Cross Timbers State Park lies just south of Toronto in the Verdigris River valley of southeastern Kansas, where forested flood plains, prairie terraces, and oak savanna mark the northern extent of the landscape early pioneers called the Cross Timbers. Covering 1,075 acres beside the Toronto Wildlife Area and with many access points to Toronto Lake, it is closely tied to the larger river landscape. Long before becoming a state park, the area was a favored hunting and camping ground of the Osage Nation, underscoring its long importance for food, shelter, and travel through the valley. Today it is valued for fishing, boating, wildlife watching, and birding.