Kanopolis State Park in the Smoky Hills of central Kansas combines a broad reservoir with rolling hills, wooded areas, bluffs, sandstone canyons, and dry-country vegetation, creating an unusually varied landscape for the state. Completed in 1948, it spans more than 22,000 acres, including a 3,000-acre lake, and features places such as Horsethief Canyon and the Faris Caves. The park also provides access to nearby natural areas and is a major destination for outdoor recreation, with extensive trails, fishing, and hunting. Its ecological diversity includes a prairie dog town and a small outlying population of western diamondback rattlesnakes.