Day Trip: Seven hikes around Lawrence
“Go west young man” to experience one of Kansas’ premiere outdoor recreational areas.
By Roy Harryman
Publisher, Kansas City Hiker
We know Lawrence, Kansas, for KU and sports. But what about hiking? You may be surprised to learn the Lawrence area is one of the state’s premiere hiking destinations.
Kansas City Hiker lists seven trail systems in Lawrence and Douglas County (but of course there are many more). The area is a great location for day trips because it’s close (generally about an hour or less, depending on your starting point) and it has plenty of creature comforts to sustain you on your hike(s). All the amenities and weirdness of a college town are nearby.
(Heads up: If you are planning on hiking on a home game day, you may want to avoid the downtown area.)
Here’s a roundup of Lawrence’s “greatest hits” for hiking.
Baker University Wetlands and Discovery Center features 10 miles of trails exploring a wetland wildlife habitat.
Clinton Lake North Shore Trails are popular with mountain bikers, winding and weaving for 25 miles in the hills along the lakeshore.
KU Field Station trails provide 5 miles of walking paths in an 1,800-acre research environment north of the Kansas River.
Lawrence River Trail follows the Kansas River through riparian forest in a nine-mile, natural surface loop.
Sanders Mound Trail is a 1.2-mile out-and-back that is mostly paved and ends with a panoramic view of Clinton Lake.
The Willkomm Trail gets you away from Lawrence to the bottomlands along the Kansas River near the small town of Perry. This 1.5-mile loop traverses the forest along the river and gives you access to a sandy beach where two rivers meet.
Woodridge Primitive Park is on the remote west side of Clinton Lake. A four-mile loop traverses forest and the lakeshore and also offers 15 scattered primitive campsites.
Bonus round
These aren’t trails, but are outdoor features that can supplement your trip.
Wilkey Waterfall, immediately east of Clinton Lake, is a seasonal fall that is active during wetter seasons of the year.
Wells Overlook Park provides an ADA lookout platform in addition to a tower that provides sweeping views of the Kaw River Valley.
If you’re looking for an abundance of hiking experiences, you’ll benefit from the famous advice of Horace Greeley: “Go west young man.”
Roy Harryman is the publisher of Kansas City Hiker and is not a KU graduate.
