Though cattle and cowboys still roam these pastoral lands, there’s no need to saddle up to experience this last big stand of tallgrass prairie in North America. A rich blend of historic sites and modern attractions gets you knee-deep into the boundless beauty, saved from the pioneer plows thanks to…
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Things can get rocky in northwest Kansas, where the chalky pillars and craggy canyons of Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park, Arikaree Breaks and Monument Rocks interrupt the panoramas of plains. Set out from the college town of Hays and its bustling downtown. Just off Interstate-70, Hays forms the…
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Retrace the drama of freedom’s struggles and triumphs in the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. Spread across 29 Kansas counties (and 12 in our neighboring state to the east), more than 200 museums and heritage sites highlight their roles in the Kansas-Missouri Border War and the shaping of…
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In 1821, Captain William Becknell and a party of five headed west from the Missouri River to trade mules and horses and to hunt on the plains. They wound up in welcoming Santa Fe, eventually carving a 900-mile trade route that thousands of freighters, military troops, Native Americans and others…
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LITTLE JERUSALEM BADLANDS STATE PARK, OAKLEY Tread lightly amid this fragile yet ruggedly spectacular mile-long stretch of Niobrara chalk formations. Two trails (1⁄4 and 1 1⁄2 miles) skim a ridgetop for overviews of the 100-foot-tall spires and cliffs left behind by an inland sea. Ferruginous hawks…
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In Kansas’ Flint Hills, venture into the famous prairie landscape and Kansas State University’s vibrant hometown. Defined by the sea of swaying bluestem, carpets of wildflowers, grazing bovines, and limestone outcroppings covering its undulating terrain, the Flint Hills region beckons nature lovers…
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With a riverfront museum district and the beautifully restored Old Town neighborhood, it’s easy to…
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Bring your binoculars and hiking shoes to spot migrating birds, bison, and prairie chickens that make Kansas their home. Come Fly with Me The low angle of the morning sun silhouettes a striking array of birds while casting a bronze patina on the waters of Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (9 miles…
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