Emma Barkley
Lantern Staff
Based on fishing, boating and family fun, El Dorado Lake is known to be one of the top state parks in America, according to the official website of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. The lake is located three miles east of El Dorado on US-54 and one mile north. The lake has about 8,000 acres of water and 4,000 acres of shoreline.
The lake offers visitors two swimming beaches, where they should always wear foot protection in case of broken glass and sharp rocks. The lake also has a lot of zebra mussels that can also cut one’s foot. The lake has 10 boat ramps all around the lake and also offers kayaking, canoeing, rafting and paddle boarding. If visitors have their own boats or jet skis, they can also go tubing on the lake, but be cautious of other boaters and always wear a life jacket.
There are some places to avoid fishing because of the rocks. The lines of the fishing poles always get caught, and it is a pain to get them uncaught. The lake has its own little fishing area west of the lake where I have seen people fishing.
A small park is located west of the lake with four cabins, and they have a little building visitors can go into that has washing machines and dryers. I am not sure how well they work, but they are a little cheaper than the ones Butler has. There is also a playground for children, and they have this cool game that I really enjoy playing, Neos 360. The game has different game settings a visitor can choose to play, and the main point of the game is to try and hit as many lights before the game ends or earn a higher score than your opponent.
Visitors can also enjoy other activities such as hiking the nature trails, horseback riding, bike riding, archery, shooting ranges and disc golf.
There are some concerns though about the lake such as the trash in and around the shorelines. There are so many animals suffering from choking or getting caught on all of the trash that is being dumped out. The lake would look so much better if there was not so much trash. The trash makes the lake look nasty and makes me scared to even walk into the water without cutting myself on broken glass or metal.
Other than the loitering, the lake is a great place to have fun with friends and family. The lake has really beautiful views, and it is a really great place to go to look at all the wildlife.
