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Coronado Heights Park
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The castle at Coronado Heights is a local landmark.
All photos on this page by Jim Mason. |
The castle at
Coronado Heights was constructed by the Works Progress Administration
in 1932. They also built the stone picnic
sites, restroom, and stone front gate at the park. |
Coronado Heights is a prominent, isolated hill overlooking
the Smoky Hill river valley. It is the last of a
row of erosional hills extending to the north
which are capped by the sandstone of the Dakota Formation. It
is 300 feet above the surrounding valley floor, offering
sweeping vistas of the surrounding countryside. The
eroded face of Coronado Heights reveals a panorama of
geological history as well, covering 230 million years of
time. At its base are gray and red shales that
made up the floor of an ancient salt water sea. At the top is the Dakota
Sandstone, a mixture of marine,
fresh water and subtropical fossil material.
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Coronado Heights has mixed prairie with numerous wildflowers.
Yucca, spiderwort and butterfly milkweed are just a few of the species that may
be seen there. A forested area nestles around the north and east sides of
the hill. Clumps of sandhill plum, gooseberry and sumac
may be found. The park is contiguous with a
large native prairie pasture extending to the north and northwest. |
View looking northwest from the top |
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Coronado Heights has mixed prairie with numerous wildflowers.
Yucca, spiderwort and butterfly milkweed are just a few of the species that may
be seen there. A forested area nestles around the north and east sides of
the hill. Clumps of sandhill plum, gooseberry and sumac
may be found. The park is contiguous with a
large native prairie pasture extending to the north and northwest. |
The Smoky Valley Historical Association (SVHA) parent organization obtained the land
for a park in 1919 from two pioneer Swedish farm families. The
SVHA built the walking trail and auto road to the top along with a
shelter house and flag stand in the early 1920's. The
park was deeded to Saline County in 1936 for management after
the WPA work and reverted back to the SVHA in 1988. It
has been managed by them since that time.
In 1988 a special monument for Coronado was designed and built by
Lindsborg artist John Whitfield and the Smoky Valley
Historical Association and volunteers.
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Stone shelter building with observation deck, picnic
sites, pit toilet. |
 Camping
not allowed
Discover what to see, eat and do in Kansas.
Plan your trip today, at TravelKS.com!
 A
3 mile mountain bicycle trail winds
around the hill.
Click the icon to find a birding list for McPherson County.
Click the icon to locate nearby Geocaches
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Directions:
From Lindsborg (18 miles S of Salina), follow K-4 to the west edge of town.
Take Coronado Avenue
3 miles north to Winchester Road
and go 1 mile west. Open
8 AM to 11
PM.
For a Google Map of the site,
click here. |
Ownership:
The entity which owns Coronado Heights is
the Smoky Valley Historical Association.
If you have specific questions about use or management of this site,
contact the
Lindsborg Chamber of Commerce at
(785) 227-3706.
16 1/2 acres.
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Funded by the
Chickadee Checkoff Program
Click here for a brochure! |
The Natural
Kansas web site
© 2011
by
the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism.
Re-publication of site content in any form other than for personal use
requires written permission. If you are a Kansas resident, please
assist with this and other wildlife viewing and conservation programs
by contributing to the Chickadee Checkoff on your state tax form. |
Questions or comments about Natural Kansas may be directed to
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
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