Topeka Outdoor Activities

Fort Leavenworth FMWR, an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of soldiers and their families, welcomes military members and civilians alike to swing their way through the Trails West Golf Course. According to Trails West, when President Eisenhower was attending nearby Command & General Staff College, he used to drop by the 18-hole, par 71 course, where he developed his lifelong passion for caddying for Mamie. For more than 90 years, the 190-acre facility has inspired many other players to waltz across the fairways of zoysia grass and onto the bent-grass putting greens. Holes 2, 3, 10, and 13 present challenging par 5s, and hole 6 claims the title of signature hole by virtue of an elevated tee from which players must send their dimpled orbs flying over a creek and onto an elevated green with subtle breaks and a shape-shifting hole.

Trails West Golf Course invites golfers to warm up at its lighted, covered driving range and two putting greens. Players can purchase gloves, clubs, and trees that grow golf balls at the pro shop or hone their game with instruction from PGA professionals. After a morning on the greens, players can drop by the Fairway Grille to munch a chicken-club sandwich or old-fashioned cheeseburger out on the patio.

Course at a Glance

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Length of 6,188 from the farthest set of tees
• Course rating of 69.9
• Slope rating of 120
• Four sets of tee boxes
• See helpful course notes

The YWCA is the largest women's multicultural organization in existence, encompassing some 125 million members in over 100 countries. The membership represents a diversity of culture and lifestyle that assembles in 300 local associations, including the YWCA of Topeka. The Topeka chapter, first instituted in 1887, lives out the YWCA mission of empowering women with locally focused programs and outreach initiatives ranging from fitness and wellness to youth services such as Girls on the Run of Topeka. A local council of Girls on the Run International, the Topeka organization often partners with the YWCA, using running to encourage girls in grades 3-8 to live lives of confidence, health, and togetherness.

Nestled upon a patch of land that's passed through the hands of five generations, The Lessman Farm owes much to its current paterfamilias, Ronald Lessman, who began drawing in sightseers and visitors with his catfish pond, self-built house, and otherworldly sculpture gardens. Guests walk the shores or ply the waves of the 30-acre catfish lake, casting for regularly stocked populations of bass, perch, and crappie as they take in the majestic scenery of the rustic prairie. But what draws the most attention from visitors is Truckhenge, an arrangement of half-buried torpedo trucks, mysteriously lifting their engines skywards in what appears to be an industrial-age interpretation of Stonehenge. The Lessmans' outdoor installation is folk art on a monumental scale, proudly flaunting its offbeat flavor and inspiring visitors to express themselves without hesitation or apology or to bury themselves waist-deep in the ground at a 45-degree angle. A healthy respect for individualism and the avant-garde prevails throughout the property, with other attractions drawing attention from tourists, such as the enormous quonset hut farmhouse handmade from recycled materials or the huge beer-bottle glass wall mosaic.

Athletes push the limits of their physical and mental fortitude during 5-kilometer Rugged Maniac races. Runners fling themselves over 12-foot walls and scuttle through swampy terrain under nets of barbed wire and over napping lumberjacks. They careen down a 50-foot water slide and soar over pits of fire, dashing through forests, fields, motocross tracks, and ski slopes along the way. Waves of 300 competitors depart at 30-minute intervals, ensuring zero wait time at obstacles where photographers snap action shots. At the finish line, survivors claim fresh fruit and a beer (for those 21 and older) on entering the after-party. At the bash, live bands and food refresh wearied minds and bodies. Athletes in training can follow Rugged Maniac's online training guide, which primes physiques for the race or interoffice cubicle-hurdling competitions.

Tally Ho Equestrian Centre, a member of the United States Equestrian Federation, educates its students on the fundamentals of horsemanship and riding form. Head instructor Amara Packwood boasts two quarter-horse world championships and more than 12 years of showing, experience that she passes on to her pupils through lessons and camps. Riders enjoy use of the center’s extensive facilities, tearing across the 140’x170’ outdoor arena and 40-acre riding pasture or practicing for the Olympic pommel horse inside the 60’x170’ indoor arena.:m]]