Kansas Trail Guide

From the windswept plains to the majestic Flint Hills, the subtle beauty of the Sunflower State is best appreciated from its myriad wide-ranging trails. And whether you’re an avid hiker or desultory explorer, a bicyclist or horseback rider, this book makes a most congenial guide. An invaluable companion for exploring new trails or learning about accustomed routes, this comprehensive guide will tell you all you need to know (as well as what it might surprise you to learn) about the trails that crisscross Kansas—history and geography, wildlife and scenery, park locations and cultural possibilities, and, now and then, even a bit of geology and botany. The illustrated guide includes detailed full-color maps, GPS coordinates, and, of course, extensive route descriptions—through historic sights and prairies and state parks, to lakes and rivers and wildlife refuges. The authors identify the best trails for families or going solo; for running or hiking, biking or horseback riding; for hunting wildflowers, encountering wildlife, enjoying scenic vistas, or exploring Kansas history. They also include helpful descriptions of flora and fauna, and historical highlights for each area. Concise, complete, and engaging, this is the guide anyone journeying the trails of Kansas, seasoned hiker and armchair traveler alike, should not be without.

Trails for every season in Kansas that you can enjoy on foot.

This comprehensive outdoor guide explores the many natural wonders that America's Heartland has to offer: wooded trails and towering buttes, winding rivers, sterling lakes, breathtaking rock formations, and much more. A native of Kansas, author Julie Cirlincuina describes the best places throughout the state to hike, bike, paddle, fish and hunt, take a scenic drive, or spend the day watching wildlife. You'll also find detailed information on geology, climate, campgrounds and parks, as well as directions and accessibility for each destination. Complete with detailed maps for each region of the state, this guide has everything you need to plan a Kansas adventure. Book jacket.

The definitive guidebook to hiking Kansas City is back--completely updated, expanded and redesigned with a mountain of new photographs to help you hike, explore, and unwind. In this comprehensive fourth edition, life-long Kansas City hikers William Eddy and Richard Ballentine highlight more than 100 off-the-road hiking and walking trails in and around the Kansas area. From popular, flat and paved city park trails to remote, rolling, forested treks--you'll find that good walks and hikes are close to home no matter which way your compass points you. This guidebook includes updates to old favorites as well as many new trails sure to be visited again and again. Beginners and seasoned hikers alike can flip a few pages and find a perfect trail no matter the season. Enjoy the fresh air, the good exercise and the tranquility that can only be found on a trail... See deer, wild turkey, foxes, beaver, and blue birds... Hear the wind rustle through the trees as you hike hardwood forests. Explore prairie grasslands, river valleys, and rugged hills. Walk along lake shores, besides marshes, limestone bluffs, and forgotten railroad bridges. End the day with a sunset high atop a lookout point.

Many changes have taken place in the decade since Follow the Blue Blazes was first published, changes in the trails themselves and in the way we hike them. The Buckeye Trail still wends its way around the state of Ohio, following the course marked out by the characteristic blue blazes on trees and signposts along the way. In the intervening years, however, sections of the trail have changed their route, added amenities, or just grown more interesting. From the startling rock formations and graceful waterfalls of Old Man’s Cave, to Native American mounds, battlefields, and scenic rivers, Connie and Robert J. Pond provide a captivating guide to often-overlooked treasures around the state. Each chapter features an overview of a 100-mile section of the trail and three self-guided featured hikes. The overviews and the accompanying maps may be read consecutively to acquaint the reader with the entire course of the trail. But most readers will best enjoy the trail by taking the guide along on one of the featured hikes. Each route is outlined on an easy-to-read map with GPS coordinates and waypoints to guide the hiker, as well as explicit directions from parking lot to trailhead. The Buckeye Trail is readily accessible from Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, and Akron. Even a short trip can lead to an adventure near your own backyard.

Historic pioneer trails serve as some of the most fascinating links to our nation's past and retracing them can be an exhilarating and educational experience. Following the Santa Fe Trail is aimed at assisting modern travelers to enlarge their understanding of the trail and increase the enjoyment that comes from following in the wagon tracks of pioneers. Originating in Franklin, Missouri, the Santa Fe Trail was the first and most exotic of America's great trans-Mississippi pathways to the west. Although the era of the trail ceased, its glory-days are still part of the collective imagination of America. Complete with directions, maps, anecdotes, and historical information, Following the Santa Fe Trail takes the traveler on an authentic historic journey. Modern paved highways now parallel much of the old wagon route and with this guide a modern adventurer can retrace large sections of the trail. Since Following the Santa Fe Trail first appeared in 1984, the trail was designated a National Historic Trail under the National Park Service and public interest has mushroomed. This completely revised third edition now updates all directions and clarifies the changes that have taken place in the last 15 years.