Kansas Flint Hills
Explore unique region to find rugged beauty and rich history

Contrary to the notion among many motorists passing through Kansas, the state is not a monotonously flat plain–especially in the east-central section of the state.

The region is dominated by the Flint Hills, one of the most distinctive geographic features in the Midwest. An ocean of green and gold, the hills rise and fall in a succession of rolling swells roughly from Nebraska to Oklahoma. Considered to be the largest segment of tallgrass prairie remaining in the nation, the area encompasses 5 million acres of stark beauty.

The ancient hills earned their name from explorer Zebulon Pike, who complained that the hard, “flinty hills” made his feet hurt. In fact, much of the land has remained unplowed since the beginning of time precisely because it is hard and inhospitable to tilling instruments. Limestone sediments and layers of chert, which is known as flint, were deposited by inland seas more than 200 million years ago, and erosion has sculpted the land into those famous rolling hills. And while the hard ground may have hurt Pike’s feet, it is the rock itself that nourishes the rich grassland of the Flint Hills, making it some of the most richly nourished grazing land in the country.

Spread among the vast expanses of bluestem grasses and colorful wildflowers are small towns, remnants of the era when pioneers dug a toehold into the rocky soil. Though some towns have grown into bustling cities, others still boast brick streets with small cafes and not a mall or retail chain store in sight.

“The Little Apple®”

A good place to begin a tour is Manhattan, nine miles north of Interstate 70 off Highway 177. The town’s founders in the mid-1800s decided to name the community Manhattan in hopes that it would resemble the Manhattan in New York. As such, it has earned the title “The Little Apple.®” For information, call the Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-759-0134 or (785) 776-8829, or visit www.manhattancvb.org.

Home to Kansas State University, the town has several attractions that trace the region’s history, including the Goodnow House State Historic Site. Located 1/2 mile west of the university on Claflin Road, the home dates to the 1860s and is the former residence of Isaac Goodnow who helped found the university. It contains original and period furnishings.

Next door, explore the Riley County Historical Museum, which exhibits items used by the area’s early residents. Also located on the grounds are a prefabricated cabin brought to the city on a steamboat. Hours are 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and 2–5 p.m. weekends. For more details, call (785) 565-6490, or visit www.kshs.org or www.rileycountyks.gov.

For a little wilder attraction, head to Sunset Zoo on the southwest edge of town. Located on a hillside, the accredited zoo is home to more than 330 animals, including snow leopards, cheetahs, grizzly bears and more. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children 3–12. Hours are 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. daily April–October and from noon–5 p.m. daily November–March. Call (785) 587-APES (2737) or visit www.sunsetzoo.com.

Just south of Manhattan, you can get a taste for the Flint Hills at the Konza Prairie Biological Station, more than 8,600 acres of untouched native tallgrass prairie owned by the Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University. It is one of the nation’s last remaining large tracts of tallgrass prairie. Most of the site is off limits to the public because of ongoing research, but there are three self-guided trails available from sunrise to sunset. Call (785) 587-0441 for more details, or visit http://kpbs.konza.ksu.edu.

Into the hills

As you meander south on Highway 177 further into the Flint Hills, the countryside is dotted with wind mills, cattle pens, grain silos, creeks, oil wells and miles of barbed wire fence.

Just as pioneers and American Indians gathered in Council Grove, stop off for a visit in one of the region’s most historic towns. The community’s name originated from treaty negotiations conducted in 1825 between U.S. commissioners and Osage Indian chiefs, who granted white people safe passage along the Santa Fe Trail. From Highway 177, turn right into town on Main Street and stop at the Council Grove Chamber of Commerce and tourist office at 207 W. Main St. to pick up a self-guided map. For details, call 1-800-732-9211 or (620) 767-5413, or visit www.councilgrove.com.

To learn about the region’s earliest inhabitants, the Kaw Indians, visit the Kaw Mission State Historic Site just north of downtown. The two-story stone building was constructed in 1850 as a school for American Indian children, but the Kaw Indians did not respond well because they felt the white man’s ways were degrading. The home features a short film and period artifacts and furnishings. Hours are 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday from March–November and 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Saturday from December– February. For details, call (620) 767-5410, or visit www.kshs.org.

Among several other of the town’s 21 historic sights are the “Madonna of the Trail” statue, a 16-foot memorial to the courage of pioneer mothers; a jail built in 1871; and the 1857 Last Chance Store, which was the last place for freighters bound for Santa Fe to pick up supplies.

In addition to the historic structures, three trees in town possess historic significance. Under the remains of the Custer Elm, Gen. George Custer camped while patrolling the Santa Fe Trail. The Post Office Oak served as an unofficial post office for travelers on the trail who left messages in a cache at the tree’s base. And at the Council Oak, the government reached its agreement with the Osage Indians for the Santa Fe Trail right-of-way.

For lunch, stop at the Hays House on Main Street, which was built in 1857 by the town’s first white settler, Seth Hays. It is regarded as the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River.

Experience more Kansas prairie south of Council Grove. To its intersection with Interstate 35, Highway 177 has been designated a Kansas Scenic Byway because of the region’s bucolic beauty and historic sites.

Of the 400,000 square miles of tallgrass prairie that once covered North America, less than 4 percent remains. One of the best spots to see what is left of the prairie ecosystem is at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, located 16 miles south of Council Grove on Highway 177 at the former Z Bar/Spring Hill Ranch. Within the 10,894-acre preserve, visitors can hike two nature trails, tour a 19th-century limestone mansion that dates to 1881 and see a one-room school house. Call (620) 273-8494.

Cities big and small

Just south of Strong City, you will reach a town seemingly untouched by time–Cottonwood Falls. With brick-paved streets, a courthouse square and a friendly atmosphere, it is the quintessential example of early 1900s small-town America. From Highway 177, turn right on Main Street and left on Broadway. Pick up area information in the Chase County Chamber of Commerce at 318 Broadway, or call (620) 273-8469 or 1-800-431-6344, or visit www.chasecountychamber.org.

There are two museums and a historic hotel in town, but its centerpiece is the Chase County Courthouse, the oldest courthouse still in use in Kansas. Located at the south end of Broadway, the magnificent three-story building was completed in 1873 in the French Renaissance style with beautiful cornices and elaborate detailing. Peek inside the old jail upstairs, which was constructed of 2-foot by 8-foot oak planks clad in sheet metal to make it “jail-break proof.” The courthouse is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays, and tours are available from noon–4 p.m. on weekends through the chamber.

To find some modern attractions, head east from Strong City on Highway 50 to reach Emporia, called the “Front Porch to the Flint Hills.” To pick up tourist information and self-guided city maps, take Highway 50 east though town, which becomes Sixth Avenue. Turn left on Commercial Street to the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau at 719 Commercial St. Call 1-800-279-3730 or (620) 342-1600, or visit www.emporiakschamber.org.

Emporia is best known as the home of noted journalist William Allen White, the former owner and editor of the “Emporia Gazette” who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his writing. The four-mile William Allen White Memorial Drive links six historic sites, including his home, which is now a state historic site. Tours showcase the first and second floors of the home. For hours and admission, call (620) 342-2800, or visit www.kshs.org.

Another one of Emporia’s gems is the National Teachers Hall of Fame, which honors kindergarten through high school teachers. In addition to teacher tributes, the center has historic artifacts and rotating exhibits. Hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays. Call (620) 341-5660, or visit www.nthf.org.

To honor veterans, visit the All Veterans Memorial at 933 South Commercial St., where a World War II Army tank and Huey helicopter are surrounded by flags. In conjunction with Veterans Day, which Emporian Alvin King conceived, the city hosts a week-long celebration. In fact, Congress designated Emporia the official founding city of Veterans Day.

Some of the Emporia’s other varied attractions include the Emporia Zoo (620-341-4365; www.emporiazoo.org); the Emporia Arts Center with rotating exhibits (620-343-6473; the Lyon County Historical Museum (620-340-6312; www.lyoncountymuseum.org) with its pioneer artifacts; and the Prairie Passage monument, eight limestone sculptures that reflect the city’s role as gateway to the Flint Hills.

To return to Kansas City from Emporia, take Interstate 335 about 55 miles north to Interstate 70, and follow I-70 about 61 miles east to Kansas City. The approximate round-trip mileage is 303 miles.

Back to Day Tours Index