Nature & Outdoor Activities

City of Hays Parks
1546 E. Hwy 40 By-pass
Hays, KS 67601
(785) 628-7375
Parks Dept

The Parks Department for the City of Hays maintains over 25 parks and recreational areas throughout the community. All of the major parks have restroom facilities, playground equipment and picnic shelters. The smaller parks feature scenic landscaping, flower gardens, trash receptacles, open play areas and several have drinking fountains and picnic tables. 

 

62. Frontier Park
South Main, 1546 E Hwy 40 By-pass
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-7375
fax: 785-628-7377
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free
Frontier Park Info

Located on land that was once part of the Fort Hays Military Reservation, Frontier Park today is a very scenic natural looking recreational area with a creek that winds through the 89 acres of land. The park also features several walking trails, bridges, playground equipment, 4 shelter houses and plenty of large shade trees. The Big Creek that flows through the park creates several waterfalls and scenic views. The Hays Parks Department has maintained a buffalo herd for over 40 years. The herd is located in West Frontier Park.

32. Hays Medical Center Fitness Trail
2220 Canterbury Drive
Hays, KS 67601
785-623-5000
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

This ¾ mile fitness trail is located just east of the Hays Medical Center and features several fitness stations to help increase agility and conditioning.

43. O.W.L. (Outdoor Wildlife Learning) Site
O'Loughlin School
1401 Hall
Hays, KS 67601
785-623-2510
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

In 1991 the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks initiated the Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site (OWLS) program to help increase student exposure to native wildlife and plant communities. The OWLS program has been an effective means of establishing additional wildlife habitat and providing an outdoor learning site for the community.  The O.W.L. Site is behind O'Loughlin Elementary School and is accessible to the public between TMP-Marian High School and O'Loughlin School. It has a small stream/pond area, tall grove of trees with a walking path and natural setting for viewing wildlife. Trails are maintained through the tall native prairie grasses that extend to the west of the pond and the F.E.E.T Trail along the banks of Big Creek is within walking distance approximately 500' further to the west (past the TMP-Marian baseball fields) 

48. Sternberg Museum of Natural History
3000 Sternberg Drive
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-4286
Fax: 785-628-451
http://sternberg.fhsu.edu/

Winter Hours
Tuesday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Summer Hours - (Memorial Day-Labor Day)
 Monday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Admission
$8 for adults (ages 13-59)
$6 for seniors (ages 60+)
$5 for youth (ages 4-12)
$4 for FHSU students (with valid ID)

Free admission for:
Museum Members
Members of ASTC-member museums
Children 3 and under

Located at its new location at 3000 Sternberg Drive is the all-new Sternberg Museum of Natural History, a department of Fort Hays State University. This museum has been a part of Hays since 1914 when the first curator was appointed.

The museum is named in honor of two generations of the Sternberg family that collected some of the most spectacular fossils in the world. Their finds are in most major museums and have played a dominant role in initiating the study of North American fossil vertebrates. George F. Sternberg joined the Kansas State Teachers College in 1927 and established the fossil collection. After his death in 1969, the museum was named to honor this family that gave so much to the science of paleontology.

At this new four-story dome museum, you will experience a recreated day 88 million years ago when the might Tyrannosaurus Rex haunted the land and an Inland Sea covered Kansas.
Visitors can walk among semi-automated life-sized dinosaurs in a fully restored environment and experience the life of some of the most spectacular creatures that ever lived. The large array of fossils the Sternberg Family found through their studies is on display including the famous "fish-within-a-fish."

The Discovery Room allows children and adults to come face-to-face with specimens from the natural world. Highlights of the Discovery Room include live animals of the Great Plains, an unusual selection of plants, children's science periodicals, a state-of-the- art digital weather station, over a thousand resource books and various computer labs. The museum emphasizes education by hosting many traveling exhibits during the year. This means there is always something new and different to learn about.  

The museum is handicap accessible and also features a gift shop.