Where Is Lake Olathe Park?
Lake Olathe is a 258-acre park surrounding a 170-acre lake. It is located between 135th Street and 143rd Street. On 135th, if you’re headed from I-35 there is a sign telling you to turn at the next left. When you turn, you’re turning into a roundabout. The first turn off the roundabout takes you into the park. When you first enter, it’s mostly trees and grass. As you continue to drive down the road, a sign tells you that if you go one way you’ll reach the Beaver Shelter, or straight to the Marina and Beach Eagles Landing Amphitheater. I love that it is so nicely labeled. We checked out the Beaver Shelter first by going to the right.
What Is There To Do?
Beaver Shelter does have a playground with a nice size shelter and an overview of the lake. It also has its own separate bathrooms but because it’s December, the bathrooms are closed. Though, they at least provided a porta-potty so you’re not completely screwed in the winter with a kid needing to go potty because we have all been there with no restroom in sight.
During the summer, it has a water fountain and water bottle refill station. The playground has a slide, a zipline with a swing attached, a cave, logs to balance on, a tree trunk to climb, and a bridge to go over this is a more traditional looking playground on the left side of the shelter. On the right, there are some more natural features such as a water table, brush hut, and a small creek area. This area looks nice and I think would be a ton of fun in the summer when the water is running.
If you go straight along, you’ll drive around the end of the lake and then start climbing back up on the same side of the lake. There is also a neat foot traffic bridge for walking the path instead of driving. Some of the walking paths even have mile markers.
At the beach, you will find sand beaches and parts of the lake where it’s reachable to get into the water during the open season. You will also find a dock here for the marina. They rent out kayaks as well for an hourly charge. There is also an amphitheater right past that for outside concerts as well as a building with a deck that is also available to rent. The deck attached to the building offers a great view.
The next area near the beach and rental place is an outdoor water nature playground. This playground features lots of water play areas in the summer with two locations to make the sprinklers come out of the rocks. It also has a creek and sand to play in. If you’re coming to this area, bring extra clothes for going home or at least some towels. You will find musical instruments around to play out a tune. The kids really like to hit the drums and xylophones.
This park also features an 18 hole frisbee golf area and some docks to relax and enjoy the view or fish from. Then you basically leave the park as this side of the lake has one road in and out. If you go out and turn on S. Ward Cliff Drive, it has another entrance to the other side of the lake.
The Other Side of the Lake
The other side features a small pirate ship playground and an area to enjoy lunch. There are also park benches to watch the water, and a boat ramp to enter the water. The pirate ship playground features three slides and a hard bridge. There is also a chain ‘rope’ ladder to play on, and off to the side has a few swings.
Overall it’s a neat park. It would be great in the summer as the water features at the spray ground are a great way to do something free in the summer without visiting a water park. The beach area does cost by the hour as do the rentals they offer.
Have you been here? If not, click here and check them out! What’s do you like or don’t like about Lake Olathe Park?
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