Throw some Flint (Hills) in your fall

Wilson Lake State Park, Mt. Mitchell Heritage Park, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Hike Kansas’ lonely hills and be amazed.

The Kansas Flint Hills are a well-kept secret. There are no traffic jams and no tourist season. Yet their stark and remote beauty is unsurpassed.

In addition to their scenic charms, they are also one of the largest unspoiled areas of North America. The “flint” in the Flint Hills made them unfriendly to crops. Therefore, they are prime range land for cattle.

Lesser known, and further west, are the Smoky Hills, which are composed of sandstone, limestone and chalk.

Neither of these hill ranges were formed by uplift. Rather, they are the hardiest remains of landscape that has eroded. Flinty, rocky soil stayed in the form of hills, while softer soil washed away.

In addition to the landscape, the Flint Hills and Smoky Hills are dotted with picturesque courthouses, ghost towns, buffalo and abandoned one-room schools. You just have to get off the interstate and slow down long enough to see them.

Since these hill ranges cover thousands of square miles, this is not a comprehensive guide. But we’ve identified some of the most scenic and accessible trails and parks in the region to aid your exploration.

Here are some key Flint Hills trails for nature lovers:

• Coronado Heights (Lindsborg, Kan.)

• Iliff Commons, Topeka, Kan.

• Kanopolis State Park (Salina, Kan.)

• Kaw Nation Memorial (Council Grove, Kan.)

• Konza Prairie Biological Station (Manhattan, Kan.) and Pillsbury Crossing

• Mt. Mitchell Heritage Prairie (Wamego, Kan.)

• Oregon Trail Nature Park (St. Mary’s, Kan.)

• Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Emporia, Kan.)

• Wilson Lake State Park (central Kansas)

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Top Hiking Destinations in the Flint Hills and Smoky Hills

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You may also be interested in these waypoints

Flint Hills Overlook (near Manhattan)
Prairie Fire Winery
The Volland Store
Old Stone Church