The 10 Best Hiking Trails in Kansas, Kansas

March 3, 2022 Randal Brittian

See a buffalo up close, live like a cowboy for a day on a working cattle ranch or visit a stagecoach stop on the Sante Fe Trail are just a few of the many vacation experiences possible in this state in America’s heartland. You’ll love the wide-open spaces and the opportunities to engage in a variety of one-of-a-kind experiences in this marvelous state, which has the largest segment of true tallgrass prairie remaining in the U.S. Regardless of where you visit: a major metropolitan area like Kansas City, a college town like Manhattan or Lawrence or engaging places like Wichita, Dodge City and Salina, there are a wide array of attractions and sights nearby. If you want to familiarize yourself with cowboy culture, visit the Boot Hills Museum in Dodge City, dine on all-you-can-eat barbeque and hear songs of the American Cowboy at Diamond W Chuckwagon Supper in Wichita or explore the Dickinson County Heritage Center in Abilene, which has dance halls, gaming rooms and 32 saloons. For outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching and other activities, three of the state’s most popular parks are: Cheney State Park near Wichita; Scott State Park near Scott City and Tuttle Creek State Park near Manhattan.
Restaurants in Kansas

1. Blue River Rail Trail

900 Jayhawk Rd, Marysville, KS 66508-8662 [email protected] http://www.blueriverrailtrail.org/
Excellent
75%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 8 reviews

Blue River Rail Trail

Reviewed By D7563LEheidib - Marysville, United States

This trail is perfect for any type of trail exercise. It is week maintained. There are a lot of snakes in warmer weather, so be mindful.

2. Lehigh Portland Trails

1600TH Street And Nebraska Road, Iola, KS 66749 http://lehightrails.com/
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
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Poor
0%
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 3 reviews

Lehigh Portland Trails

Reviewed By maryfd2017 - Humboldt, United States

This trail is very scenic at any time of year; there are many options to travel, from an old train bridge crossing the Neosho river, to a newer bridge crossing the Neosho river, to picnic tables close to lake, to a fishing hole, to John Brown's cave, to trails following the side of the lake, all very close to shade trees, and nature! My grandchildren just love to explore these trails!

3. Prairie Spirit Trail

Praririe Spirit Tralhead, Ottawa, KS http://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Prairie-Spirit-Trail
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1 reviews

Prairie Spirit Trail

4. Riverfront Park

1594 N 3rd St, Lawrence, KS 66044-9181 http://lawrenceks.org/lprd/parks/riverfrontpark/
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 2 reviews

Riverfront Park

Reviewed By Toyota1994 - Chicago, United States

Lawrence Riverfront Park is a nature park in the beautiful outdoors on the bank of Kansas River. It is located in the flood plains (on the river side of the levy), so some areas could be water-logged under rainy conditions. The entrance road is attractively bordered with large boulders. Recreational opportunities include: Disc golf course, Hiking trail, Dog park, and Boat launch access to the river. My visit was mainly for hiking, but unfortunately there was no trail map posted anywhere. But a trail was quite visible from the parking lot, and I hiked may be about a mile and a half before the trail became covered with overgrown vegetation and spider webs. It is a nice shady trail under pretty large trees. The trail basically follows the river bank. Sadly, I saw some uncivil people letting their dogs roam free on the trail. I saw a few birds also; one of the birders I came across said the timing was not right due to the hot day. Lawrence Riverfront Park is pretty good for a short visit unless you are getting on the river. The levy trail is also accessible from the park.

5. Clear Creek Trail

6180 Woodland Dr, Shawnee, KS 66218-9050 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clear-Creek-Trail/619878831759094
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1 reviews

Clear Creek Trail

6. Arkansas River Trail

Wichita, KS
Excellent
55%
Good
34%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 102 reviews

Arkansas River Trail

Reviewed By jbjclass - Wichita, United States

This is a very peaceful and beautiful place to walk along the river. You can walk for a few miles, so you pass different parts of Wichita, like the Keeper of the Plains, Exploration Place, some fancy apartments and hotels, and on and on. It's very well maintained, and there's quite a bit of parking. It connects to other walking/biking trails, so we started keeping a map of everywhere we've walked, and it's fun to see how they go together. The Veterans' Memorial Park (right off the trail) is also very nice and worth visiting.

7. Kansas River Levee Trail

200 Elm Street, Lawrence, KS 66044
Excellent
50%
Good
50%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 6 reviews

Kansas River Levee Trail

Reviewed By JDD800 - Lawrence, United States

This is a great trail to either ride bike, walk or jog. It is peaceful and relaxing no matter whcih option you use. I have done them all. It is great workout and can do alone with a group.

8. Manhattan River Trail

US Hwy 24 & Blue River Trailhead, Manhattan, KS 66502
Excellent
71%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
7%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 14 reviews

Manhattan River Trail

9. Merriam Marketplace

5740 Merriam Dr, Merriam, KS 66203-2524 +1 913-322-5550 http://www.merriam.org/index.aspx
Excellent
60%
Good
40%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 5 reviews

Merriam Marketplace

10. Pawnee Prairie Park

Wichita, KS
Excellent
33%
Good
67%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 3 reviews

Pawnee Prairie Park

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