Wow! Visiting Coronado Heights was one of the highlights of my trip to south central Kansas. Kansas…read moreisn't known for its elevation, but this is one place in the area where you can feel like you're up high. In reality, it's just a hill, sitting in front of a plain, asking you to love it. But it's a pretty neat hill, Coronado Heights is. And on the top of the hill is a castle! Yes, there's a real castle here, which you can explore. It's believed that Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his soldiers used this area as a lookout point because it sits about 300 feet above the prairie. All kinds of historical items have been found in this area that back up this idea, including bits of chain mail and Spanish coins. I visited around sunset, which is a beautiful time to visit. There are a few picnic areas that you can use, with fire pits, grills and tables. The people I was with had the foresight to bring some marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers, so we made some s'mores and enjoyed them in the twilight near the castle. It was a beautiful time. One thing to note: The restrooms are primitive (aka port-a-potties).

This place is advertised as the "best view in kansas", i wouldn't say that, but It's a good view!…read moreWe really wanted to see the history behind this place but there were limited signs. You gotta look it up yourself. With that being said, this is a great place to visit. There are cool structures, lots of tables for picnics, and a bathroom. The castle has stairs you can walk up which allows you to look over the edge. In the fall this would be beautiful!!

Beautiful park! We started our hike at Buffalo Track Canton Nature Trailhead, which is located a…read moreshort drive into Kanopolis Lake State Park. This trailhead has two entrance points, and one is usually more manicured than the other. We didn't know there was a difference at the time and took the path less traveled and less tended to. Which was unfortunate for us because we were walking through tall grasses and brush, which was uncomfortable because some of the people I was hiking with were wearing shorts. So, if you want a more pleasant hike, make sure you're taking the hiking trail that has been mowed. Other than slapping away plants and hoping we weren't transporting ticks, the hike was great and the scenery here is beautiful. Our trail was a little less than a mile one way, and led us to a really cool cave with rocks that looked like the profile of a person! We checked out the cave for a while, then headed back. Once you're at the cave, you do have an option to travel down another trail to go farther into the park, but we chose to just head back. There's a lake here and other things, but we only visited the park to hike. We had a great time hiking, though! This part of Kansas is beautiful, and walking through Kanopolis is a great way to experience some of it.

Great camping spot and lake. Shower facilities could use some cleaning and updated paint but…read moreoverall a really nice spot.

Lots of playgrounds, splash pad, pavilions, pond, parking! Great spot! Kids loved it.read more

This is a great park that has a bunch of playground equipment and a splash pad that operates on a…read moretimer. Highly recommend this park that was dedicated to an officer killed in the line of duty back in the 70's. There is also a large pond with walk outs to see the ducks and geese that have become far too accustomed to being fed by the people there.

So, I'd keep your expectations in check when visiting Mushroom Rock State Park. It's a tiny park --…read morethe smallest state park in Kansas at just 5 acres! But you get to see some interesting rocks. Some of these rocks really do look like mushrooms. We explored the park for a bit, but we were done after about 15 minutes. There's a short, easy trail on one side of the parking lot that takes you down to some sick rocks (that people have carved into and written things on, which I think looks cool but you might not). On the other side of the parking lot is a little area with more mushroom rocks; some of these are short enough to climb on, so kids might like these. There's a restroom here, but it's basically a port-a-potty hole in the ground, so if you can hold it, I'd suggest doing so.

This was one of our stops on our cross country RV trip. It's nice to break up the drive, but I have…read moreto say, this place is not worth the stop. This park is tiny. There's a couple of rocks that look like mushrooms on the side of the road. It's definitely not worth driving out of your way for. I honestly don't understand how it's a state park. This wins the award for worst state I've been to. Don't waste your time.

For small town this city is awesome and things to do too, I came here to see Kansas, I check this…read moretown out on the web first, what I found was awesome, parks and places to eat or do, I'm a old Chicago member and found one in town, I stayed at laQuinta motel north of town which is dog friendly, around it was McDonald's gas station Starbucks middle of town chuck's bar is very busy close at 2am, Stiefel theatre and cross the street is awesome Martinellis little Italy restaurant and old Chicago, bike skye brewery and cozy inn, south part of town is chix fil target Walmart coffee house, and other places too, city of Salina park,east of town is cool park that my dog and I check out, we saw running around in a pack, this family place that you play frisbee golf, I saw family playing together, st patrick day crawl was awesome to see, check out my pix of my visit, a must to visit and do a concert and you will not be disappointed in your trip

This is a very clean little park in the middle of agricultural country, somewhere outside of Salina…read moreKansas, but definitely not close enough to Dodge city for the drive we still had ahead of us when we stopped here. For a nominal fee, visitors can stretch their here, and regard some unique geological features that date back to the Cretaceous period when this whole area was a vast inland sea. The large sandstone spheres that remain here are unique and interesting, covering about a 4-5 acre area. We had a little lunch here and pressed on to our destination. As an old earth science teacher, I nerd out on stuff like this; my kids enjoyed running around the room-sized boulders, my youngest insisting they were fake. Oh well, at least we made the stop and didn't get 1800 miles away wondering what we missed-- incidentally, this is the secret to an awesome road trip. Should we stop? The answer should always be "Yes."

A small park in the middle of fields about 20 miles from the interstate or Salina. I'm not sure I…read morewould recommend anyone taking the trip off the interstate, but if you are in Salina for any reason it's worth an hour of your time. Dozens of spherical rocks that are up to 12' tall are scattered about for viewing, climbing or pondering. The price is right at $3 and has a small gift shop. Another weird geological formation and roadside attraction.

Nice splash pad for the kids. Such a great oasis on a hot summer day! The light spray from the wind…read morefelt great for the parents as well. There are benches (with shade, if timed right) around it and a pavilion nearby to take a break from the summer sun. Spent a sweet time with dear friends and would definitely go back.

My grandkids and I just love this place people are so nice and they take such good care of the…read moreplace.

If you're new to Hutchinson, put this on your must-see list. Serenity, beauty, and humble closeness…read moreto nature. The grove (across the lake from the buildings) is romantic and a perfect picnic date spot. The trails are private and shaded, the grounds are well maintained. Diverse and interesting flower beds make for butterflies galore. One of my fave places ever.

Great city with plenty of everything. The art and sculptures downtown are fantastic to explore. The…read moreStiefel Theatre is an excellent venue with fantastic acoustics. Martinelli's across the street is a classical Italian restaurant with excellent service. The trampoline park is great fun for the kids. Numerous city parks with fun equipment. Sam's Club and Aldi's are usually on my list when we make a trip to Salina.

Good park for kids. Splash pad, Skate park for big kids, play set, nice swings! Beer cans and some…read moreHomeless too.