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Beautifully simple hike and bike trail that twists through Kanopolis State Park.


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Map Key

1.7

Miles

2.8

KM

99%

Runnable

1,534' 468 m

High

1,492' 455 m

Low

78' 24 m

Up

77' 23 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

6%

Max Grade (3°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Trail usually stays open even when other trails in park close due to high water (e.g. Horsethief Canyon Trail)

Need to Know

$5 state park fee to enter. Large parking area at trailhead, but no distinct identifying sign. Rather, there is a boulder with a metal sculpture of a bike with red/white ribbons indicating the trailhead. Trail is a large loop that ends about 1/8 of a mile down the road from where you parked your car, so a quick 5 min walk at the end of the run along a paved road. Trail is marked well with red/white ribbons.

Runner Notes

Mostly grass, a few gently rocky sections. Definitely not an ankle twister - save for a recovery run day!

Description

This trail offers a perfect taste of what it's like to run through this part of Kansas - you've got beautiful native grasses, limestone boulders with the hope of fossils hidden within, and a gorgeous view of Kanopolis lake throughout the majority of the run. You start out by twisting along the path through groups of trees and tall grass, descending a bit as you make you're way toward the namesake of the trail, a gigantic split boulder.

Be on the lookout for deer as they are commonly spotted on the hills surrounding the trail. At around the halfway point you'll spot some picture-worthy views of the lake. Keep your eye out for a bald eagle or two soaring over the water. The second half of the trail ascends a bit and thins out to become mostly the tall grass prairie, allowing sweeping views of the rolling landscape surrounding the park.

Flora & Fauna

Spotted lots of scat from deer, a bald eagle flying overhead, and a birder's paradise if you're so inclined.

Contacts

Shared By:

Sydney Bolin

Trail Ratings

  5.0 from 1 vote

#3012

Overall
  5.0 from 1 vote
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Trail Rankings

#13

in Kansas

#3,012

Overall
6 Views Last Month
291 Since Dec 29, 2019
Intermediate Intermediate

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Photos

View of the lake from the trail.
Dec 29, 2019 near Ellsworth, KS

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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
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