Kansas

"The Sunflower State"

Kansas has always been a crossroads for explorers, a distinctive place where land and cultures meet. Many important trails during America's historic westward expansion passed through Kansas….a stopping place in these epic journeys.

Today, travellers encounter authentic frontier and western cowboy activities, nostalgic towns, unique ecosystems, and interesting cultures that surround the nation's finest farm and ranch land. Eleven scenic byways and historic trails zigzag you to stunning places. The Flint Hills National Scenic Byway will place you in the largest remaining native stand of tallgrass prairie in America...while the internationally significant Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway is the place to experience masses of sand hill cranes and pelicans, bald and golden eagles, shorebirds, ducks, geese, and whooping cranes. Perfect to relax, unwind, and rejuvenate.

A Kansas trip successfully blends historic with current, the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson is rapidly becoming the most comprehensive space museum in existence, whereas the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays recreates the days of Kansas 88 million years ago.

Kansas is energising, reflective, relaxing and rejuvenating. Discover its rich history, its storied trails and Wild West towns: Wichita, Dodge City, and Abilene. Drive through friendly, quirky communities. 

Historically a crossroads for explorers and settlers heading west and cowboys driving herds north to the rail-roads, Kansas today is home to intriguing scenic and historic byways and cosmopolitan cities rich with culture.

Land Area: 82,264 square miles

Population: 2,724 million

State Capital: Topeka

Largest City: Wichita

Local Time: CST – 6 hrs behind the UK. MST – 7 hrs behind the UK in the westernmost edge

Kansas has a varied climate from East to West, with an average temperature of 56°F (13°C). The average rainfall is 26.5 inches statewide; however, precipitation decreases as you travel west. There are four distinct seasons with the primary travel season beginning in mid-April and ending in early November.

28 Parks

Kansas is a slice of classic America, with its rugged cowboy culture and sweeping prairies. “Home, home on the range” are words from the state’s official song, and visitors can stay on authentic cattle ranches from rustic to farm chic. The state is rich in American Indian history, with museums devoted to the tribes that once lived here (four still do). In the Flint Hills, you can tour the vast tallgrass prairie to learn the significance of this delicate and beautiful ecosystem. See bison and attend a rodeo. Make time to eat: Kansans are proud of their smoked barbecue, Kansas City steaks and comfort foods like fried chicken and homemade pie.

Maybe because of its central location, Kansas has always played a vital role in the pioneering of the USA and is rich in American Indian history. Explore the Santa Fe Trail’s still-visible wagon tracks, travel the path of the Pony Express, see Civil War sites at Fort Larned and Fort Scott, and learn American Indian history at tribal museums and landmarks like the Council Oak tree, the site of an 1825 treaty with Osage Indians. Walk in the footsteps of Old West outlaws and pioneers at the Boot Hill Museum and the Old Cowtown Museum. The country lifestyle is alive at working cattle ranches that offer cattle drives and chuckwagon suppers under the stars, complete with classic Western music and cowboy poetry. 

Kansas’ pastoral landscape is wide open and sparsely populated, making for unbeatable scenery that you’re free to explore at your own pace. Twelve scenic byways crisscross the state, taking you from areas like Flint Hills’ tallgrass prairie, where the bison still roam, to the 80 million-year-old Little Jerusalem and Monument Rocks in the western Badlands. Prepare for fishing and kayaking along the Kansas River Trail, dotted with small prairie towns and teeming with wildlife and natural beauty. Delve into caverns nearly 200 meters underground at Strataca Underground Salt Museum, and see spectacular flocks of migrating birds at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Cycle or ride horseback along the 188-kilometer Flint Hills Nature Trail that follows the old Santa Fe Trail route. Dazzling sunflower fields in summer almost make it worth planning your trip around peak bloom season. 

When you sink your teeth into the unmistakable flavours of Kansas City-style barbecue – meats slow smoked over a variety of woods and covered with thick tomato- and molasses-based sauces – you’ll understand what all the fuss is about. And don’t forget to order famed Kansas beef served in steakhouses across the state. Kansans are friendly by nature and are happy to direct you to their favourite places to get barbecue, fried chicken and homemade pies – just some of the preferred comfort foods in abundance. You can even go straight to the source and pick up field-fresh produce, milk, cheese and flowers at working farmsteads. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to Kansas cuisine: Don’t let curb appeal fool you. Some of the best eating is in mom-and-pop, off-the-beaten-path local hangouts.