TOPEKA, KAN. – June 3 is National Hiking Day and Shawnee County Parks + Recreation is celebrating with an open-gate day and two nature programs at Skyline Park, home of Burnett’s Mound. The park gates will open at 8 a.m. At 8:30 a.m. there will be a walking program with the Topeka Audubon Society. A second walk at 11:30 a.m. will focus on plant and animal life in Skyline Park. An abundance of wild prairie flowers bloom in the park in late May and early June.
The Rec+Roll Van will be on-hand. Visitors can pick up copies of the Shawnee County Parks + Recreation Trail Guide and a sheet identifying a dozen varieties of prairie plants and flowers that grow in the park. Patrons can take the guided hike or save the plant identification flyer for later and take a self-guided hike to see how many prairie plants they can identify.
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Shawnee County Parks + Recreation includes nearly 60 miles of trails, 2,696 acres of parks and 320 annual days of sporting activities. In addition, the department offers recreation programs, educational programs and golf. A combination of tax dollars, user fees and private donations enables Shawnee County Parks and Recreation to offer parks, sporting and aquatic facilities with state-of-the art features, and beautiful, nationally recognized gardens.