A watersport-centric park in the Smokey Hills regions of Kansas.
The Cedar Bluff Reservoir provides ample opportunity for fishing and boating. In fact, the park seems to largely be built around that use. While there are no hiking trails to speak of, it does feature the fanciest fish cleaning table I've seen. This might have something to do with mostly visiting parks that allocate funds for trails. Nonetheless, we got to watch anglers prepare substantial hauls of crappie and bass on a shiny aluminum table fit with a massive garbage disposal.
There is hiking near the park in Threshing Machine Canyon. But the dirt roads to get there were not in great shape due to lots of recent rain. Rain-out was the theme of this trip, as the central part of the country was hell-bent on flooding. I had my eye on several other Kansas state parks that ended up in the discard pile on account of being under water.
The swimming area was definitely not picturesque. It was a fully sufficient watering hole for child entertainment, but rather lacking in the adult relaxation department. The bank of the lake next to the swimming area was a rocky, muddy expanse that was uncomfortable to walk on. It looked newly-bulldozed. This may actually have been the case, as the swimming area was recently moved. Once in the water, the tendency of the current to push you into the shore was a nice safety feature. And the view of the lake wasn't bad.
The bluffs that the park is named for are on the south side of the reservoir. If you look east during your drive between the north and south side of the park, you can see the misty river valley as it was before the dam was built in the 1950s.
Camping
The park features a range of camping options from cabins to tent sites, in both a developed and semi-primitive setting. We had grandparents in tow, so we stayed in a cabin. If you're looking for a cheap, but reasonable place to hole up for the night as you're driving across Kansas, the cabins are a good option. BYO sheets.
Mostly, we wandered around the park roads, exploring the playgrounds and swing sets. In the absence of human playmates, the kid had her trusty friend, the scooter.
Get out and scoot on.
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