DATABASE OFFERS ONLINE OVERVIEW OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

Users can customize search to match their recreation preferences
PRATT -- Looking for a place to hike, bike, or camp in Kansas? “Recreation Finder” is now online at maps.kansasgis.org/recfinder/public/index.cfm. This online resource allows users to search a database of more than 450 trails, 3,500 parks, and 12,500 recreation facilities across the state where they may participate in their favorite outdoor recreation activities. Users can search for parks and facilities by name, location, park type, or facilities available.

Users can customize the map view by clicking the "customize tab." This allows various levels of detail to be illustrated and ultimately printed. The map can become a bit overloaded if all the layers are illustrated, so this option is useful to reduce some of the clutter. A map of a selected destination may be printed by clicking the “print” tab. Trails are similarly searchable. Click the “trails” tab at the top and look for trails by trail name, difficulty, location, or type of use. A brief summary of trail features is provided, including length, surface, and allowable uses.

Recreation Finder is a collaborative effort of the Kansas Recreation and Park Association, the Sunflower Foundation, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the Kansas Geological Survey's Data Access Support Center, Kansas State University’s Department of Horticulture Forestry and Recreation Resources, and hundreds of park and recreation professionals and other city and school district staff members statewide.

The database was originally designed as a planning tool but has proven to be informative for general public use and has been modified for that purpose.
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