Cedar Bluff State Park

The rocky cliffs of Cedar Bluff provide a dramatic view overlooking Cedar Bluff Reservoir on the Smoky Hill River in Trego County. The bluff is a thick layer of the Fort Hays Limestone formed from sediment deposited on the bottom of an inland sea that ran north to south across west-central North America during the Cretaceous Period about 80 million years ago.

The reservoir, constructed in 1951, was nearly dry during the 1970s and 1980s because of low flow on the Smoky Hill River. Above average precipitation in the 1990s raised water levels, bringing the lake to near the bottom of the bluffs. Water levels continue to fluctuate but have not fallen back to 1980 lows. Cedar Bluff State Park, operated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, offers camping and other recreational opportunities.

Cedar Bluff State Park is about 13 miles south of I-70 on K-147. The bluff is on the south side of the lake.