Oregon Trail Nature Park( Part 1 of 2 )
Twenty-five some miles west of Topeka, Kansas, along U.S. Highway 24 between St. Marys and
Belvue,KS, and continuing north on Schoeman Road to the intersection of Oregon Trail Road, then back westbound,
will bring you to the Oregon Trail Nature Park, a beautiful area open to the public.
Created beginning in 1993 by Western Resources and Utilicorp, this entire area features 3 walking
trails, 2 overlooks, a shelter house, a picturesque old farm silo and an amphitheater.
The silo is the remainder of an earlier farmstead in this area. The silo has three scenes in the form
of murals painted by Cindy Martin, an Onaga, Kansas artist. The scenes on the silo, "Oregon Bound" on the
south side, "Fall Hunt" on the east side and "Kansas Wildlife." The project began in 1995 and took
two years to complete. This is a very nice piece of work and even if you're not into hiking, this can
be viewed from the parking lot.