Kansas Scenic Drives: Flint Hills Scenic Byway

What You'll See Along Flint Hills Scenic Byway

The Flint Hills Scenic Byway is a modern road easily reached from the Kansas Turnpike, I-70, U.S. 50, and U.S. 56, but it is a scenic trip back in time. Panoramic views of now-rare tallgrass prairie, Native American historic sites, the still visible wagon ruts left by the countless thousands who traversed the Santa Fe Trail, and of course, the stark beauty of the Flint Hills all greet the visitors to this area.

View Enlarged Image This map details Flint Hills Scenic Byway.

The area, as with so much of the Great Plains, became the site of friction between the indigenous people and the European pioneers. Treaties were needed as far back as 1825.Meaningful historic sites all along the Flint Hills Scenic Byway tell the tales of the native people groups, the pioneers who came to homestead in these hills, and those who merely passed through on their way to seek their fortune elsewhere in the Old West.

Flint Hills Scenic Byway Information Length: 47.25 miles Time to allow: One hour States it runs through: Kansas Cities it runs through: Council Grove Considerations: During the annual controlled burn of prairie grasses, those with respiratory difficulties will want to apply caution. Winter can be an especially beautiful time to visit, but dangerous with strong winds, cold temperatures, and occasionally ice.

The geologic time period in the Flint Hills represents the Permian Period, with the area being covered by the shallow Permian Sea some 250 to 290 million years ago. The marine fossils, time, and the effects of nature worked together to create the unique topography of the Flint Hills: flat-topped hills of limestone and flint and verdant valleys, all accented by the preserved tallgrass prairie and cattle ranches that have been operating for generations.

One of America's newest national parks, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve has nearly 11,000 acres of virgin, never-plowed prairie safeguarded. The preserve protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Of the 400,000 square miles of tallgrass prairie that once covered the North American continent, less than 4 percent remains, primarily in the Flint Hills of Kansas. This makes it one of the rarest and most endangered ecosystems in the world. The preserve has two hiking trails that give visitors the opportunity to experience this exquisite prairie first-hand. It is a treat to stop and listen, perhaps hearing as the pioneers did from their Prairie Schooners, the wafting waves of this grassland ocean as the wind whistles through the bluestem and other native grasses. The beauty that will greet guests is striking and unforgettable.

Find more useful information related to Kansas' Flint Hills Scenic Byway:

• Council Grove: Find out what there is to do in these cities along Flint Hills Scenic Byway.
• Scenic Drives: Are you interested in scenic drives beyond Kansas? Here are more than 100 scenic drives throughout the United States.
• How to Drive Economically: Fuel economy is a major concern when you're on a driving trip. Learn how to get better gas mileage.

Highlights of Flint Hills Scenic Byway

The Flint Hills Scenic Byway stretches between Council Grove on the northern end at the intersection of U.S. 57 and U.S. 56, and Cassoday on the southern end of the byway at K-177 and I-35. It is a beautiful drive year-round showing off the unique views of the prairie. The following itinerary is suggested to experience some of the highlights along the byway:

Kaw Mission State Historic Site and Museum: At the northern end of the byway historic sites are abundant in Council Grove, named for the treaty council held here in 1825 with the Osage natives allowing safe passage of Americans and Mexicans along the Santa Fe Trail. The Kaw Mission State Historic Site and Museum on Mission Street was where 30 Kaw (or Kansa) Indian boys lived and studied from 1851-1854. The Kaws, known as "The People of the South Wind," gave the state its name. You can view exhibits that showcase the history and culture of the Kaws and the Santa Fe Trail that passed nearby.

Council Grove: Council Grove's early day calaboose is a friendlier place to visit today. Built in 1849 and believed to be the lone jail on the Santa Fe Trail at the time, it used to house desperados, ruffians, robbers, and horse thieves. Other "must-sees" in and around Council Grove include the old bell that was erected in 1866 to warn townsfolk of impending American Indian raids, the still-visible ruts from the Santa Fe Trail, and the Last Chance Store, built in 1857 and truly the "last chance" for trail travelers to buy supplies for their trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

©Byways.org Prairie views are common along Flint Hills Scenic Byway.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve: Farther south the byway passes one of America's newest national parks, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Ranger-guided and self-guided tours are available as well as hiking and wheelchair-accessible trails with interpretive kiosks. The preserve is also home to Spring Hill Ranch. Original owner, Stephen F. Jones, named his ranch the Spring Hill Ranch in 1881 for the abundant springs on the property. Visitors are welcome to explore the limestone mansion, barn, schoolhouse, and several other remaining outbuildings. Living history interpreters enhance the visit and invite guests to participate in activities.

Limestone Mansion: The impressive Limestone Mansion at Spring Hill was built on a hillside with a two-story exposure on the upper side and a three-story on the lower level. The architecture represents a blending of Renaissance influence and Plains Vernacular. Individual building stones are square cut on all bearing surfaces and have a rough-hewn face. The stones are all the same size. The expensive hand-cut stone would be impossible to duplicate today. The massive barn measures 110 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The stone structure that became the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse was built in 1882. In 1974 the school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wagon Train TripAfter traveling the Flint Hills Scenic Byway the modern way, consider spending a weekend traveling it the way the pioneers did. A weekend Wagon Train trip includes hearty outdoor meals cooked over a pit fire, activities based on the work and play of the Kansas homesteading era, songs and sonnets of the Old West, and information about the historic trails, geology, and plant life of this shrinking American Tallgrass Prairie. Voyagers travel in authentic covered wagons.

Cottonwood Falls: After visiting Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and Spring Hill Ranch, the Flint Hills Scenic Byway then follows the path through Strong City and a mile later, Cottonwood Falls, site of the Chase County Courthouse, in operation since 1873 (the oldest courthouse in Kansas and the oldest operating courthouse west of the Mississippi). The Roniger Native American Museum is also in Cottonwood Falls and, with a collection of arrowheads, is considered one of the largest individual collections in Kansas.

Prairie Overlook: South of Cottonwood Falls, the picturesque highway travels among the hills for grand vistas of the ranches in the area, then eases down to the stream to follow splendid stone walls around farms still in operation. The scenic overlook south of Cottonwood Falls gives you a wonderful view of the vast expanse of the prairie as the pioneers might have seen it.

Cassoday: The village of Cassoday, with its tiny population of 130 and its fame as "The Prairie Chicken Capital of the World," is the southern end of the byway where those looking for curios and antiques may find just what they have been looking for. Also visit the Cassoday Museum located in the Old Depot. Whether it's time for a meal or not, the Cassoday Café is an interesting stop where city slickers can see hitching posts out in front used by today's working cowpokes who ride into town for lunch.

Rare virgin prairie and cowpokes who still wrangle bovines in the spirit of generations past join with Native American and pioneer history to make traveling the Flint Hills Scenic Byway an enthralling experience.

Find more useful information related to Kansas' Flint Hills Scenic Byway:

• Council Grove: Find out what there is to do in these cities along Flint Hills Scenic Byway.
• Scenic Drives: Are you interested in scenic drives beyond Kansas? Here are more than 100 scenic drives throughout the United States.
• How to Drive Economically: Fuel economy is a major concern when you're on a driving trip. Learn how to get better gas mileage.