My sophomore year at K-State, I went to Pillsbury Crossing. I remember wading in the shallow parts of the water with friends, while more adventurous people attempted the rope swing, jumped off the edge of small cliffs or navigated the rocks around the waterfall.
Since that first trip two years ago, swimming and jumping off the mini-cliffs at Pillsbury Crossing has been on my bucket list of things to do before I graduate.
“Pillsbury Crossing is one of Manhattan’s hidden gems for entertainment,” Katie Edgar, senior in theater, said. “It provides a great place to meet up with friends and have some outside fun, along with beautiful scenery.”
If you’ve been to Pillsbury, then you know Edgar is spot on. If not, well, it’s essentially where Deep Creek is shallow enough to cross when it isn’t flooding.
Since it’s shallow enough to wade in, it has become a local hangout spot for students and residents alike to cool down on hot summer days. For Stetson Schmutz, senior in veterinary medicine, going to Pillsbury Crossing is a frequent adventure for him and his friends.
“I have been going to Pillsbury Crossing, since I (moved to) Manhattan seven years ago,” Schmutz said. “I have continued to go out there with friends.”
With a peaceful waterfall rushing near by, beautiful scenery and a light-hearted atmosphere, Pillsbury is also the perfect date place.
“I went there with a girl that I was seeing at the time,” Tyler Gehman, senior in psychology, said. “We just walked around a little bit, took our shoes off and walked around in the water (and) out to the small waterfall there. Then we sat next to the water for a while, hung out and listened to music before we left.”
Gehman’s experience at Pillsbury was the most similar to mine — well, minus the date.
I went in a group of four to Pillsbury last Thursday. My group consisted of long-time friend Baylee Birkmeyer, senior in biology; my adventure partner, Jamie Teixeira, The Current editor senior in English; and George Walker, Collegian photo editor and junior in computer science. We planned to jump off the small ledges and rope swing as I had seen many people do two years ago. Sadly, swimming is not permitted at Pillsbury.
With our hopes dampened, we still walked around the water and waded to the small waterfall, traversing the large rocks and streams. It was nice to get away from the town and just relax in nature.
However, a kind stranger quickly came over to our group and showed us four snakes nearby in the rocks. Yes, there are snakes — but that’s not to warn you away, but it definitely got my group’s attention.
After all, Pillsbury Crossing is nature. Allow me to be cheesy for a little bit, but perhaps the best of Pillsbury Crossing having this name isn’t just for the basic crossing from one side of the river to the other, but perhaps it’s more — like the crossing of humans into nature.
Rachel Nyhart is a senior in anthropology.
