(Manhattan, KS – May 7, 2026) The City of Manhattan recently completed the Warner Memorial Park Trailhead and Loop project, an improvement designed to create a connected trail loop within one of the community’s key natural area parks.

A major element of the project is a new pedestrian bridge over the ravine in the middle of Warner Memorial Park which is now open to the public. The bridge allows park users to move more easily through the park and complete a continuous trail loop while preserving the area’s natural character.

The project was identified in the Warner Memorial Park Master Plan, approved by the Manhattan City Commission in 2019, and supports improved public access and outdoor recreation in the park.

“This project creates better trail connectivity in Warner Memorial Park while respecting the natural setting that makes the park special,” said Park Planner Alfonso Leyva. “The new pedestrian bridge is the key improvement that allows visitors to experience a connected loop trail through the park.”

The project was awarded $97,200 in 2023 through the Recreational Trails Program. The grant is administered by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks using Federal Highway Administration funding. The remaining project balance was paid through the City’s Recreation and Trails Fund.

That local fund is supported by the 10-year Quality of Life sales tax approved by Manhattan voters in 2017. Of that funding, $2 million was earmarked for trails. Since approval of the sales tax, Manhattan Parks and Recreation has leveraged local trail funding to help secure $639,182 in grant funding. By the time the sales tax sunsets, the department expects to have invested nearly $3 million in trails.

“This project is a strong example of how grant funding and local investment can work together to improve Manhattan’s trail system,” Leyva said. “It helps expand access to outdoor recreation and advances a community vision established in the park master plan.”

Warner Memorial Park is an 89-acre natural area park located in the southwest quadrant of Manhattan. The parkland is owned by the City of Manhattan. Eighty acres were acquired through land donations and purchase in 1957, and the park was dedicated and opened in 1959.

The park remains largely undeveloped and in a natural state. Existing amenities include mowed pathways, natural surface trails, the historic Military Trail, a park shelter and a nine-hole disc golf course constructed in 2010.