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Parks & Recreation
Douglas County features a number of recreation departments that provide year-round activities. Offering team sports, arts and crafts, aquatic centers, fitness centers and classes, each community in Douglas County is committed to aiding in active lifestyles. The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department (LPRD) works with a budget of more than $3 million and manages 52 parks. Recreation departments across the county offer various classes and activities including voice lessons in Eudora, summer camps in Baldwin and zumba in Lawrence. Catalogs and online listings provide a detailed map of what’s available each season.
Facilities
Lawrence Parks & Recreation www.lprd.org Community Building 115 W. 11th St. (785) 832-7920
Gym, meeting rooms, dance studio, kitchen. East Lawrence Recreation Center 1245 E. 15th St. (785) 832-7950
Regular size and smaller gym, weight room, game room, meeting room, kitchen. Holcom Park Recreation Center 2700 W. 27th St. (785) 832-7940
Gym, meeting room, kitchen, weight room with cardio. Indoor Aquatic Center Attached to Free State High School at 4706 Overland Drive (785) 832-7946
Open year-round, this pool has a 10-lane, 50-meter competition pool and a large, separate pool with play equipment and water slides for youngsters. South Park Recreation Center 1141 Massachusetts St. (785) 832-7930
Meeting room, kitchenette.
Lawrence Union Pacific Depot 402 N. Second St. (785) 832-7920
This turn-of-the-century building was restored in 1996 but is no longer an active train depot. It offers a meeting space with a sound system, kitchenette, desktop podium and outdoor French theme flower garden. Baldwin City Parks and Recreation 715 High St. (785) 594-3670 www.baldwinrec.org Eudora Parks and Recreation 1630 Elm St. (785) 542-1725 www.eudoraparksandrec.org
Selected Lawrence Parks Broken Arrow Park 2900 Louisiana St.
The site of an annual mud volleyball competition, large shelter and playground. Watson Park Between Sixth and Eighth streets and Tennessee and Kentucky streets
Features a basketball court, vintage train engine and ice skating area in the winter, a small shelter and playground. Centennial Park 600 Rockledge Road
Adjacent to a skate park and Frisbee golf course, large shelter and playground. Dad Perry Park Monterey Way and Harvard Road North - Harvard and Parkside Road
45 acres with two large shelters, playground, basketball, sand volleyball and tennis courts. Holcom Sports Complex 2700 W. 27th St.
Includes Holcom Recreation Center. Baseball fields, outdoor basketball court, outdoor racquetball, volleyball sand pit, large shelter and playground. South Park Between 11th and 13th streets and New Hampshire and Vermont streets
Contains the William Kelly Bandstand Gazebo, South Park Recreation Center, backstop and the South Park Wading Pool for toddlers.
Veterans Park 19th Street at Louisiana Street
Playground, tennis and basketball courts.
Outdoor Attractions Baker University Wetlands Haskell Avenue at 31st Street
This area, with a self-guided boardwalk trail, was designated a national landmark by the Department of the Interior in 1969 and covers 573 acres of wetlands. Visitors can view diverse wildlife, as it is popular for bird watching with an estimated 200 species of birds. Managed by Baker University and known as a spiritual site for Haskell Indian Nations University, the Baker Wetlands contain significant biodiversity and offer a rich research and recreational environment. Centennial Disc Golf Course 600 Rockledge Road
18-hole Frisbee golf course runs throughout Centennial Park. Scorecards are available at all recreation centers and Biemer’s BBQ, east of the park. Skate Park at Centennial 600 Rockledge Road
This 12,306-square-foot park was designed by input from area youths as a “street” course. Contains a half pipe, quarter pipe, pyramids, fun box and grind rail. It is not supervised. This facility may be reserved for special events and competitions. Clinton Lake 872 N. 1402 Road (785) 843-7665
Clinton Lake is an excellent recreation source in our area. A manmade lake offers a 7,000-acre pool level extending eight miles up the Wakarusa River Valley. The lake is part of Clinton State Park and is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With nearly a million visitors per year, it was cited by Boating World Magazine as one of the 50 great boating lakes in the country. Clinton also includes 9,000 acres for public hunting, as well as 400 campsites, hiking trails and an opportunity to see wildlife, including nesting eagles. Shelters are available for rental with 24 hours notice.
Kansas River Levee Trails
This trail begins under the North Lawrence Bridge by the dam and follows the Kaw River east and west, ending in open farmland on both sides. One mile east of the trailhead is a mountain bike trail winding between the levee trail and the river. Lone Star Lake (785) 832-5293
This smaller, county-operated lake is 10 miles southwest of Lawrence and offers a swimming beach, campsites, playground, fishing, boating, water skiing and shelters with picnic areas and grills. “Mutt Run” Off-Leash Dog Park 1330 E. 902 Road
This 30-plus-acre area contains restrooms, a drinking fountain and water for dogs. To get to the dog run, take Clinton Parkway west to Clinton Dam Road; turn south and take the first left onto 902 Road. After that, take the first left. The park is at the bend in the road that leads to the north side of the spillway. Outdoor Aquatic Center Eighth and Kentucky streets (785) 832-7990
This public pool is made to delight both children and adults. It has a new slide in the diving well, as well as a 50-meter competition area, zero-depth entry for young children, two additional water slides and interactive play with fountains, spray mushroom, concession stand and sheltered lounge area. Swimming lessons are available each summer through Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department. Perry State Park 5441 Westlake Road, Ozawkie (785) 246-3449
Perry Lake has nearly 160 miles of shoreline and more than 11,000 acres with swimming, water sports, boating, fishing, picnicking, camping and hiking. It is considered to be one of the best sailing lakes in the state, and its mountain biking trails are said to be among the most difficult in the area. Perry Lake is also manmade and situated on the Delaware River in Jefferson County, about 30 minutes north of Lawrence. Prairie Park Nature Center 2730 SW Harper St. (785) 832-7980
This center blends 72 acres of prairie, woodlands and wetlands into a preserve, including nine acres of virgin (never plowed) prairie with 180 species of native plants. It has a prairie observatory, bird-watching area and many trails. Prairie Park offers programs to public schools and local groups beginning with kindergarten-age children on environmental topics, including butterflies, tracks and trails, and ecosystems. It recently opened a birds of prey display, which includes a bald eagle and a golden eagle. South Lawrence Multisport Path
A favorite among hikers, joggers, cyclists, dog walkers and rollerbladers, this paved path is 10 miles long and is lined with native prairie grasses and wildlife. It connects with other hard-surface paths in west Lawrence, totaling 14 miles of trails. It begins at Iowa Street near the South Wind 12 theaters and winds northwest to Clinton Parkway, and then north toward Interstate 70.
www.nwk.usace.army.mil/cl/ 2010/2011 Newcomers Guide
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