When I was asked by USA Today to contribute to an article on beaches in all 50 states and DC, my first thought was “You’ve got to be kidding!” Then I thought about it for a while, and it was like “How do I choose only one?” Granted, Kansas beaches cannot ever hope to compete with Florida’s or Hawaii’s beaches, unless, of course, you’re a heron looking for lunch. After all, beyond the beach is a Kansas lake, which means the water is decidedly brown and murky.
Still. So after considering several lakes–Lone Star, Clinton, Wilson, Big Hill, and even tiny Kill Creek–I settled on Lake Scott State Park in western Kansas. It has an unexpected setting amidst the rolling plains, and the spring-fed lake offers camping, a small beach, historic sites (such as the only Indian pueblo ruins in Kansas) and hiking trails. I first camped there about six years ago, when I and my sons were on our way to Colorado.
This is the excerpt of what I wrote:
Kansas
Scott State Park , north of Scott City, opens like a surprise package amidst the vast plains and farmland of western Kansas. Hidden in a wooded canyon of craggy cliffs, the park’s spring-fed lake has a pleasant swimming beach with a playground and concession stand offering food, fishing supplies, canoes and paddleboats. The 1,020-acre state park also has camping, hunting, nature trails and historic sites. kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/state-parks/locations/scott
— Recommended by Beth Reiber, freelance travel writer based in Lawrence, Kan.
