Where the Pavement Ends, the Adventure Begins: Kansas’ Most Breathtaking Off-the-Grid Drives
CLARK COUNTY STATE FISHING LAKE DRIVE
Minneola to Ashland
Kansas offers countless back roads perfect for leisurely drives when the goal is simply to enjoy the journey. For those who dare to travel dirt and gravel roads, several scenic drives are listed in The Kansas Guidebook 2 for Explorers, written by Marci Penner and WenDee Rowe of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.
“Unpaved roads are often where you find the most beautiful scenery,” says Penner, the foundation’s executive director.
One of Penner’s favorite scenic back roads is the road from Clark State Fishing Lake to Ashland. “It is one of the most phenomenal drives in the state,” she says. “It is just so unexpected. Driving south from the lake to Ashland, it’s cropland. Then, all of a sudden, it’s canyons and craggy. I don’t know of another place in Kansas that you can get a view like this—it’s rare. It took my breath away.”
During the 16-mile drive, there are few signs of civilization. No houses, no telephone poles, no oil pumps—nothing to impede the view. “It’s just wide open, and it’s absolutely beautiful,” Penner says.
Beyond its impressive geographic features, Penner suggests a few spots to visit along the way. Three miles north of Ashland, a large sandstone marker designates the site of the Monte Casino Monastery, which three Benedictine brothers established in 1876. Another sandstone marker, at St. Joseph’s and Highland Cemetery, northeast of Ashland, honors all Civil War soldiers. It was erected by Jerome Berryman and his wife, Nancy McNickle Berryman, in memory of their fathers, who fought on opposing sides. The Highland Cemetery is also the resting place of Ashland native Harold Krier, a precision aerobatic pilot who thrilled audiences with aerial stunts in the 1950s and 1960s. Artifacts and memorabilia, including one of his stunt planes, are on display at the Pioneer-Krier Museum in Ashland.
Penner advises anyone planning a back road adventure to take plenty of water and a road map because GPS and cell service can be unreliable. “Make sure your gas tank is full because a lot of these unpaved roads are in areas where you go miles without seeing a gas pump. Another thing is to really be aware of the weather, as sometimes just a little bit of rain can make these areas sticky,” Penner says. “I always say to have a spare tire because you never know what kind of impediments you might encounter on the road.”
Penner also warns drivers to slow down for cattle guards (metal grids laid across ditches that allow vehicles to cross while deterring livestock) in open-range country where cattle or buffalo may have the right-of-way—and never get out of your vehicle to photograph or attempt to pet them.
“There are field driveways leading to oil pumps or pastures, but stay on the public road,” Penner says. “Drive slowly, especially in sandy areas, and soak in the scenery at this slower pace.”
Directions From Minneola, travel south on U.S. 283 for 4.25 miles; turn left on Clark County Road G and travel east for 8.5 miles; turn left on Clark County Road 15 and travel north for 1 mile; turn right on Clark County Road F and travel east for 2.5 miles toward Clark County State Fishing Lake. Drive around the lake on South Lake Road until you reach K-94; turn left on K-94 and head north until it veers east, then turn right on the unpaved Clark County Road 20. Travel south for 16 miles until you arrive in Ashland.
Before driving along one of these routes, make sure your vehicle can handle uneven terrain. To check local road conditions, call the Kansas Department of Transportation at 511 or 1.866.511.KDOT (5386), or visit kandrive.gov.
MONUMENT HILLS DRIVE
Monument to Lake Scott
This 36-mile route features chalk formations, prairie grasses, wildlife and abandoned stone structures. The Smoky Valley Ranch trailhead, located along the route about 15 miles south of Monument on County Highway 350, starts two hiking trail loops. (One is a 1-mile trek, the other 5.5 miles.) Watch for rattlesnakes, swift foxes, pronghorns and other wildlife. Along the route, you will pass the Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park (a short detour) and Historic Lake Scott State Park, which National Geographic called one of the country’s 50 must-see state parks.
Directions From Monument, travel south on unpaved Logan County Road 350 for 15 miles to the Smoky Valley Ranch and continue south another 5 miles; turn left on Indian Road and travel east for 2.5 miles; turn right on County Road 375 and travel south for 3 miles until the road becomes County Road 390; continue southeast another 7 miles until the road becomes North Kansas. At the fork, take either route around Lake Scott.
CARNAHAN CREEK DRIVE
Olsburg to Carnahan Creek Park
For the best colors, travel this 8-mile scenic route in autumn. The drive, with views of hilly wooded areas and river valleys, takes you from the plains to the upper Flint Hills. The spring also makes for a beautiful drive and should include a stop at Carnahan Creek Park to see the tulip beds at the Carnahan-Garrison Cemetery, which is on a bluff overlooking Tuttle Creek Lake.
Directions From Olsburg, travel east on K-16; turn right on Carnahan Road and travel south for 6 miles; turn right on Park Road and travel southwest for almost a mile to Carnahan Creek Park. To visit the Tuttle Creek Dam, follow Park Road back to Carnahan Road; turn right on Carnahan Road and travel southeast for 5 miles; turn right on K-13 and travel south for 4 miles until you reach the dam.
GYP HILLS DRIVE
Medicine Lodge
Not to be confused with the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway, the Gyp Hills Scenic Back Road is one of the Kansas Sampler Foundation’s “8 Wonders of Kansas Geography.” This 22-mile trip on winding, unpaved roads features rust-red buttes and mesas capped by layers of white gypsum. The distinctive color of the Red Hills comes from iron oxide, which stains the area’s rocks and soil. The area is home to abundant wildlife, birds, wildflowers and native grasses. Drive slowly and follow the small green “Scenic Drive” signs to stay on public roads. The route travels through open range, so watch for livestock.
Directions About 4 miles west of Medicine Lodge, a sign on U.S. 160 that says “Gyp Hills Scenic Drive” marks the first turn of this drive. Turn south at the sign on Gyp Hill Road and travel south for 6 miles; turn right on the gravel Scenic Drive and travel west for 7 miles; then turn right on gravel Lake City Road and travel north for 7 miles until you return to U.S. 160.
SHARPS CREEK DRIVE
Bazaar to Matfield Green
This 17-mile creek gravel drive through one of the largest remaining tracts of tallgrass prairie in the world takes you through a landscape that appears much as it did thousands of years ago. As you wind through the peaceful, rolling Flint Hills, watch for herds of grazing cattle (which are open range and may be on the road) and vibrant wildflowers and grasses that beautifully transform with the seasons. You’ll drive from hilltop to valley again and again, proving Kansas is not “flat as a pancake.” Carry a spare tire, as creek gravel is made up of larger, sharper stones than crushed gravel.
Directions From Bazaar, travel east, then south, on Sharps Creek Road for 11 miles; turn right on County Road 50 and travel west for 3 miles until the road becomes Little Cedar Creek Road. Continue west, then north for 6 miles until you
