63 MILES 

TOWNS: LEAVENWORTH, ATCHISON, Highland, Troy, White Cloud

"Rolling hills, rock-strewn valleys, and fertile farmland created by receding glaciers pair with a visual feast of human-made artwork."

Ride a hand-carved and hand-painted animal on the 1913 merry-go-round at the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum in Leavenworth, then trot north to Atchison for locally sourced coffee and homemade white chocolate raspberry scones at The Sunflower Cafe.

In Troy, the 27-foot-tall Tall Oak Indian Monument—carved from a 67-inch-diameter burr oak log—pays tribute to each of the area’s Indigenous nations. Follow the gravel road up the hill in White Cloud to the ADA-accessible Four State Lookout for spectacular views of the Missouri River Valley. 

Photography by Starboard and Port 

75 MILES 

TOWNS:  Manhattan, Alma, Eskridge, Wamego, Wabaunsee

"Pioneers stacked rocks for fences and crafted stone homes, barns, business districts and bridges amid a natural abundance of limestone."

On the menu at Shamrock Cafe: breathtaking Flint Hills views, wildlife sightings, and tranquil sunsets. A table built from farm implements parts accommodates bring-your-own picnics at this lookout between Manhattan and Alma. Pick your preferred flavor of curds at Alma Creamery, where all the cheeses are made by hand with milk exclusively from local dairy cows.

Head south to The Volland Store, an art gallery located in the historic town’s former general store, and stretch your legs on the adjacent Volland History and Nature Trail. 

Photography by Doug Stremel 

168 MILES 

TOWNS: Over 20 to Visit!

Click Here for the full list of Communities.

"Built to move soldiers and supplies, this once dusty trail connects famous forts and military eras. March through history lessons about Western expansion and the Bleeding Kansas era."

A History Hunt at Fort Leavenworth’s Frontier Army Museum includes a quest for the definition of dragoon (the first mounted army unit); the nearly 200-year-old fort stands as the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi. Travel south to the Marais des Cygnes Massacre State Historic Site and follow the footsteps of 11 free-state men to the ravine where their pro-slavery captors opened fire.

Past Pleasanton, Mine Creek Civil War Battlefield State Historic Site documents eyewitness accounts of the bloody encounter. At Fort Scott National Historic Site, experience 1840s frontier living, then pay tribute to those who served at Fort Scott National Cemetery.

Photography by John Noltner 

13 MILES 

TOWNS: Baxter Springs, Riverton, Galena

"Get your kicks with nostalgic attractions and Cars characters on the original Kansas portion of this historic road."

Leave your mark by signing the guest book walls at the Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center inside a 1930s-era Baxter Springs gas station. Just 5 miles north, pull a glass-bottle soda from a 1939 red metal cooler at Nelson’s Old Riverton Store.

At 98 years old, the store predates the Mother Road itself. In Galena, a 1951 Hudson Hornet resembling Doc Hudson’s character in Cars sits near the 1939 gas station housing Gearhead Curios, where Kansas license plates form a United States flag. Tow Tater, the inspiration for Tow Mater in Cars, welcomes visitors to Cars on the Route, a 1934 service station.