From its rolling hills to the beautiful mountain trails, Kansas is a state full of diverse and majestic landscapes. In recent years it’s become a popular destination for outdoor adventurers from all over the country, who come seeking an escape from their daily lives and the chance to explore some of the best mountains in America. Whether you’re looking for an easy stroll or a more rugged challenge, there are plenty of options available – with something that should fit everyone’s needs!
In this blog post, we’ll be exploring 15 of Kansas’s most stunning mountain ranges. Read on to find out which one might provide you with your next unforgettable journey into nature!
Table of Contents
The Best Mountain Trails in Kansas
Lawrence River Trails
- Address: Lawrence, KS 66044, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (247)
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: Open 24 hoursTuesday: Open 24 hoursWednesday: Open 24 hoursThursday: Open 24 hoursFriday: Open 24 hoursSaturday: Open 24 hoursSunday: Open 24 hours
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Top 15 Scenic Mountains in Kansas
Indian Creek Trail
- Address: Indian Creek Trail, Overland Park, KS 66207, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (145)
- Opening hours:
Monday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
My kids love this park always busy especially during the morning during the summer. Great for walks, bbqs, banquets, celebration, they have a slap park which is amazing baseball fields and they have two separate parks one for toddlers and one for the bigger kids tennis court park is always clean. Amazing walking trail just at night you are guaranteed to run into deer if you happen to stay passed 8pm. I have been taking my kids here for 2 years now and they still love it like it’s there first time. Oh its great if you like to get your steps inBy A R (5 months ago)Great place to walk, run, or ride your bike. Play areas for kids. Tennis courts. Soccer fields. Baseball diamonds. Everything is very well kept and clean.By Ann Iiams P (2 years ago)Long trails lots of places to stop and enjoy the river. Peacful, we love the nature and taking the electric bikes for a spin.By Tracey Jamison (a year ago)Clean And Fun ! Thank you OPKS for bringing in Stinky Feet !!By Chris Wilborn (6 months ago)Having so much with my granddaughter on this awesome trail ? so much to see…By Richard Torres (8 months ago)
Fancy Creek State Park
- Address: Fancy Creek E Rd, Randolph, KS 66554, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (134)
- Phone: +1 785-539-7941
- Website: Link
- Reviews:
I came here to run trails while at fort Riley. Trails are decent, but not very extensive. Would be fun on a bike too. Lots of spiderwebs and short distance trails were the worst thing, but overall pretty good, especially for Kansas.By Rusty Shackleford (a year ago)The campground sleepy hollow is a must be place. Only 12 sites 30amp…no water but fill station just a few yards away.By C Wilson (Wick) (2 months ago)I enjoyed hiking on some of the mountain bike trails. Only had enough time for 3 miles of hiking. The trail I was on was all within the woods and was easy to follow. The trail was a little rocky in places but was still easy to walk on.By Brian Gillaspie (a year ago)Great diverse hiking trails. Some can be challenging, I suggest downloading map from KDPW, take adequate water, hiking sticks and trail shoes.By pamela zishka (2 years ago)Enjoyed hiking the big loop, although we didn’t originally plan to do the whole thing. Trail could be marked a little better, but follow the white pipes with purple spray paint when in doubt. Two adults at a mostly leisurely pace, took about 3.5 hours to complete. Most of the trail is shady, though there are pockets of sun. The trail has some very uneven stretches with rocks and tree roots.By Emily Shafer (5 years ago)
Chase Lake Falls Trail
- Address: Lake Rd, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (126)
- Opening hours:
Monday: Open 24 hoursTuesday: Open 24 hoursWednesday: Open 24 hoursThursday: Open 24 hoursFriday: Open 24 hoursSaturday: Open 24 hoursSunday: Open 24 hours
- Reviews:
Calm, peaceful little lake.
Short, easy walk to the falls.
3 levels of water, easy climb up if you choose.
Great little spot for Kansas.By Justin Newell (a year ago)Beautiful clear water, little jetties to fish from. Campfire Cooking ring at picnic areas I’ll go back again later when more water is running over the falls. Nice, peaceful little lakeBy Sherry Babcock (3 years ago)Fun little hike out in the middle of nowhere. Might be good for a family or anyone who doesn’t want to hike for more than 20 mins or so. Trail was easy to follow, well kept and falls were beautiful. Loved it. Very isolated.By Amanda Poe (2 years ago)Nice little hike to the falls and totally worth it! It’s beautiful!By Crystal Whisman (3 years ago)The waterfall was mostly dry in October but the lake was beautiful!By Angela Kleinmeyer (2 months ago)
Konza Prairie Nature Trail
- Address: Konza Prairie – Nature Trail, Manhattan, KS 66502, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (82)
- Website: Link
- Reviews:
I love hiking here. Never a bad experience. You have multiple choices when it comes to route and length. Sometimes I just want to relax and go down the massive hill. I’ve been here through multiple climates. It’s nice and tucked away from the city. You might hear some cars from the road or, on the six mile trail, cars from 177. Sometimes cows.
Trails are always well kept. It’s peaceful. Only during COVID was there ever a crowding issue.You might experience some turkey.
By Eliza Leonard (3 months ago)Only did the 2 mile loop. It was a sunny day and not to warm. The trails were well marked and clean. The entire area is clean and very easily spend the entire day just walking around. Will come in the fall to do the all three trails.By Pedro Gonzalez (5 months ago)The overlooks on this trail are great at highlighting some of the best features about Kansas and Manhattan. If you get there early enough, you can hear all the birds and occasionally see deer and turkeys roaming. The trails are nicely kept too.By Anthony “Tony” Larkin (6 months ago)Great place to hike! We’ve done all the trails in all the seasons and always enjoy the expansive views and Kansas Konza Prairie. We visited the Flint Hills Discovery Center and learned about all the grasses, plants and grasshoppers and that made our hike yesterday even more interesting! Has some good hills to get your heart rate up!By Teresa Reh (2 months ago)Thoroughly enjoyed the short trail. Hit it right when they opened to beat the heat. Extremely well maintained trails. Awesome views. Even the short trail is pretty intense. Glad we went left at the start to get the big climbs out of the way. It’s all downhill from there… 😉By Joe Macy (a year ago)
Elk River Hiking Trail
- Address: Elk City, KS 67344, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (77)
Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trails
- Address: Sylvan Grove, KS 67481, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (67)
Rozarks Nature Trail
- Address: Park Dr, Kansas City, KS 66103, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.2 (63)
Osage Nature Trail
- Address: 7855 NE 24th St #7527, Newton, KS 67114, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (56)
Rocktown trail
- Address: Lucas, KS 67648, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (37)
Table Mound Hiking Trail Head
- Address: Unnamed Road, Independence, KS 67301, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (35)
Mount Marty Park
- Address: Seminary St & S Hill St, Kansas City, KS 66103, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (24)
Blue River Rail Trail
- Address: 700 Broadway St, Marysville, KS 66508, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (21)
Spillway State Park hiking trail
- Address: Manhattan, KS 66502, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (17)
Kanopolis Wildlife Viewing Area Trail
- Address: Horsethief Rd, Marquette, KS 67464, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 5 (2)
Eagle Ridge Trail
- Address: Unnamed Road, Milford, KS 66514, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4 (1)
Thank you for reading! If you have any additional information on the best scenic mountains in Kansas, please leave a comment above. We would love to hear from you!
So beautiful! Had the best day in a long time. Great company and a amazing view. Laughed literally the whole day. A great place to take a good friend or someone special to have a moment for just the two or more of you.
Amazing easy moving trail along the river. Beautiful morning run in the chilly dawn of morning. Very re-energizing and such a convenient trail to downtown. Will definitely come back. Shout out to Ad Astra for recommending it to me on my travels.
Good trails for a vigorous walk or jogging, but bike trail is not well-suited for MTB. Turns are too sharp in some areas and lacking berms. Sand to keep water off trail in low areas is like a glue trap for a bike! Additional features would also make for a more enjoyable biking experience. Does provide good workout and scenic views of KS river.
Great trails for riding or running! A great place for kids to learn their first dirt trail. Like a dirt rollercoaster. They have also recently added some fun features as well. Only a porta potty for a bathroom though, so be prepared.
The place is very nice, however it is hard to distinguish between walking and bike trail sometimes so beware of the bikers presence especially in low visibility aprts.