with the climate being controlled automatically. Other than that, Deer Grove also boasts of a tornado shelter to keep visitors safe from disaster in case they come in during the tornado season.
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