The Flint Hills are noted for their big and little bluestem grasses, rocky outcroppings, cedar and oak forests, streams, rivers, and manmade lakes.
Manhattan is essentially free of air pollution and smog.
Only 10 minutes from the Manhattan campus is Tuttle Creek Dam and Reservoir , which is one of the largest lakes in the Midwest. A large recreation area with a smaller lake is below the reservoir, five miles from Manhattan. Within the city, there are a dozen parks and a zoo. Manhattan is served by the third busiest airport in the state and has shuttle services to and from the Kansas City Airport. The cultural life of the city and the university is an active one.