Cottonwood 200 Bicycle Tour
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Event Details
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The Cottonwood 200 is a three-day bicycle tour on paved roads through the Flint Hills of northeast Kansas. The ride covers 200 miles (75 miles day one; 50 miles day two; 75 miles day three) over the Memorial Day Weekend. It is a loop tour that starts and ends at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, with SAG stops (rest stops with food & water) approximately every 10-15 miles, Sunday breakfast and dinner, and overnight accommodations at Council Grove High School included in the registration fee.
Join us and see why so many past participants have called the Cottonwood 200 "The Best Ride Ever."
In 1976, a hearty group of cyclists from the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club searched for a way to celebrate the nation's 200th birthday. Looking at their maps, they realized a round trip from Topeka to Cottonwood Falls, Kansas would be 200 miles, and cover some of the best cycling terrain in the state.
Thus began the Cottonwood 200, now in its 38th year. Join us for a three-day tour and go back in time as you travel the same paths used by Native Americans, settlers, and cattle drives.
The route will cross through lands that are the historic home of the Kaw (or Kansa) Indians, after whom the state of Kansas is named. Parts of the route follow the original Santa Fe Trail, used by settlers in their journey to the American southwest. Riders will spend two nights in Council Grove, which served as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail and is home of numerous historic sites, including the Kaw Indian Mission museum. On Sunday, riders will visit beautiful Cottonwood Falls, where residents have restored several downtown buildings into artist galleries, unique western shops, and delightful restaurants. At Cottonwood Falls, participants can tour the Chase County Courthouse, one of the oldest working courthouses west of the Mississippi and home to a breathtaking spiral staircase. Other nearby sites include the Roniger and Chase County Museums, and the nationally renowned Z-Bar Ranch/Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve.
Cottonwood 200 Bicycle Tour
Email Address : director@cottonwood200.org
Web: www.cottonwood200.org
Bike Rides
Attractions and Upcoming Events
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Lake Shawnee is a man-made, 411-acre lake offering fishing, boating, sailing and swimming. Within the 1,600-acre park surrounding the lake are foot trails, fish hatcheries (for stocking the lake), a golf course, a marina, tennis courts, shelter houses, horseback trails, ball diamonds, and gardens.
Topeka, KS RecreationFirst Presbyterian Church
The First Presbyterian Church, built over 112 years ago, is the site of a unique presentation of Tiffany Windows. Adorning the sanctuary is the rare artwork of America's foremost designer of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany, who came to Topeka in 1911 and produced these windows for the church. Topeka, KS Historic Churches
Potwin Place
Looking for a scenic drive? View beautiful Victorian homes of the late 1800s situated along brick streets where islands of greenery circle each intersection point in the National Historic District known as Potwin Place. Each Christmas, special decorations can be viewed.
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Gage Park is one of the biggest attractions in Topeka. Within the park itself, the biggest attraction is the Topeka Zoo, which allows visitors to come face to face with gorillas in a special Gorilla Encounter exhibit. Other features at the zoo include a bush camp with a lion'
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This historic Union Pacific depot has been restored to its 1927
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