A park built with patience: A look at the treasure these acres in Olathe hold
It’s a huge area, but those who worked to create Olathe’s Cedar Niles Park hope visitors wander through the many acres and soak up all of its unique specifics.
“It’s a beautiful part of Johnson County with wooded hillsides and streams,” said Bill Maasen, superintendent of Parks & Golf Courses, Johnson County Park and Recreation District. “It’s one of the most scenic portions of our county.”
Cedar Niles was opened to the public last January and officially was dedicated earlier this spring. The park, which is more than 1,000 acres, is located west of downtown Olathe, stretching nearly two miles north and south between 119th and 135th streets. It is adjacent to Lake Olathe and the Prairie Center and features a paved trail, a single-track hiking and mountain bike trail, three access points with water fountains, a playground, shelter and restrooms.
Today, four bridges are part of the park’s paved trail, including a 200-foot single-span bridge over Cedar Creek, the longest bridge in county’s park inventory.
“The park will also eventually connect to Lake Olathe, and in partnership with Olathe Parks and Recreation, Johnson County Park and Recreation District is participating in the development of a trail that will connect Lake Olathe to Cedar Lake,” Jeff Stewart, the district’s executive director, said in a statement. “Due to this partnership, the community will have an additional nine-plus miles of continuous trail that links all three parks.”
This park was built with patience.
It took years and a series of land transactions to assemble the fifth regional park in the Johnson County park system.
“The land acquisition started in 2001 and generally was complete by 2004,” Maasen said.
“One 75-acre addition happened in 2018 with the acquisition of Stoneridge. Generally, land acquisition strategy for this site was based on the stream and adjoining property, connecting land previously owned south of 135th north to 119th Street,” Maasen said.
“The size is something that was not pre-determined; rather the district acquired as much land as could be afforded with existing resources. It’s close to where the people live.”
It’s unique in other ways.
“It’s different in that you don’t drive up to it,” Maasen said, “You have to go for a walk or ride. That’s a little unique.”
It’s worth going, said Sean Cairns, west region director of Urban Trail Co., a nonprofit that has helped in trail development.
“To find a piece of land in nearly in the heart in JoCo that contiguous is remarkable,” Cairns said. “It’s a beautiful piece of land ... in spots you feel like you’re in Arkansas or Colorado. And you are over the hill from Olathe.”
This story was originally published August 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "A park built with patience: A look at the treasure these acres in Olathe hold."