Nature Centers

Wolf Creek Environmental Education Area

The Wolf Creek Environmental Education Area opened in September of 1994 offers visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the nature of eastern Kansas. The area consists of 160 acres on which there are three self-guided trails that start and end at the "silo."

Each trail is marked with numbered signs that correspond to information entries in the brochure that can be picked up at the trailhead. The South Pond Trail and Prairie Lake Trail are each one half-mile long with recycled asphalt surfaces and gentle slopes accessible to all visitors, including those in wheelchairs or with limited mobility. The mowed-grass Kansas Nature Trail winds up and down moderate slopes for 1.6 miles and provides excellent opportunities to see wildlife and plants up close in a variety of Kansas habitats. Benches are located along each trail for visitors who prefer to walk a while, then watch a while.

The Prairie Lake Trail offers a prairie lake view, a bird viewing blind, a creek view, a water walk, and a predator’s view. The South Pond Trail offers a transmission line crossing, pasture grasses, view of the south pond, and pasture succession. The Kansas Nature Trail includes viewing the stock pond, the transmission line right-of-way, grassland ecology, the north lake shore, conservation and agriculture, grasses and trees, and the old Martindale School. The trails offer the opportunity to see thirty-eight species of snakes (only five are poisonous); native tall grasses; a variety of wild life including white-tailed deer, coyotes, wood mice, deer mice, fox, squirrels, meadowlarks, bobwhite quail, field sparrows, grasshopper sparrows, waterfowl, and king fishers. Also seen along the trails are a variety of plants, flowers and trees. The Wolf Creek Environmental Education Area provides the opportunity for an incredible sightseeing experience.