The 10 Best Outdoor Destinations To Visit In Kansas This Summer

Good weather days in Kansas always seem to make us want to travel and explore what’s around us. There are a ton of things to explore, and as long as the weather cooperates, we’ve got all summer to explore these outdoor destinations. Grab your Kansas bucket list, and prepare to explore just what Kansas has to offer this time around. I wonder how many you’ll cross off this year?

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This underrated park hiding out near Kansas City is beautiful, if you've got the time to explore it. There are multiple hiking trails within, as well as plenty of things to see inside the nature center when it's open.

Address: 909 North, KS-7, Olathe, KS 66061

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Similar to Ernie Miller, ICT also has a nature center and decent sized park to explore and learn about our local wildlife and ecosystem. It's always an exciting trip, and I end up spotting a different animal every visit.

Address: 6232 East 29th Street North, Wichita, KS 67220

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Any outdoor attractions list in Kansas isn't complete without Monument Rocks, especially when the weather is so nice. Clear skies and windy days are perfect for a trip here, as long as you remember to take your camera!

Address: Gove 16, Oakley, KS 67748

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Also near Monument Rocks is Lake Scott State Park and the many historical markers within its bounds. Explore the ruins of the northernmost pueblo in the country, or an old limestone home built to last.

Address: Scott City, KS 67871

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This giant barn used to hold draft horses, but eventually switched to tractors and hay, and then later to the museum it is today. It has 16 sides that make it appear round, and plenty of things to see both inside and out.

Address: O Street, Mullinville, KS 67109

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This giant easel also comes with a giant rendition of one of Van Gogh's Sunflower pieces, though the painting isn't the largest of its kind. This giant easel stands tall and proud, impervious to weather.

Address: 1901-1917 Cherry Avenue, Goodland, KS 67735

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This giant shovel, a Bucyrus-Erie model 1850-B electric shovel, used to be the second largest of its type used during the 1960s. It's the centerpiece of a gorgeous mining museum with many equally interesting, albeit smaller, shovels and machinery. Imagine the noise this thing makes when it runs!

Address: 6509 NW 60th Street, West Mineral, KS 66782

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It's said that from this lookout, you can see both Missouri and Nebraska, and on clear days, can even see a small part of Iowa. Regardless of technicalities, it's an amazing view from this overlook that many people make a whole day trip out of.

Address: 3rd Street, White Cloud, KS 66094

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Kansans are used to wide expanses of grassland views, but that doesn't mean a change of scenery isn't new and refreshing. This grassland isn't like the flint hills, and it's not like many other areas of Kansas. Traveling here in the summertime usually means wide expanses of wildflowers and plenty of fresh air.

Address: 242 US-56, Elkhart, KS 67950

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Traveling from Coldwater to Medicine Lodge is generally how you get the best view of these red hills, unless you start taking back roads. They're even more beautiful by horseback, but many of us will stick to our vehicles away from the bugs. Either way, it's a beauty to behold from any angle.

Address: US-160, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104

Here’s a link to the map you see below, so you can bookmark it for later use.

Have you seen all of these outdoor attractions yet? If you have any favorites you’d like to share, feel free to post them in the comments for us to see. If you love adding things to your Kansas bucket list, make sure this list of restaurants and their best dishes are a part of that list as well.