Elk City State Park

Story

Elk City State Park is a state park in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located west of Independence.The 857acre park is adjacent to the 4500acre Elk City Reservoir and the 12000acre Elk City Wildlife Area. The reservoir offers fishing opportunities for channel catfish, white bass, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass and saugeye. The Wildlife Area offers a chance to view white-tailed deer, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, cottontail, gray squirrel, prairie chicken, beaver, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, opossum, mink and muskrat.A nationally recognized trails system allows visitors to take in a variety of flora and fauna. The Green Thumb Nature Trail at the Timber Road campground is a one-mile loop with a panoramic vista of the lake. The nearby Table Mound Hiking Trail runs 2.75mi north along the east side of the lake to the scenic overlook at the dam. At the overlook is the 2/3-mile Post Oak Nature Trail. There is also a paved and handicapped accessible 3.3mi South Squaw Multipurpose trail. Running outside of the park is the Elk River Hiking Trail, a scenic 15mi route that begins at the west edge of the dam and ends near the U.S. Route 160 bridge on the Elk River.