Entry No. 14 — the Wichita file — filed under: offbeat nature
Giant's Footprint at Oak Park
Inside Oak Park's wooded disc-golf course along the Little Arkansas River, a lily pond is shaped exactly like a giant's footprint left behind in the earth. The park is a designated Wichita Wild habitat laced with cobblestone paths, brooks and bridges, and most visitors walk right past the pond without noticing its shape.
The story
Tucked into North Riverside at Oak Park (1100 W 11th St N), where the Little Arkansas River loops around a heavily wooded 18-hole disc-golf course, lies a lily pond dug into the dirt in the outline of a colossal human footprint. Ground-level visitors step right past it every day, assuming it's just another muddy bend in the park's network of drainage brooks. But stand at the right angle along the cobblestone paths, and the shape resolves: a distinct heel, an arched instep, and five rounded toes filled with water lilies.
The park itself is a designated Wichita Wild habitat, laced with rustic stone bridges, mature timber, and quiet creek beds. Because the city never put up a flashy historic marker or an arrow pointing the way, the pond remains a secret hiding in plain sight among the fairways. You have to slow down, dodge a few flying discs, and look closely at the earth to realize someone engineered a piece of playful landscape geometry directly into the riverbank.
What it's like
Pull into the small parking lot off N. Oak Park Drive—or grab street parking near 11th Street—and head straight into the woods. If it’s a sunny weekend, the lot fills up early with disc golfers, so come on a weekday morning if you want the stone bridges to yourself. Follow the cobblestone paths as they wind along the brooks toward the back nine of the course. Keep your eyes open for flying discs as you scan the water's edge for the distinctive heel-and-toe outline. Between late spring and early fall, the footprint fills with lily pads and blooming flowers, making it the best time to settle on a bridge and spot turtles sunning on logs.
The move: Wander the wooded disc-golf trails until you find the footprint-shaped lily pond, then settle on a cobblestone bridge to watch for wildlife.
📍 Before you go Oak Park sits in Riverside off N. Oak Park Drive, where the Little Arkansas River wraps the back nine of an 18-hole disc-golf course; there's a small park lot, but it fills on warm weekends, so come early. The footprint-shaped lily pond hides among the fairways and brooks — walk the cobblestone paths slowly or you'll miss it, and watch for flying discs as you go. It's free and at its prettiest from late spring through early fall when the lilies are up. Pair it with the riverside walking path or the nearby Riverside parks for a longer stroll along the water.
- 📍 Riverside
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Hours: Open during park daylight hours; the footprint pond sits within the disc golf course.
Pair it with
- Old Cowtown Museum Overnight Ghost Hunt — Old Cowtown sits less than a mile down the river in Riverside, making it easy to jump from hidden park oddities to 19th-century history.
- Keeper of the Plains Ring of Fire — Follow the river south just one mile to where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers meet for the iconic steel monument and its riverfront fire pits.
- Legends of the Night Sky at The Dome (Exploration Place) — Trade an afternoon hunting for footprints in the dirt for an evening live planetarium show in the dome theater just 1.2 miles downriver.
Good to know
Where in Oak Park is the Giant's Footprint located?
It sits nestled inside the wooded disc-golf course along the cobblestone paths and brooks near the Little Arkansas River.
Is there an admission fee or set hours?
It is completely free and open during standard daylight park hours.
When is the best season to see the footprint?
Late spring through early fall offers the best view, when the water lilies are in full bloom and outline the shape clearly.
Do I need to worry about the disc golf course?
Yes, the pond sits directly within the disc-golf fairways. Stay aware of your surroundings and listen for players calling out before crossing open lines.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: wichitamom.com · visitwichita.com
last checked: 2026-06-06