Osawatomie City Council showed its support for establishing the Eastern Flint Hills State Park Trailhead in the community. The Osawatomie Trails Taskforce has the goal of creating teams involved with property acquisition, trail design, fundraising, promotion, and trail construction. Council Member and Task Force Chairman, Jeff Walmann say he feels promoting the area as a trailhead will bring new visitors and business to the area. Right now the trail begins off John Brown Road, west of Osawatomie. It has limited or no parking, depending on weather conditions. A sign indicates where the eastern end of the 119-mile trail begins. The trail ends in Herington. The task force is charged with supporting the effort to establish a trailhead at the west end of the Karl E. Cole Sports Complex.
City Manager Don Cawby says besides land acquisition, a preliminary trailhead design needs to be completed and some funds have been set aside, starting next year, for developing a preliminary design. Even though the trailhead completion would be many months away, Cawby says the project has the city’s full support.
