Hiking Trails In Kansas: Ranking My Favorite Treks in this Underappreciated State

I’ve always gotten lukewarm or even cool reactions from people in the Southwest when I tell them that I am off to Kansas. In particular, most of my hiking friends here (unless they are from the Midwest or lived there at some point) think that Kansas seems like a pretty boring place to visit. But that really couldn’t be further from the truth (unless you only enjoy hiking mountains- you won’t find those in Kansas). There are a ton of different hiking trails in Kansas, and through them you can experience the variety of environments that could once be found across the state.

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TL;DR: Kansas is beautiful, hiking here is very accessible to new hikers, and you should not miss it when you are in the state. If you only have enough time to visit one of these parks, definitely go to Tallgrass National Prairie- you will see the wild Midwest here, have tons of options for hiking in Kansas, and there are bison… bison!

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Now, I am going to rank my favorite spots for hiking in Kansas, let you know what I love about each, and how to get there.

My Favorite Hiking Trails in Kansas

#1 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

As you might guess based on the name, Tallgrass Prairie is a part of the US National Park Service, and unsurprisingly, this land is exceptionally beautiful and wild. If you visit Tallgrass, you will be transported back in time to a pre-colonization Kansas dominated by prairies instead of agriculture. If you are a history buff, you can explore historic buildings on the grounds. For hikers, the options are nearly endless with this set of hiking trails in Kansas.

For me, I wanted to see what a pre-US, Kansas looked like, so we hiked up the Scenic Overlook Trail. Of course, as the name would suggest, this track offers some amazing views of the surrounding lands. It also passes through Windmill Pasture, which is where bison can be found. We didn’t see any, sadly. I would have loved to see bison! That being said, I just want to remind anyone who might visit to respect the space of these animals. They are extremely strong and can seriously injure people that approach too closely.

If you are looking for a longer trek, there are plenty of loops to check out, both on the west and east side of the park. For those wanting to enjoy nature but are not able to take a long walk, there are some beautiful nature trails in the park as well. Tallgrass is a really great place for anyone looking for some hiking in Kansas.

Need to Know Information

Entrance Fee: Free

Facilities: Yes

Trail length: Varies; Scenic Overlook Trail is 3.6 miles in ONE direction (7.2 miles RT)

Getting There

Tallgrass Prairie is just north of Strong City on the 177; you can take the 177 south or come up from the 50 and take the 177 north.

#2 Chisholm Creek Park

In the northeastern corner of Wichita is a beautiful urban park called Chisholm Creek Park. I fell in love with this place. The trails here are more aptly described as a stroll rather than a hike in terms of difficulty, but you will be surrounded by green forests and calm ponds at Chisholm. The creek is a really vibrant riparian environment, where you can explore the plant biodiversity of wild Kansas and you’re likely to see some bird and mammal-life as well if you find a quiet spot to watch from. If you want to learn more about the natural world that you are experiencing, you can also visit the Great Plants Nature Center on the property. And if you’d like to do something other than walk the trails, you can rent a bike to explore with and you can even fish in some of the ponds. Furthermore, these are some of the best hiking trails in Kansas for families.

Need to Know Information

Entrance Fee: Free

Facilities: Yes

Trail length: Varies

Getting There

The 96 in Wichita will take you to the park no matter what direction you are coming from.

#3 Table Mound Trail in Elk City State Park

On the edge of Elk City Lake, in the southeastern portion of Kansas, is a lovely and surprisingly wild, out and back trail of about 5.5 miles called Table Mound Trail. Table Mound is located within Elk City State Park. This trail follows the lake’s edge, and provides some beautiful views of the water. It will also have you climbing up and down drainages, however, so while the elevation gain might not be all that considerable, it isn’t an easy trek.

My favorite thing about this path is that it really is nestled in one of the most natural forests that I have seen in Kansas. It’s easy to forget that you are surrounding by agricultural fields when you are exploring this neck of the state. It’s also a great spot for wildlife and wildflower sightings. Furthermore, if you are looking for a weekend away with the family, Elk City State Park has got you covered. There is camping here in addition to all the lake-related activities that you could hope for. Facilities and infrastructure are well established and navigation is fairly straight-forward.

Need to Know Information

Entrance fee: $5.00 per vehicle

Facilities: Yes

Round Trip Trail Length: 5.5 miles

Getting There

The closest Kansas city of substance is Wichita, but there are plenty of towns in the vicinity, with Independence being the closest. From the west/east, you will likely approach on the US-160. And from north/south, you will end up taking the US-75. A variety of county roads can then be used to enter the park. I’d suggest Google Maps for this one, just due to the density of roads in the area.

#4 Cedar Bluffs State Park

Cedar Bluffs State Park has quite a bit of great hiking trails in Kansas. The trails here mostly feature the relatively dry shores of the large Cedar Bluff Reservoir. This lakeside hiking spot is much less wooded than Elk City Lake, so any adventurer will find themselves trekking across wild grasslands growing on the rolling hills that surround the lake. In the summer, this makes for some harsh hiking if you arrive later in the day when the heat has set in. Coming in the morning will avoid this, provide you with some beautiful views of the water and a way to experience the drier ecosystems of this otherwise agriculturally productive state.

For a longer hike in a relatively removed location, Cedar Bluffs is definitely the place. Since it is a state park, there are lots of great facilities for campers, hikers, and boaters as well.

Need to Know Information

Entrance fee: $5.00 per vehicle

Facilities: Yes

Round Trip Trail Length: Varies

Getting There

Cedar Bluffs is just west of Hays. There are several routes, but in the simplest you can take the 70 west to the 147, which you will take south to the reservoir.

#5 Greary Waterfalls

When thinking about hiking in Kansas, at least one waterfall trail should be on your list. Greary Falls was the one on mine. It isn’t much of a hike, but you do need to walk and scramble a bit to see the waterfalls. The Greary Waterfalls are located within Greary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area. TravelKS has this falls first on their Waterfalls of Kansas list, and their pictures are beautiful. Greary falls aren’t always flowing as much as they are in those images, so temper your expectations in order to avoid disappointment. Even when the flow is lower, however, the base of the waterfall is like a world of its own. We found ourselves surrounded by birds, frogs, and just a generally lush corner of the forest that made me feel like I had stumbled into a fairy’s backyard.

Sadly, however, I also thought that this little spot had been a bit abused before I arrived. There were beer cans and plastic bottles everywhere. Please… please pack out your trash to help protect the hiking trails in Kansas (and elsewhere!).

In order to get to the base of Greary falls, you will park at the northwestern part of the lake and then cross the dam at the base of the lake. Once you’ve crossed, you’re about there, but you will need to climb down a steep hill to the falls and there isn’t much of an established trail on this incline.

Need to Know Information

Entrance fee: Free

Facilities: No

Round Trip Trail Length: 1/2 mile

Getting There

From Junction City, take the 77 south.

Safety Considerations

First, please remember that any time you hit the hiking trails in Kansas (or anywhere!), you are taking responsibility for your own safety. Trail conditions change daily, so my experience may not be the same as yours. You must determine if hiking is safe based on the current weather as well as your own hiking ability. (I hike ~300 miles a year). But even if all is well on the trail, there are standard safety precautions that you should take.

(1) Let someone know where you are going. Whether you are hiking alone or hiking with a friend, someone at home should know what trail you are on and when you expect to get back.

(2) Wear hiking shoes. Even if you plan on swimming at your destination, bring sturdy hiking shoes for the trail. People do get stuck when their sandals break or give them blisters.

(3) Pack proper clothes for the conditions. Make sure you bring the right clothes to keep you warm and dry; it’s usually good to bring a little more than you think you might need.

(4) Bring food and water. Always bring food and water with you- typically a bit more than you think you will need. For safety reasons, think about what you might want if you end up needing to stay on the trail a longer than you were planning.

(5) Know your route and bring a map. I also suggest bringing a compass, just in case. Apps can’t be relied upon as batteries run out and signal isn’t always strong.

Respectful Exploration

Parks are notoriously underfunded in the US, so it is up to us as visitors to help keep them healthy and clean. Here are a few simple ways to do so while hiking in Kansas.

(1) Stay on the trail. While it might be tempting to cut across a field or skip a switch back, spider trails cause erosion and kill plants living along the trail. We don’t mean to do harm when we forge our own path, but we do.

(2) Pack your trash out. Make sure that you are prepared to take any trash home with you that you bring. Leaving trash on the trail ruins the experience for other people and is very dangerous for small animals who might eat our wrappers and then die from it getting stuck in their digestive systems.

(3) If you need to use nature’s restroom, bring supplies that allow you to carry out your toilet paper and/or your feminine products. I bring a couple of ziplock bags that I can double seal for this purpose. If you go number 2, bury the evidence and go away from the trail and any water.

(4) Stay safe! Accidents happen, but rescue personnel that have to save us when we just aren’t prepared puts their lives at risk. Let’s save their time and risk for times when things go wrong that we couldn’t help by being prepared for our nature adventures.

Explore Kansas

If you want to learn more about things to do in Kansas, check out our Guide to Kansas for itineraries, favorite attractions, and little tidbits on the ecology and history of this beautiful state.

We also have an Explore Kansas Pinterest board for information from around the web.

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