A project under consideration by the Douglas County Commission would turn Clinton Lake State Park into a paradise for active outdoors enthusiasts — particularly millennials.
A nearly $70 million outdoor recreational center planned for the area, which would be called the Kansas Outdoor Center, would include a man-made whitewater rafting and kayaking facility, zip lines, rock climbing, a trail system, an outdoor amphitheater, restaurants, a $1.5 million beer garden and a conference center. Talk of the project dates back several years and is seen as a boon for tourism. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Secretary Robin Jennison in 2014 said the project “probably would be the second biggest thing the state has done for tourism, next to the NASCAR track. It really would be an outdoor lifestyle center.”