There’s never a bad time of year to enjoy the outdoors in the Sunflower State! We’ve found a great park in Kansas that’s the perfect place to stretch your legs and enjoy some fresh air.
Welcome to Chaplin Nature Center, a great park in the Ark City area that’s absolutely perfect for a day trip.
Granger Meador/Flickr
Originally homesteaded in 1874, this nature center combines 230 acres of woodlands, prairie, and water features, as well as hundreds of species of wildlife.
Chapliin Nature Center Facebook
There’s a wide spread of wildlife here, that ranges from small animals like rabbits to larger birds that migrate depending on the season. They have spotted over 200 species of birds alone, You never know what you’ll see next, so keep your eyes peeled.
Chapliin Nature Center Facebook
Right after you leave the visitor center, these boardwalk style stairs take you down the steep bluff into the main park area.
Caleb Nelson/Google
It’s a great place for spotting birds in the trees, as each level of the stairway provides a different view of the trees as you head out into the park.
Granger Meador/Flickr
All this wildlife is best viewed throughout their five miles of trails, and provides plenty of space for you to explore through the day, including creeks and streams, and the edge of the Arkansas River that borders the park.
Granger Meador/Flickr
Next time you’re looking for a day trip out in nature, Chaplin nature center’s visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, but the park is open sunrise to sunset every day of the week.
Chapliin Nature Center Facebook
You’ll find Chaplin Nature Center at 27801 27th Dr, Arkansas City, Kansas.
Granger Meador/Flickr
Chapliin Nature Center Facebook
Caleb Nelson/Google
However, they have said that until Spring 2020, you will need to take a detour to get to the nature center unless you are heading from I-35. The Madison Bridge on hwy 166 is closed, and they have a few instructions for visitors. They say to “ignore all the detour signs for 166 East, continue on I-35 to exit 4, go east on 166, and go around any barricades until you get to the turn off at 21st road. If you’re coming from Ark City from the north, take 252nd Road west towards Gueda Springs, turning south on 11th and then east on 272nd. If you’re coming from the south, take 206th road west, and stay on the paved road to hwy 166, going west to the turn off at 21st road.
While you’re out adventuring through nature, keep an eye out for these beauties wherever you look.
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