Outdoor Attractions in Kansas for You to Enjoy!

Kansas is home to 28 unique state parks, a myriad of natural sites and recreational spots, and over 120,000 lakes and ponds.

Information is listed below for outdoor attractions you can enjoy in Kansas.

State Parks – Stroll along the path next to a quiet lake, climb a rugged terrain to experience a stunning view, watch your kids play, go camping, or enjoy some water fun, and find a state park in Kansas to get outside.

Click on: A state park calendar of outdoor events

Kansas trail maps - information for walking, hiking, biking, and horseback riding

Bird Watching - Kansas ranks third in the US for specie diversity of birds, states the Audubon Society Bird-a-Thon. At least 225 different species have been counted. The bird most frequently seen is the Northern Cardinal.

Here are a few: tips for bird watching in Kansas

Arboretums and Botanical Gardens – Learn to care for and enjoy plant collections that create “green space,” benefiting our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Zoos in Kansas: Learn about animals and their habitats, endangered species, and the importance of taking care of the environment. Enjoy time spent with your family.

Water sports: Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs can supply hours of fun for boat rides, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, jet skiing, stand-up paddle boarding, fishing, rafting, float trips, and swimming, or just sit back and enjoy the peaceful beauty of the water. Here's a list of: Lakes in Kansas

And a list of: Waterfalls in Kansas

Festivals You Can Experience

Festivals are events celebrated by a community centering on a characteristic or aspect that is important to the community or its culture. Many towns in Kansas hold yearly festivals, a day to celebrate with the members of their community.

A few festivals to experience: Dodge City Days, Klear Nearly Days in Nickerson, Heritage Days in Yoder, Hot Alma Nights in Alma, or Amelia Earhart festival in Atchison.

For a complete list of Festivals in Kansas click on the link below.

Kansas Festivals

Fairs You Can Visit

The county fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of the fine people living and working there. The fair is a chance to show off your best artwork, quilt, pie, heifer, or largest ear of corn while chatting with your neighbors to see how they are doing. The fair experience is a great way to learn new things and how old things used to be done. The days of the county fair can be hot and sometimes dusty, but they are always exciting, fun, delicious, and heartwarming.

- Kansas State Fair, September 8-17, 2023, Hutchinson, KS

For a complete listing of Kansas County Fairs, click on the link below.

Kansas Fairs

More Nature Attractions for You

Maxwell Wildlife Refuge and Buffalo Tour - Canton, KS.

- Experience an up and close visit with Bison. Enjoy the native wildflowers and grasses along the way.

Strataca - Underground Salt Museum - Hutchinson, KS.

- Travel 650 ft. underground, where it remains 68 degrees all year round to discover the salt miner's life.

Cosmosphere - Hutchinson, KS.

- Applied science education for the young and young at heart. Many opportunities for children to learn about space.

Flint Hills Discovery Center - Manhattan, KS.

- A municipal Heritage and Science Center inspiring people to celebrate, explore, and preserve the Flint Hills.

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park - Lampe, MO.

10,000 acres of nature offering hiking, biking, wildlife tours, horseback riding and trout fishing amongst towering bluffs, waterfalls, creek beds, wildlife, and handcrafted bridges.