Clinton State Park

Clinton State Park is a state park in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, located 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Lawrence.

The 1,500-acre (6.1 km²) park lies on the north shore of Clinton Lake, known for its clear water and good channel catfish, walleye, and crappie fishing.

Visitors to the park can enjoy viewing white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, bald eagles in spring and fall, and numerous species of songbirds in the carefully managed habitats that make Clinton a distinctive outdoor destination.

An extensive hiking/biking trail system make this park and adjacent 9,200-acre (37 km²) wildlife area an attractive destination for outdoors enthusiasts including hikers, nature photographers, mountain bicyclists, wildflower enthusiasts, wildlife observers, and even cross-country skiers.

Park staff work closely with Lawrence and University of Kansas individuals and organizations to present several concerts and other special events each year. The park is the former to host the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival. Since 2008, Clinton State Park is the annual site of the Ironman Kansas 70.3 triathlon. The swim portion of the competition is held in Clinton Lake, and the run portion of the competition occurs on the park campgrounds and roads.

State park

State parks or provincial parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" or "province" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state, and of some states of Mexico. The term is also used in Australia, though the distinction between state and national parks there is different. The Canadian equivalent term is provincial park. Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies.

State parks are thus similar to national parks, but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks. In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with a few exceptions such as the Adirondack Park in New York and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California.