Posted in Kansas Hiking, Nature April 11, 2022 by

9 Easy And Beautiful Spring Hikes Everyone In Kansas Will Love

What is more energizing than a walk through nature as spring works its magic and turns everything green again? The best hikes in Kansas are easy to traverse and the perfect length to get you out of the house for a while without making you hike across the state – and they’re better still in springtime. These easy and beautiful hikes will get you out there and in the spirit of the season. Let’s go!

1. Hidden Springs Trail - Hillsdale State Park - Paola
James McIntire/AllTrails
This 1.6 mile loop trail takes you through a spring forest with rock outcroppings, a lakeside view, and plenty of space to explore. It's the perfect length for a short hike, and it's also equine-friendly for most of the trail features. This is easily one of the best short hikes in Kansas.
2. Mt. Lehigh - Lehigh Portland Trails - Bassett
Randy Rasa/AllTrails
This 1.1-mile loop is at the highest area of the park, which is how it earned its nickname of Mt. Lehigh. Among the rock outcroppings, it's not uncommon to see stacks of them adorning the path as you explore this quick hike through the woods. If you pop in during the right time, you can even see the wildflowers that grow along the trail naturally. This whole area is wonderful for hiking in Kansas.
3. Rocky Pond Trail - Rocky Pond Recreational Area - Belleville
Luke Mahin/AllTrails
The Rocky Pond Trail is a little longer, at 2.2 miles, but it's still a loop, making it easier than going back the way you came. Some of the features you'll find here are the wildflowers, grasses, and wildlife. It's a great place to bring your dog (on a leash) or mountain bike your way through if you're not a hiker. It won't be hard to see why this is one of the best nature trails in Kansas.
4. North Camp Loop Trail - Banner Creek Reservoir - Holton
Cindy Stavropoulos/AllTrails
This two-mile loop trail in Kansas is the perfect size for any style hiker, with multiple bridges, wildflowers, and a lake. Feel free to bring your leashed dog for the trip, as well. There's also another trail here that runs 13 to 15 miles around the lake, if you're an experienced hiker that wants something a little longer than two miles.
5. Rock Town Trail - Wilson State Park - Lucas
Doug Neidholdt/AllTrails
One of our favorites, this 2.5-mile loop near Wilson Lake is the perfect getaway for those Kansans that love rock formations. There just happens to be quite a few of them at the lake and on this trail. Of course, enjoy the lake too, while you're here! As a bonus, Wilson State Park is a treat all by itself, so be sure to explore while you're here.
6. Dr. Howard Reynolds Nature Trail - Reynolds Nature Preserve - Hays
Dustin Moffitt/AllTrails
This 1.4-mile loop trail is a little less demanding for those of us who don't hike often, and it's also home to some beautiful wildflowers once they start blooming. It's a great place to bring the family for a picnic, as long as you take all your trash with you. This is an easy hike in Kansas you're sure to love!
7. Prairie Center Nature Reserve Trail - Prairie Center Park - Olathe
Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St, Lawrence, KS 66046, USA
Jack Sippel/AllTrails
Prairie is the perfect word to describe this 2.4-mile loop through beautiful grasses and plenty of open skies. This trail also features a small lake, and is perfect for people who'd like open air as well as wooded trail areas. This beautiful hiking trail in Kansas is one we think you'll love over and over again.
8. Bittersweet Trail - Ernie Miller Nature Park - Olathe
Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center, 909 North, KS-7, Olathe, KS 66061, USA
Mat Owens/AllTrails
Though this trail is the shortest on our list at 0.4 miles, that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful every spring. It's a great trail for a short hike, and still worth the trip if you don't live near Olathe. Maybe you can explore something nearby that's on your bucket list? This is one of the best things to do in the spring in Kansas.
9. Jamestown Marsh Lookout Point - Jamestown Wildlife Area - Norway
Jamestown (Kansas) Wildlife Area, Jamestown, KS 66948, USA
Luke Mahin/AllTrails
Last but not least, this trail overlooking a beautiful wildlife area is only 0.8 miles long. It's full of wildlife, very kid friendly, and gives you an amazing view of Kansas nature at its finest. This is easily one of our favorite short hikes in Kansas.

What do you think? What would you call the best hikes in Kansas? Tell us about your picks in the comments!

If you love spending time in the outdoors but prefer to stay put most of the day, you’ll love this lakeside campground in Kansas. It, too, contains some of the best hikes in Kansas that you’re sure to totally love.

Address: Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St, Lawrence, KS 66046, USA
Address: Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center, 909 North, KS-7, Olathe, KS 66061, USA
Address: Jamestown (Kansas) Wildlife Area, Jamestown, KS 66948, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center

Best Hikes In Kansas

April 15, 2022
Tori Jane

What are some of the greatest kid-friendly hikes around Kansas?  

Kansas may not be the largest or most populous state, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know how to get our hiking on. There are more than 300 trails rated as kid-friendly by our friends at AllTrails, and we love them all. Check out the Tomahawk Creek Trail, at Fox Hill Park. It’s a paved, 10.8-mile delight that kids of all ages will enjoy, and so will you! We also love Horse Thief Trail at Black Hoof Park, where the scenery is to die for, and the Lake Lenexa Trail at Black Hoof Park is another excellent kid-friendly hike in Kansas; it is 2.1 miles long and quite popular between March and November, so be sure to plan for some crowds (well, crowds by Kansas’s standards, anyway). Finally, last (but not least in any way), there’s the Chisholm Creek trail at Chisholm Creek Park, a 1.7-mile adventure through some truly beautiful hills and otherwise spellbinding views.  

What are some amazing scenic hikes in Kansas? 

Well, if you ask us, we say every hike in Kansas is a scenic hike in Kansas. Among our favorite scenic hikes of all time in the Sunflower State is awesome gems like Castle Rock Trail, which is easily one of the most scenic hikes in the state and features a 2.3-mile adventure through some unique geology and delightful history. We’re also big fans of the Flint Hills Nature Trail, which is part of the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail. With 117 miles of it weaving through Kansas, it’s an incredible adventure that showcases some of the most beautiful places in the state. The Elk River Trail is considered to be one of the most scenic hikes in Kansas; it’s 15 miles long point-to-point and has much to admire along the way, like a creek, babbling brooks, waterfalls, and more! Finally, the Chisholm Creek Trail is, as we mentioned above, a 1.7-mile adventure through some amazing scenery and features more than 160 species of birds who live on and nearby the trail.  

Address: Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St, Lawrence, KS 66046, USA
Address: Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center, 909 North, KS-7, Olathe, KS 66061, USA
Address: Jamestown (Kansas) Wildlife Area, Jamestown, KS 66948, USA