Downstream Point

Downstream Point is located on the crystal clear Big Hill Lake in southeast Kansas. The lake boasts three campgrounds, three equestrian trails and four day-use areas, with picnicking, horseback riding, hiking, swimming and fishing in abundance. The facility provides a group picnic shelter that can accommodate up to 100 people, within walking distance of the lake, providing shade in an otherwise sunny area. It is mostly used as a group picnic area, has basketball courts, and sits by the outlet channel. After picnicking, visitors can venture onto several hiking and equestrian trails nearby, including Big Hill Lake Horse Trail, a 17-mile trail with a variety of terrain for all ages, and the Ruth Nixon Trail, named after an early supporter of the lake, which is about a mile long and winds along the western side of the lake. Big Hill Lake is known for being a trophy lake for fishing. Principal sport fish include largemouth bass, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill, walleye and smallmouth bass, and the lake is popular for fishing tournaments. Almost all of the land around the lake is open to public hunting, except for parks and areas around the dam and control structures; whitetail deer, turkey and squirrel are the principal species hunted. Families with kids can cool off during summer heat at a sand-covered beach at nearby Mound Valley Park. The park is nestled in the rolling, wooded countryside referred to as the Little Ozarks. With thick oak-hickory forests surrounded by prairie and farmland, the lake shore supplies a variety of habitats for birds and mammals. This location has limited staffing.