Always ambitious but not always the best at following through, I am currently more than halfway through a personal challenge – to walk 1 million steps in 100 days. Seemingly dramatic, it simply maths out to 10,000 steps a day. I’m full of determination to accomplish this challenge, to prove that I can in fact follow through for myself and for no other reason.

Trusty Atlas

And so on day one of a road trip in which we would be driving 10+ hours, I was mildly anxious about how to find the opportunity to walk 10,000 steps as well as sit in a car the majority of the day. Pouring over my atlas, to my surprise I found a hiking trail, Rocktown Trail, a short distance off the interstate on our route. A quick google search confirmed not only was there a hiking trail, but it was listed on multiple sites as the best hiking in Kansas. The best hiking in all of Kansas… Who knew?

Hiking in Kansas

Located along the Post Rock Scenic Byway about 5 miles north of I-70 in the heart of the Smoky Hills, you will find Wilson State Park. A large scenic lake is nestled in the vast hilly grassland and features tons of outdoor recreation including boating, swimming, biking and Rocktown Trail hiking. The most striking aspect of the park is the red sandstone rocks towering over the lake, 15 to 30 feet tall.

Rocktown Trail begins at a small parking area with room for 4-5 vehicles, winds up and down the rolling hills to the lakeshore offering exploration opportunities of the sandstone rocks and cliffs. Before the trail leads you back up a loop to meet back at the parking area. The trail is 2.5 miles in total, though exploring the shoreline can easily add an extra quarter mile to your hike.

Hiking in the Midwest

Only in the midwest do we find this particular hiking trail, where instead of gravel or rocks or a dirt path, the trail is simply a wide strip of grass mowed down short to guide your walk. There is a particular beauty to find in a grasslands trail. Rocktown Trail features a wide variety of wildflowers, sagebrush, yucca and a small hedgehog cactus, buckthorn and woolgrass, poppymallow and veratrum. Not many trees dot this landscape, though you’ll see a handful of elm and poplar trees near the start of the trail. It’s definitely a hike to bring a hat of other form of sun cover during the heat of the summer.

Picnic Break

Bringing a small backpack with a picnic lunch and water, we chose to make the most of our break from time spent in the truck. A beautiful Sunday afternoon greets us on the day we visit, the temperature staying in the mid 60’s, the sky partly overcast. Since you can take the loop trail either direction, we passed by only two other couples on our hike who opted to hike clockwise to our counter-clockwise. When we got to the shore, a family was enjoying a break on their boat at the feet of the cliffs. Otherwise, we had the Rocktown Trail all to ourselves.

State parks typically get less attention than national parks, but they are simply miniature versions of national parks. After all, most national parks begin as state parks or another type of protected area.

Rocktown Trail truly lives up to the name of one of the best hikes in Kansas. The juxtaposition of sandstone rock and grasslands are stunning, and the accessibility of visiting are certainly worth a detour to get out of your car and stretch your legs and take in a bit of uncrowded beauty in nature.