Perry Lake is known as Paradise on the Plains and is located in Jefferson County Kansas. The US Army Corps of Engineers operates the lake and it offers many recreational activities such as camping, shelter, boat launching, swimming beach, fishing, ATV riding area and campgrounds. Perry Lake was built in 1954 for flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat.
Longview Park, Old Town Park, Rock Creek Park and Slough Creek Park provide camping and the National Recreation Reservation Service offers a reservation system for camping at www.ReserveUsa.com
Perry State Park has woodlands, mountain bike trails, horseback riding trails, and a horse campground for equestrian trail ride users. The Perry Wildlife Area is located on the northern part of Perry Lake. With over 10,000 acres of land available for hunting and wildlife viewing, marsh areas, wetlands and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks manages the area with food plots, habitat brush piles, controlled burns, erosion control, and an agricultural lease program.
Perry Lake offers a prime destination for fishermen, boaters and swimmers. Boating, Swimming, Sailing, Water Skiing and Personal Watercraft are all water activities available in the Lake Perry Kansas area.
The trails include Perry Lake Trail which is a 30 mile long hiking trail and has breathtaking views and is a designated National Recreation Trail. Thunder Ridge Trail is an interpretive trails about 2 miles long at Slough Creek Park and stops along the trail provide wildlife habitat viewing. Delaware Marsh Trail is another such trail in the wetlands and marshland area. The State Championship Tree Trail is located at the State Championship Cottonwood Tree near Ozawkie. Hikers can take a one mile loop through wooded area at the historic tree. The Perry Mountain Bike Trail is 20 miles long and very well known as challenge. The Perry Lake ATV and Motorcycle Trail is located at the Outlet Park south of the dam with 140 acres of trail that goes from easy to very difficult. The Equestrian Trail is at Rock Creek Park and is 25 miles long through upland forest habitat.
Hunting at Perry Lake offers nearly 21,000 acres of public land managed specifically for wildlife. Fishing is dominated by white crappie, channel catfish, white bass and sauger in the area. The Hog Trough is a well known fishing spot and two fish feeders are used. The best spots for channel catfish are in the mud flats in the upper end of the reservoir into the Delaware River. Several record size sauger have been netted at Perry Lake.
In addition to the lake area there are many other activities including golf, antique stores, historical museums, fruit farms, Bed and Breakfasts in the towns in Jefferson County Kansas of Perry and Ozawkie and Oskaloosa.
Additional Resources:
Perry Lake Army Corps of Engineers
Perry Wildlife Area - Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Jefferson County Economic Development
Perry Lake Trail
