Kaw River, the only urban type state park in Kansas, is relatively small at 76 acres (31 ha).

Located on the bank of the Kansas River in Topeka, the Kaw River State Park is located adjacent and west of Cedar Crest (location of the Kansas Governor's mansion, and the well developed 244-acre (99 ha) MacLennan Park) and just NE of the Kansas Wildlife & Parks Region 2 Office.

To the west of the Kaw River State Park there are additional developed trails with some extreme terrain, however, this is posted private land and the owners have asked the public to stay out.

After Menniger's left town in 2003, the complex was purchased by St. Francis Health Care who, in 2005, donated the heavily wooded bluffs behind the hospital to the state of Kansas.

At 10:30 a.m., Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson and his wife dedicated the park which already boasted a new paved road providing one of the only Kaw river access points near Topeka, two new parking lots, new gravel trails to the west of the access road, and new signage.