Lake Scott State Park

The beauty of Lake Scott State Park can be seen throughout the area.

There are 26 archeological sites in and near the park.

Just north of Scott City and west of U.S. 83 on K-95 lies Lake Scott State Park, a ruggedly beautiful oasis hidden in Ladder Creek Canyon. The 1,020-acre park surrounds the 100-acre, spring-fed Scott State Fishing Lake. The beautifully wooded valley surrounded by chalk bluffs and rocky crags is a stunning surprise that lies in sharp contrast to the dry lands and prairie the area is known for. 

The native sandstone house built in 1888 is now a museum.

According to ksoutdoors.com, the park is listed by National Geographic as one of the country’s must-see state parks and is one of the most historic locations in Kansas with 26 archeological sites documented in and adjacent to the park. The park is home to the remains of northernmost known Native American pueblo – El Cuartelejo which was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The pueblo was built in the 1600s by Taos Indians from northern New Mexico who came to Kansas to escape the Spanish. They dug irrigation ditches, planted crops and shared the site with their Apache friends for 20 years. The Pueblo was later occupied by Picuris Indians. 

An aerial view of the park.

In 1888, Herbert Steele homesteaded in the area, building the Steele home in 1909. This four-room house of native sandstone is now a museum displaying furniture and tools used by the early settlers of Scott County. Herbert and wife Eliza donated their property to the Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission in 1928. 

The park is open to camping, boating, swimming, hiking, hunting and fishing and offers trails for hiking, horseback riding and opportunities to observe wildlife in their natural habitats including wild turkey, deer, bobcat and beaver.