Carnahan Cove Trail, Tuttle Creek State Park, Manhattan, KS

At one time, this was a very well kept trail that started at Carnahan Cove Park (along the east side of Tuttle Creek) and made its way 8 miles along the coast, through forested areas, up to an area of Tuttle referred to as "Garrison".  Over the years much of this trail has been wiped out by flooding waters, making it a bit of an adventure to hike along.  For this reason, I love going on this trail.

Beginning the trail can also be a huge task.  To begin with, you must first cross Carnahan Creek, which is virtually impossible during times of high water.  Next you must cross roughly a half mile of extremely weedy land, and you will finally find yourself at a stone "bridge", which marks the beginning of the trail.  Areas of the trail are easily visible, and are marked by blue streamers tied to trees along the way.  Other areas you must climb over huge piles of washed up driftwood and trash just to find any visible trail.  I have wondered to myself if this trail is even kept up anymore, finding information about it online is next to impossible.

Hiking along Carnahan Cove will reward you with scenic views of the lake, an extremely (EXTREMELY) good chance of solitude, and one of the more challenging (bushwhacking) trails in the Manhattan, KS area.  At one time this was also an equestrian trail, but would not be ridable now.  My only caution to you: watch out for ticks!!  I have had to flick over 20 at a time off of me while hiking this trail in early Spring.  As Summer wears on, the ticks lessen.

	Favorite Landmarker
	First Obstacle...Carnahan Creek!

View Carnahan Cove Trailhead in a larger map

Konza Prairie Nature Trail, Manhattan, KS

This may be the most popular trail in the Manhattan, KS area.  Once considered a waste of perfectly good grazing land, Konza Prairie has become a crown jewel of the Flint Hills.  The Konza Prairie Nature Trail is well known in the Manhattan area.  A popular place for peaceful hiking, Konza Prairie offers a 2.8 mile loop, 4.7 mile loop, and a 6.1 mile loop.  The trails are strictly hiking (no pets, no bikes).

If you are familiar with hiking in the flint hills, you know what to expect.  The trail can get strenuous at times, climbing around 200 feet in elevation at a time.  The most strenuous portions are on the 2.8 mile loop, this is also the most scenic portion of the trail in my opinion.  Each season offers a change in scenery and colors.  Wildlife is almost always a constant along the trail, with an abundance of turkeys, deer, lizards, and even buffalo (grazing in the distance).

For more information on the Konza Prairie Nature Trail, visit:
http://keep.konza.ksu.edu/visit/guided.htm

People live in the Great Plains?!?!!!

I admit, I started this blog out of anger and frustration.  They say you shouldn't act out of anger, but it needed to be done.  I've lived in Kansas, the great flyover state of the plains, for most of my life (excluding short stints in Chicago and Maui).  I'm sure that upon mention of Kansas, the first thing that popped into your mind was visions of tornadoes, dogs named Toto, and well...nothing else.  That is okay, in my travels, I have noticed when Kansas is mentioned, the most common reply is "Well...You're not in Kansas anymore"...thanks dude, I know that.  What didn't cross your mind when I mentioned Kansas was outdoor recreation (namely, trails).  Articles featuring Kansas are few and far between.  Finding a map to the lost city of Atlantis is easier than finding good, accurate information about the trails in the central U.S.  That is where I hope this blog comes in.  People need to know where these trails are, or they aren't going to be able to enjoy them.  As I hike/bike these trails, I will fill you in on what to expect, difficulty, location, etc.  If you have any recommended trails, let me know about them!  While this is just a blog, I also hope this becomes a sort of "database" for all you adventure-minded flatlanders!

If you have any ideas on how to make this blog better, information I could include...anything really, let me know!