Strawtown Koteewi Park may be one of Hamilton County’s best-kept secrets, but not for long.
A year after the
Koteewi Range archery center opened to the public, the county park three miles east of downtown Cicero is gearing up for the debut of its Koteewi Aerial Adventure Park & Treetop Trails. And there’s even more fun on the horizon.
Occupying almost 800 acres of woods and prairie along the White River, Strawtown Koteewi is the county’s largest park. It includes more than eight miles of multi-use trails—suitable for walkers, runners, bikers and horseback riders—as well as the Taylor Center for of Natural History. (Find a
park map here.)
Crews are working now to install a pair of rescued and restored steel-truss bridges as pedestrian connections between the park’s southern acreage and the county-owned White River Campground. Construction is expected to be complete in July.
The bridges will make it easier for campers to access the archery range, aerial park and other planned amenities—including an equestrian facility, tubing hill and manmade lake. On the north side of Strawtown Road, an interpretive exhibit is being built to expand the park’s highly regarded archeological programming.
Archery enthusiasts already have discovered the Koteewi Range sport and target center, and this summer they can take aim at the alligator, jackalope and dinosaurs occupying its new 3-D range.
A little further down the newly paved Koteewi Drive, adventure seekers soon will be able to take to the treetops on one of five aerial obstacle courses. Three were open during the facility’s soft opening last weekend. When construction is complete, visitors ages 7 and older will have access to 60 self-guided trails with obstacles and zip lines.
Hamilton County Parks & Recreation has contracted with private companies to manage the fee-based attractions.
Koteewi Archery operates the range, and
Edge Adventure Parks is overseeing the treetop trails.
Edge also operates an aqua park at
Morse Beach.