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| The photos above and below show various areas around Cross Timbers State Park. |
South of Toronto, off of K-105 at Toronto Lake,
lies the remote yet beautiful Cross Timbers State Park.
The 1,075-acre park and 2,800-acre Toronto
Reservoir are nestled in in the southwestern corner of Woodson County. As part
of the Chautauqua Hills region of the Verdigris River Valley, Cross Timbers
features a diverse terrain of flood plains, oak savannah, prairie grasslands
and forests.
Once a preferred hunting ground of Native
Americans of the Osage Nation, abundant wildlife can be found here. Wander
along the windswept shore of Toronto Lake and soak in the sunlight reflected on
the waves, or fish in quiet coves for catfish, bass and bluegill. Have a
leisurely lunch at one of the stone picnic tables and enjoy watching and listening
to the local songbirds. Hike your way along the Ancient Trees Trail to get a
closer look at the aged, twisted oaks lining the way, or take the Blackjack Oak
Ridge Trail to catch glorious views of native wildflowers.
Park visitors can also go mountain biking,
swimming and boating. During the summer months park naturalists lead weekend
outdoor interpretative programs. Cross Timbers offers a variety of camping
options, ranging from backcountry sites to modern campgrounds with restrooms
and showers.
For more information about Cross Timbers State
Park contact CrossTimbersSP@ksoutdoors.com
or visit www.ksoutdoors.com.
This should be a beautiful park again. It has not been kept up since the Honor camp closed several years ago. The park needs to talk with the corrections people to get the inmates from Eldorado Correctional facility to come and work at the lake again. It is a shame to have let the south end of the lake deteriorate the way it has.
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