Tuttle Creek State Park

One of my favorite local outdoor recreation sites in Manhattan, Kansas is Tuttle Creek State Park as there are so many different things you can do there. Earlier this fall, I tried to rent a kayak there but could not due to blue algae. I had already gotten a day pass for the park and spent the day discovering trails around the park. Since this trip there, I still go to a couple of these trails regularly. One of my favorite outdoor recreation activities is walking trails with my dog, Chico, who enjoys nature as well.

I have lived in Manhattan for almost 5 years now, and I have taken Chico to Cedar Ridge trail at Tuttle often as it has a trail through a forest and a nice view from the trail of the lake. This trail can be reached by driving across the dam and turning left on Spillway Marina Road and following this road to the parking area near lodging cabins. This trail is listed online as ‘easy’ and is 0.6 mile in length and takes an estimated 16 minutes to complete. The trail loops around in a forested area near the shore of the lake near the docks. This area does tend to get muddy when it rains.

Chico and I also enjoy walking the trail that runs just along the west side of the dam and lake. To access these, you can park on the west side of the dam either just south or north of the dam. There are gravel trails that lead along the shore of the lake, which offers an amazing view of the water.

A trail I found the most recent time Chico and I were at Tuttle is Eagle Pass Trail, which is in the river pond area of the park, below the dam. The trail runs between the river pond and Willow Lake area and is a concrete and wood chip trail. It is surrounded by trees and is known to be an awesome bird watching trail and during certain times of the year, Bald eagles are regularly viewed here. The trail is only 0.75 miles and is a straight trail however during my walk, I saw tons of wildlife. My favorite part of this trip was seeing a nesting turtle just off the trail! Willow Lake is also a great spot for trout fishing, although I have not done this yet.

There are far more trails around Tuttle Creek State Park, as well as many fun activities including archery, kayaking and canoeing, camping, a dog park, disk golf, and a swimming beach. There are two specific trail areas I have not gotten the chance to go to that I would like to someday: Fancy Creek and the Randolph area. The Fancy Creek area has a mountain biking trail, and the Randolph area also has a trail that is equestrian friendly. I highly recommend anyone living in or near Manhattan visits this park at some point. The park also has events occasionally, my family actually visited once for a disc golf tournament my stepdad played in. Overall, I believe that there are outdoor recreation opportunities at Tuttle Creek State Park for everyone to enjoy!

Audrey Wilson