Most people think Kansas is really…… flat. Well, there might just be a few surprises.  Some of you have heard of the Kansas Flint Hills but many have not ventured to the very western part of the state.  Yes, it is very flat in that part of the state.  However, if you venture down the long dusty road pictured below,

The Long Dusty Road

and after you think that you’re really lost this time for sure, you’ll find some very interesting formations. First, you’ll see

What happened to the Flat Land?

followed by what you came looking for all the while, Monument Rocks. This landmark is on private land but the owners are generous to share it with the public.  These limestone formations were formed 80 million years ago and were once the floor of a vast inland sea.

Monument Rocks

The image below shows my car as a reference to how tall these “rocks” are.  They’re about 70 feet tall and you can walk right up to them. As a testament to the people that visit, I saw no graffiti which is refreshing.

They are tall

Not too far from Monument Rock, you’ll find another surprise. It’s an oasis called Lake Scott State Park and Wildlife Area.  The flat plains drop to this startling oasis with natural springs, deep wooded canyons and craggy bluffs.

Lake Scott

While I had a bobcat visit my camp, I also saw many of these circling above. They’re turkey vultures. I kept wondering if they were trying to tell me something!!!

Turkey Vulture

I also saw the weirdest bison, I’ve ever seen. The owners claimed them to be purebred bison or American Buffalo but they look like Beefalo to me.  What do you think?

American Bison or Beefalo?

Oh, by the way, Lake Scott is rich in Kansas history too. Several Indian tribes have occupied the area. Indians reported French fur traders at the settlement in 1727.  Not more than a stones throw away, the last white casualty of the Indian Wars in Kansas, Colonel William H. Lewis, was wounded and later died while trying to round up some Cheyenne men, women children who had escaped a reservation in Oklahoma as they were crossing through the area.

And you thought that western Kansas was just flat cattle country. I hope you’ve enjoyed the images and the little bit of history along with them.

Hope you come back again!

Bill