I’ve been really busy since starting my internship in May at the VA Eastern Kansas Health System. Tons of commuting between KC, Leavenworth and Topeka has made time more precious. Of course, when I’m not at the VA, on the highway, or with my family, I’ve just been running on the trails rather than writing about them. But I’ve got races coming up and trails to talk about, so… for the four (five counting my mother) remaining readers I can’t think of a better way to end the hiatus than with a Trail of the Week. And; (speaking of my mother who still lives in my old hometown), what better “first” trail of the week than Emporia’s Camp Alexander.
In 1886, a former slave from North Carolina named Elijah Alexander purchased nine acres in Kansas to farm. Working hard, he took land that no one else wanted and turned enough profit to acquire thirty more acres and make weekly trips into nearby Emporia to give some of what he produced to the poor. When he died in 1923, his will left all of his money and land to “the children of Kansas”. Camp Alexander was eventually established and now covers nearly 80 acres (in addition to the original property on which Elijah Alexander is buried).
Located about five miles east of Emporia on old highway 50, the camp contains around four miles of well-maintained single-track trail. The camp itself is used as a kid’s summer day camp (fishing, activities, crafts, archery, etc). The camp staff, local mountain bikers, trail advocates, and volunteers have done an awesome job building and maintaining a trail system that compares favorably with some of the trails we have in the KC area. Whenever I’ve traveled back to E-town to visit family my training hasn’t missed a step thanks to Camp Alexander.
In terms of the terrain, the trail meanders through the woods along the Neosho River. It also has a section out in the open prairie that is exposed to all of the Kansas elements (wind, sun, rain, snow, wind, wind, and wind). There are a couple of deceptively challenging up-hills, some fun down hills and a fair amount of rocky and rooty technical terrain. The scenery isn’t bad either as you’ll pass two nice ponds, a couple wood bridges, an old train car and a few other surprises. On the trails I’ve seen deer, turtles, snakes, hawks, and even came nose to shin with a bobcat one Saturday. Overall, Camp Alexander is an interesting, fast, and fun trail that’s worth a loop or two (or three or four). The area also has a couple of shorter trails (Emporia State University MTB trail & the Pioneer trail east of town) making it a surprisingly decent place to hike or run if you find yourself in Emporia. When you come off the trails you can grab some great food at local favorites Bobby D’s Merchant Street BBQ or Coach’s bar & grill. Gotta give some props to E-town!
See you on the trails!
Wow, that's a great story about Camp Alexander! Thanks for the history lesson. Hope your races rock!
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