Eisenhower State Park is located in Osage County. There are two camping areas open to equestrians, one area called Cowboy Camp is primitive and the other, the North Loop of Westpoint camping area has electric and some sites have water. Restrooms are located close to both camping areas. Most campsites in Westpoint's North Loop had barbeque grills and picnic tables. There were no tie poles so horses must either be tied to the trailer or you can set up portable pens. There are a few water hydrants for the sites that do not have water. From the information we picked up at the park office there are approximately 20 miles of trails. Shower facilities are located a short drive from both of the horse camps. Conveniences such as food, fuel and basic necessities are available at one of two truck stops on the South side of I35 and highway 75. The park entrance is about 10 miles from the interstate. The trail head starts at the Westpoint camp ground near the entrance to this camping area on the north side of the loop. I'll be adding GPS coordinates soon.
Update 2/24/02: Todd and I rode this park on a day ride. It was about an hour drive and we rode only four miles of the trails as time was tight. I did want to get this ride in though after being contacted by the Park Ranger. He sent me an email describing the park and the trails as well as mentioning that they'd be adding more trails. I'd like to say that the condition of the trails was excellent. We had a really bad ice storm here in Kansas at the end of January and there was only one time we encountered a blocked trail and it was easy enough to trail blaze around the fallen limbs. I'd also like to point out the wildlife we encountered. We saw a coyote, running away from us thankfully, several flocks of turkeys and a few ducks and geese.
Opinion:
The terrian is easy to medium with some water and road crossings. Horse shoes are not needed if
your horses are used to being bare foot. This is a good place to condition the horses.
Directions:
From I-35 south of Kansas City exit on highway 75 north to 278 West. The park entrance is on the left. The
horse camp is located at either Cowboy Camp (Primitive) or Westpoint in the North Loop.
Fees:
Vehicle fee $5.00 per vehicle
Daily Camping fee $5.50 or $6.50 (seasonal)
(check out time is 12:00 except Sundays and Monday Holidays then it's 2:00)
See you on the trails!