Rail trail up for state park status

Prairie Spirit Trail runs from Ottawa to Iola

? A hike and bike trail in northeast Kansas could become an official state park.

When legislators return for the wrap-up session on Wednesday to prepare a budget, one of the side issues is a bill that would make Prairie Spirit Trail the state’s 25th state park.

The measure — House Bill 2434 — is currently in a House-Senate conference committee and has gotten lumped together with several other measures, such as reopening an entrance at Tuttle Creek State Park.

But the major thrust of the bill is to make the 51-mile long Prairie Spirit Trail, which runs from Ottawa to Iola, a park.

“It would be very beneficial to us,” said Trent McCown, manager of Prairie Spirit Trail for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Prairie Spirit Trail is state-operated but it doesn’t have official state park status.

Making it a state park would mean additional signs on nearby roads to the park, and the park would be included in state park guides and maps.

The trail runs along an abandoned railroad line that started to be developed in the 1850s and was originally meant to run trains all the way to Galveston, Texas. The corridor was abandoned in the 1990s and transferred to KDWP for public use.

A 17-mile trail section, from Richmond through Garnett, opened in 1996; a northern 16-mile section, from Ottawa to Richmond, opened in 1998; and the southern 18-mile section to Iola opened in 2008.

The trail is 8 feet wide to make room for two-way foot or bicycle travel. There are parking areas, water fountains, restrooms and picnic areas along the way.

A $3.50 day permit is required for anyone 16 and older, although travel within the city limits of Ottawa, Garnett and Iola is free. Daily permits may be purchased at self-pay stations at the Ottawa, Princeton, Richmond, Garnett and Welda trailheads.

Clark Coan, who publishes Kansas Trail News and is public information officer for Sunflower Recreational Trails, said making the Prairie Spirit Trail a designated state park would be good news.

“It would increase awareness and ultimately usage,” Coan said.

McCown said the trail had 55,000 visitors last year. “We are under-used for the facilities we have,” he said.

He described the trail as a “very safe environment” and a bargain destination for a relaxing experience, especially for a family outing.

“With the economy the way it is, we are trying to promote the benefits of keeping our travel dollars in this state,” he said.