national trails day

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Vote for the Kansas Top Trail Town 2017

In honor of the upcoming National Trails Day (June 3), we’re hoping to find out which Kansas town / city you think is the best one for trails.

Whichever location gets the most votes will be honored as our Top Trail  Town of the Year 2017, and we’ll be sending a free copy of our book to the winning town’s public library.

We’ve included in our poll the places that are expanding their trail system, have embraced the local trails, and embody the spirit of adventure on the plains.

  • Iola has the Thrive Allen County campaign as well as being the trailhead for the Prairie Spirit Trail, Southwind Rail Trail, and the Lehigh Portland Trails among others.
  • Marysville combines the old and new trails of Kansas. It’s home to the recently completed Blue River Rail Trail that extends into Nebraska as well as the Pony Express Trail and Oregon Trail. The Kansas Sampler Foundation named it the Trails Capital of Kansas.
  • Topeka is the trailhead for the Landon Nature Trail, which starts at the historic site of Brown v Board of Education, it has the only set of trails outside of a Governor’s Mansion, and it’s an access point for the Kansas River Trail.
  • Lawrence is another stop on the Kansas River Trail, and it has a plethora of well-loved and well-maintained trails including the KU Field Station, Clinton Lake, and the nearby recently restore and expanded Baker Wetlands.

Did we leave one out? Let us know and let us hear your vote!

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National Trails Day is June 6!

National-Trails-Day-copyright-American-Hiking-Society-00001We were pretty excited about National Trails Day – the first Saturday of June. It’s the country’s largest celebration of trails, and Kansas has hundreds of miles of great trails (hint, find out more with our book!).

But then, as can happen in Kansas, the weather has turned and a lot of trails may not be in great condition for a hike. Something to keep in mind – as best you can, stay off trails for a couple of days after a big rain since bike treads and hoof prints particularly will leave indentations in the mud that will then harden, making a previously well-groomed trail into a rutted mess.

For those ready to take on the always changing Kansas weather, volunteers have worked hard to put together some events across the state. Here are the National Trails Day events happening in Kansas –