Discover the stunning, scenic and quirky on the Flint Hills Trail
This 118-mile trek is a feast for the eyes: distant vistas, crumbling history and an airplane salvage yard.
By Roy Harryman
Publisher
When you hike the 118-mile Flint Hills Trail, each section has a story of its own.
It begins near Kansas City, in Osawatomie, Kan., with a rich history of Civil War strife. Central to the conflict is racial abolitionist John Brown. Although you may not know his name, you’re probably familiar with the famous mural of him in the state Capitol building (below).
The Tragic Prelude, by John Steuart Curry, illustrates the chaotic life of abolitionist John Brown, who called Osawatomie home.
Mile Zero of the Flint Hills Trail in Osawatomie, Kansas.
A few miles to the east, (head west at the trailhead at 339th St. and Pressonville Road, Osawatomie), hikers will walk between the wild Marais Des Cygnes River and towering, forested bluffs. This is one of the trail’s premiere sections.
The Flint Hills Trail often parallels the Marais Des Cygnes River.
Heading west from the trail access at 339th St. and Pressonville Road, Osawatomie.
Certainly, some sights on the trail can be expected. Horses and cows, for example. And plenty of pastures and plowed fields. But what about a massive airplane junkyard? As the trail passes Rantoul, Kansas, it borders an airplane salvage yard operated by Dodson Industries. It’s a sort of museum/time capsule and junkyard of aviation history.
The Flint Hills Trail, near Rantoul, Kansas, passes an airplane salvage yard operated by Dodson Industries.
The Flint Hills Trail also encounters bluffs and woods in this section near Pomona.
The topography of the Flint Hills begins in earnest at the tiny village of Bushong. While it’s lean on population, it’s big on history. There are two veterans’ memorials and the hollowed out remains of a bank and school from more than a century past. Heading west from Bushong, you’ll begin to encounter rugged, rolling hills and distant vistas. You’ll also find a public bathroom and picnic area at the trailhead.
The remains of a century-old bank still stand in Bushong, Kansas.
The Flint Hills Trail near Bushong, Kansas.
Although topography varies between Bushong and Council Grove, it’s generally rolling. West of Bushong, the trail passes the Kaw Nation Memorial, distinctive for its cultural and historic importance as well as its scenic beauty.
The Kaw Nation Memorial is east of Council Grove, Kansas.
The Flint Hills Trail as it nears its western trailhead in Council Grove, Kansas.
As of this writing, the trail concludes in Council Grove, though plans are in motion for it to extend west to Herrington. So where do you begin? Get the map, study the sections and pick a hike. There are numerous points of access.
Any time on the Flint Hills Trail is time well spent.