Kansas has an unlimited source of beauty, whether you’re looking at the sky, between the trees, or over the hills. You’ll find that there’s something beautiful wherever you look. Some of our favorite places are great additions to any bucket list, and these are probably the top 11 places any Kansas nature lover should visit. Let’s check out a few of the best things you can do in Kansas!
- Walking through the Flint Hills.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr The Flint Hills is a massive area of Kansas, and holds miles of trail within it. I’d argue that it’s easily the most beautiful area of Kansas, if it weren’t so hard to pick one place. However, it’s the one that’s most often driven through and not truly explored.
- Exploring small caves at Kanopolis.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr From rocky hidden caves to smooth ones out in the open, you’ll find exploring these caves at Kanopolis State Park lots of fun. However, make sure not to damage anything or leave trash behind, because we want to keep our parks as clean as possible.
- Gazing over Arikaree Breaks.
Kansas Tourism/Flickr Arikaree Breaks are way in the northwest corner of the state, but they’re definitely worth the journey if you have the time to get there. It’s amazing to see how something as simple as wind and water creates such a breathtaking sight.
- Make yourself feel small standing at Monument Rocks.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr Speaking of water, Monument Rocks is an isolated area of Niobrara Chalk that’s been eroded over the years. It was once the bottom of a huge inland sea, but is now as dry as Kansas can be.
- Count all the different species you see at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.
USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr No matter the time of year, you’ll find that Quivira is always bustling with life of every shape and size. How many can you spot?
- Feel like you’re in another state in the Gypsum Hills.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr The red Gypsum Hills near Medicine Lodge are a great place to explore on horseback or by driving through. It’s a welcome sight, and a change of scenery from the usually dry or hilly other areas of Kansas.
- Go on a bison adventure at Sandsage Bison Range.
Friends of Sandsage Bison Range Facebook You can’t get up close and touch them, but you can see them a lot closer than you would at a zoo or other area with bison. Plus, you get to ride around instead of hike there yourself. It’s a much more natural experience.
- Walk through a magical garden at Wichita’s Botanica.
GingerLewman/Flickr If you find yourself in Wichita often, you should definitely check out their Botanica garden. It’s artfully created, yet still feels magical in a natural way.
- Tour a state park where the legendary Mushroom Rock lives.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr Did you know there’s more to this state park than the big mushroom itself? After your photo, check out the rest of the park and see if you can’t find any other curiously shaped objects.
- Or tour through Rock City, and climb to your heart’s content.
Chris Murphy/Flickr Rock City isn’t anything like the Starship song, but it is a field full of rocks near Minneapolis. They vary in size, and some even have holes through them, but they were all left behind when a the rock around them slowly washed away over the years.
- Dip your fingers or toes in a beautiful waterfall.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr It’s a fun place to picnic, and if you do it carefully, you can walk over the top of the waterfall or splash underneath. Make sure to go after it rains!
If you enjoy these locations but want to see more photos of Kansas, you should join our Kansas Nature Lovers Facebook group! Of course, some of Kansas’ most beautiful moments are inspired by things we experience as Kansans. Check out this list of things that happen to all of us at some point.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr
The Flint Hills is a massive area of Kansas, and holds miles of trail within it. I’d argue that it’s easily the most beautiful area of Kansas, if it weren’t so hard to pick one place. However, it’s the one that’s most often driven through and not truly explored.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr
From rocky hidden caves to smooth ones out in the open, you’ll find exploring these caves at Kanopolis State Park lots of fun. However, make sure not to damage anything or leave trash behind, because we want to keep our parks as clean as possible.
Kansas Tourism/Flickr
Arikaree Breaks are way in the northwest corner of the state, but they’re definitely worth the journey if you have the time to get there. It’s amazing to see how something as simple as wind and water creates such a breathtaking sight.
Speaking of water, Monument Rocks is an isolated area of Niobrara Chalk that’s been eroded over the years. It was once the bottom of a huge inland sea, but is now as dry as Kansas can be.
USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
No matter the time of year, you’ll find that Quivira is always bustling with life of every shape and size. How many can you spot?
The red Gypsum Hills near Medicine Lodge are a great place to explore on horseback or by driving through. It’s a welcome sight, and a change of scenery from the usually dry or hilly other areas of Kansas.
Friends of Sandsage Bison Range Facebook
You can’t get up close and touch them, but you can see them a lot closer than you would at a zoo or other area with bison. Plus, you get to ride around instead of hike there yourself. It’s a much more natural experience.
GingerLewman/Flickr
If you find yourself in Wichita often, you should definitely check out their Botanica garden. It’s artfully created, yet still feels magical in a natural way.
Did you know there’s more to this state park than the big mushroom itself? After your photo, check out the rest of the park and see if you can’t find any other curiously shaped objects.
Chris Murphy/Flickr
Rock City isn’t anything like the Starship song, but it is a field full of rocks near Minneapolis. They vary in size, and some even have holes through them, but they were all left behind when a the rock around them slowly washed away over the years.
It’s a fun place to picnic, and if you do it carefully, you can walk over the top of the waterfall or splash underneath. Make sure to go after it rains!
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