Return to all horse trail riding in Kansas
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Number of
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50
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Total
Mileage |
40
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Difficulty: |
More Difficult
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Trail
Rating |
Not Rated
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Camp
Rating |
Not Rated
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| Trail Description |
Trail riding in Kansas doesn’t get any better than at Perry State Park, located between Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas. Featuring 40+ miles of beautiful wooded and open meadow horse trails with lake views. The Wild Horse campground has 16 improved camping sites with horse pens. Lots of primitive camping with some horse pens is available as well. Perry State Park Horse Trails offer you many different riding options and a great diversity of trails. Trails are easy to moderate. There are some rocky areas on the trail so shoes on horses are advised.Wild Horse Trails: The Jackalope trail is a 1.5 mile loop just below the Wild Horse Campground. This trail is perfect for an hour ride, kids, older horses and novice riders. Ride west on the Wild Horse Trails thru “Trail Head A” or “Trail Head B” for a longer ride thru wooded trails with slight slopes. Be sure to look for the Christmas Tree west of “X” and the Wishing Well near “J” on the ride. There is a picnic table at “K” for lunch or a rest break on the trails. North of “K” is a connector trail to take you the Hickory Areas Horse Trails. The Wild Horse Trails wind thru land that was once the first fish farm in Kansas established by John Bruce in the 1929. He built a series of 23 ponds stocking the uppermost ponds with bait fish so when the rains overflowed the ponds, the bait fish would flow into the larger fish ponds below providing a natural food chain. The pond dams you will ride over and along once were homes to commercially raised carp, buffalo, catfish and bait fish. This land became part of Perry State Park in the 1960’s.Hickory Acres: Hickory Acre Trails are only accessible by riding the Wild Horse Trails to “G” or “K” (north of picnic table) then taking the well-marked connector trails. From “G”, at Hickory Acres “3”, you have a choice of taking an upper trail or a lower trail loop. The upper trail is better in wet weather and follows the contours of the Hickory Acres Development. The lower loop trail follows the shoreline of Perry Lake and is a very beautiful ride. The upper & lower trail will join together at “5”. This is a beautiful wooded ride with ups and downs. Eagles, Pelican’s, Waterfowl and Deer are often seen on this ride. This complete trail loop is approximately 8 miles plus another 2+ miles thru Wild Horse Trails to return to Camp or you can make it a longer ride on the Wild Horse Trails. Rocky Top: To access Rocky Top Horse Trails, park in the Wild Horse Day Use area just inside the entrance to the Wild Horse Campground. Look back across the road to the South for the big pine tree with the “To Rocky Top” sign and follow the trails to the Southeast across K-237 to the Rocky Top Trail Head & trail system. Rocky Top is a complete loop trail that will take you to Andy’s Overlook and back to the Wild Horse Day Use Area approximately 7+ miles. Rocky Top has several serpentine trails in the middle for the option of a “Turtle” (slower and longer) or “Hare” (faster and shorter) ride. Rocky Top is named for the terrain. It is a very beautiful, easy to moderate ride. You may ride in the woods or follow the contours of the hay meadows which is perfect for gaited horses. Plan to take your lunch and break at “Andy’s Overlook”. A picnic table is available as well as a mounting block. Enjoy the view that Andy Baux found when he was helping establish these trails. Thompsonville Horse Trails: The Thompsonville Horse Trails can be accessed at connector trail “20” near Andy’s Overlook. Cross the road and look for the “To T-Ville” sign. Or you may trailer to the Thompsonville Public Use Area just off the Dam Road for a day ride. The outer Thompsonville Trail loop is approximately 10+ miles. Thompsonville is rockier and more challenging that the other trail riding areas. Mule riders love this trail and beautiful views of the lake. Thompsonville was the site of a Mormon settlement in 1851 by a group of Mormon settlers who refused to follow the main group led by Brigham Young into the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. The settlement did not last because the chaos of Bleeding Kansas intensified. The town was renamed Thompsonville in 1865 by C. L. Thompson who erected a mill on the site of the old Mormon Settlement.Maps of all the trail riding areas are available at the Perry State Park Office and posted under documents on this site. Contact Perry State Park 785-246-3449 for fee information or to reserve an improved camp-site. |
| Best Time to Visit |
Spring, Summer, Fall, |
| Times to Avoid |
Nov-April - water is turned off in campground. |
| Campground |
The Wild Horse Campground has 16 improved sites with horse pens plus a Day Use Parking Area. Primitive camping is plentiful with some horse pens. Campgrounds have a port-a-potty and below the campground a bathroom & shower (open spring/summer – water is turned off Nov - March).
A shelter house with showers and restrooms in the center of the campground is coming soon.
A boat ramp is less than a mile away if you want to do some kayaking in the afternoon while the horses are resting or fishing for supper!
Volunteers have done a lot of work on both the campground and the trails. We hope you will come ride and enjoy our beautiful trails.
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Horse Facilities: |
Operated by: |
Contact: |
Additional Information |
| Day, Elect, Primitive, Shower, Toilet, Water, Pump |
Day, Stall, Tie-up, Water |
Perry State Park
785 246 3449
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5441 Westlake Road
Ozawkie, KS 66070
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FB "Let's Ride--Perry Lake" |
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| Directions |
Directions: From Hwy 24 (East of Topeka or West of Lawrence, KS) go to K-237 North. Exit to North on K-237 – sign will say “Perry State Park”.
Follow K-237 North 4 miles to Perry State Park. Look for Park sign with arrow to Horse Trails. Turn left/West (just before the Perry State Park Office) and go .1 mile to sign for Equestrian Trails. Turn left and go .3 mile to top of hill – turn right at the first entrance (gravel road) --watch – as it comes up quickly and Wild Horse Day Use Parking is on right. For camping, continue North staying right at “Y” in road – sign will say “Wild Horse Camping” go .3 miles and you will see horse trailer camping sites and horse pens.
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| This information was provided by Jo Turner on 2/5/2018 5:45:34 PM |
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