Posted in Kansas
December 08, 2017
8 Roads With The Best Windshield Views In All Of Kansas
In all seasons, at all times of the day, Kansas is beautiful. We have unique sunsets every night, endless skies, and a crazy amount of geographical diversity. Sometimes there’s breaks, badlands, and even towering rock formations. These roads in Kansas have the best windshield views in the whole state. It’s like going for a walk in the park, except you’re traveling miles in minutes, and exploring the beauty of our state.
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
Sixty-three miles of pure beauty is laid out on this trip through northeast Kansas, running from White Cloud to Leavenworth. It's name comes from how it was formed- the hills, valleys, and rich landscape is due to receding ice from glaciers long gone.
We all love our Flint Hills, but this path from Council Grove to Cassoday is the best stretch to see. Most of the land here looks like it did years ago, and the rolling hills will hopefully always be this beautiful.
Post Rock refers to the stone slab fenceposts that trail the grasses, still standing after all these years. They were chosen over wood because the plains are (and were) mostly treeless, so the readily available stone was quarried and used in its place. The path runs from Lucas to Wilson, and is a great excuse to visit both of those beautiful towns.
This scenic byway running from Sharon Springs north to the border near Haigler, Nebraska. It features many of our state's primary crop rotations, as well as Mount Sunflower and the gorgeous Arikaree Breaks.
Route 66 only runs through a small part of our state, but it's an important part nonetheless! Not only is it gorgeous, you'll also find yourself running by Nelson's Old Riverton Store (a Route 66 classic) and the only remaining Marsh Arch Bridge.
The Gypsum Hills are an ancient feature of Kansas that includes canyons, buttes, and mesas. From Medicine Lodge to Coldwater, you can enjoy scenes of red rocks and dry shrubs, like you're touring southwest America without ever leaving home.
Much of Kansas' bedrock is limestone, making for an easily quarried building material that's everywhere to be found. The byway winds through the area between Junction City and Topeka, highlighting rock formations and just how important this limestone is to our history.
This amazing byway was named after the smoky appearance the sky has at sunrise and sunset here. Though the landscape doesn't change too much, the plants that live here (and those that are grown) give the path a special allure year-round. It starts just south of Wakeeney, to Brownell, and then north to Ogallah.
You can find more information on these scenic byways as well as maps at Travel Kansas.
If you’re curious about more great Kansas features and would love to explore more by foot, check out this list of great hiking trails that you definitely won’t want to miss out on.
