6 Serene Towns in Kansas for a Weekend Retreat
Seeking a serene, small-town escape doesn't get easier than in the prairie state of Kansas. Blending country-style hospitality with exciting events and outdoor adventures, these towns bubble over with history and sights you won't find anywhere else in the country. Take the small town of Lindsborg, full of charm and Dala horses along architectural streets with a feel of Sweden in the air.
Wilson, the Czech-settled town, is home to the world's largest hand-painted Czech egg. While much of the state consists of flat terrain, there are also stunning natural landscapes, like rolling hills under the endless skies. Kansas is renowned for out-of-this-world sunsets, and what could be more serene than that?
Colby
Colby, a small town amid vast, unspoiled plains, is an open door to the western Kansas wilderness. Peaceful and subdued, it has fun attractions for every taste of a weekend getaway escape, like the popular Colby Aquatic Park with a lazy river, lap pool, and curly slides. The 24-acre (97,000 m2) Prairie Museum of Art and History, a cultural center, depicts a well-rounded portrait of the town, which has meticulously preserved its heritage since infancy, like the Cooper Barn at the museum complex, called the "Largest Barn in Kansas." Abounding in quaint sites downtown, Thomas County Courthouse from 1907 is on the National Register of Historic Places, as is Colby Community High School, which kids attend to this day.
The art-deco sand-colored Colby City Hall is a must-see building, housing a rich history as a correctional facility, fire station, library, and meeting hall. For nature, look no further than the tranquil Villa High Lake, a man-made reservoir on the south side of Villa High Park. Delighting outdoor lovers since the 1960s, it offers water fun, playground equipment, picnic shelters, disc golf, and fishing, thanks to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The most popular Fike Park remains verdantly serene to stretch your legs. Find it at Franklin Avenue and Eighth Street, with public gazebos, a volleyball area, horseshoe pitching pits, and tennis courts. The Colby Inn and Suites will welcome you back in June, when the town hosts the Pickin on the Plains Bluegrass Festival of folk music and lights!
Cottonwood Falls
Cottonwood Falls, the heart of the Flint Hills, is a charming small town near a beautiful cascade, one of the state's finest. Resting right along the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, drivers can take in the history and natural beauty embodying the true heart of Kansas ranching. Take a stroll along the Cottonwood Falls River to the gorgeous views across the Cottonwood River Bridge before a sit-down meal at one of the award-winning restaurants.
From disc golf to dining al fresco, the elegant town of just over 800 residents feels like a tranquil weekend hideaway in any season, home to the oldest, longest, continuously operating courthouse west of the Mississippi. In the summer, tourists and locals enjoy the nearby Chase State Fishing Lake for camping and fishing, with the photogenic Chase Lake Falls on the east end. Just a short drive away, Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve feels idyllic on a stroll to absorb nature's power, sighting the great grazing bison herds. An array of independently owned boutique concept accommodations welcome tourists to wind down in style, from guest homes with porches and rocking chairs to the Grand Central Hotel & Grill, a popular stay and restaurant in a historic building on Broadway Street.
Lindsborg
How about a serene weekend escape to Sweden? Describing itself as low-key and slightly offbeat doesn't even begin to cover what this small town in Kansas can do for you on a quick getaway! Having originally distinguished themselves during the early Swedish settlement, citizens have not forgotten their Scandinavian and German roots, keeping the culture alive through the years and thus the allure of the foreign land without the hustle or expenses of leaving the country. Home to under 4,000 people today, Lindsborg has family attractions, like several Wild Dala Horse statues along the streets and stunning architecture downtown. Just a few miles south of Salina, "Little Sweden" reflects its foreign roots through museums and a number of annual events.
North of Bethany College, the 4.5-mile-long Valkommen Trail is great for stretching your legs after the drive on a bike or a hike. Nearby, Hoglund Dugout, a pit, was a shelter for the town's early inhabitants, while Coronado and Vikings Motel are reputable for your own stay in this charming town. South of town, the McPherson County Old Museum features artifacts from the town's past, with highlights like a historic flour mill and homestead cabin. Don't miss Coronado Heights and its sandstone masonry for an outdoor adventure with classic views of the city. Its castle-like shelter and lush green lawns are perfect for picnics or perhaps a photoshoot.
Norton
Norton, a small town on US Hwy 36, is every outdoorsman's fantasy base for a weekend escape. Renowned for some of the state's best fishing, Norton's sunsets are out of this world, with couples making a comeback getaway just to experience the warm glow. Norton County Historical Society and Museum mirrors the town's glorious past through thousands of relics. Its number one fishing lake in Kansas, Keith Sebelius Lake, is an interesting outdoor hotspot on Prairie Dog Creek, while Brooks or Hillcrest Motels offer all the comforts your group desires close to it all for a weekend.
Home to under 3,000 residents, Norton abounds in its naturally alluring presence, with a beautiful creek for fishing, boating, and swimming in the lake, as well as trail strolls among comic, darting prairie dogs. Keith Sebelius Reservoir/Prairie Dog State Park is just four miles west, with its artificial 2,500-acre reservoir hosting a large number of trophy wipers, the ferocious white bass/striped bass hybrid, walleye, and saugeye. Prairie Dog State Park has a wide variety of camping sites for RVs and traditional tents, as well as rentable cabins in nature.
Russell
Russell is generous in various attractions for an unforgettable weekend at a serene, small-town pace or outdoor adventures for every level. The Oil Patch Museum educates on geology, drilling, and oil production with stories about the people and events that made history for this town, including an up-close oil storage tank. The downtown is a classic Kansas scene for feel-good prowls through local antiques or during the Russell County Free Fair with rides, music, food, and motorsports for the whole last week of July. Don't miss the town's original one-screen theater from 1923 for a weekend evening flick, including in 3-D, while Days Inn and Fossil Creek Hotel & Suites are the two most popular stays in Russell to tuck you in after.
From mountain biking to the leisurely 0.8-mile nature stroll along the Bur Oak Nature Trail with ecosystem markers, visitors can then set up a picnic under the dam at Lake Wilson, 20 minutes east. The 4-mile mountain biking trail loop winds up and over the hills around the Wilson Lake area, including deep descents for intermediate levels. Thanks to Wilson Lake, Russell is a summertime oasis in the otherwise dry prairies of Kansas and flows through limestone into the lake, which makes it Kansas' clearest. Featuring high salt content, you can pretend to be by the sea while fishing for native ocean species like the striped bass, floating, or enjoying some scuba diving or other water sports. Stay until the beautiful sunset before taking a bite out of the steak at Meridy's, which is almost as legendary!
Wilson
Now that you have been to Sweden hop back on the mainland of Europe into the “Czech Capital of Kansas.” Established thanks to an influential Czech immigrant from Bohemia in Wilson's early railroading history, he was among the number of immigrants from Czechoslovakia in the 1870s to work on the railroad. Attracting more Czech settlers and blessing the area with a unique culture, Francis Swehla was the first Bohemian homesteader in 1874, while the town was chartered as the "Czech Capital of Kansas" exactly one hundred years later, in 1974. There is no better time for a weekend escape to Wilson (not far from Russell), the center of Czech culture, than during its annual After Harvest Czech Festival, on the last weekend in July, with a parade and cultural displays in arts and crafts, ethnic food, and dance. Next door, Wilson State Park is a dream for some serious mountain bikers along its switched-out, fun, and exhilarating Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail.
Home to hospitable locals eager to share their heritage and traditions, Lake Wilson offers fishing, camping supplies, and even dinner, along with amenities you won't find anywhere else. Choose from a lodge, a bed and breakfast, or a turn-of-the-century hotel, renovated with a restaurant and lounge. With popular historic attractions for the every day, like Wilson Station from 1871, the world’s largest hand-painted Czech egg is literally unmissable in Wilson. Don't miss the round-post rock jail and Midland Hotel, the set for the 1973 film “Paper Moon." Wilson's ethnic food stores offer third-generation expertise on meat cuts, as well as charming stops to shop for arts and crafts, antiques, sculptures, and ceramics for your home, including traditional batik and kraslice eggs.
Kansas, the Sunflower State, is full of little towns to savor in the serenity of the prairie landscapes. Whether you are in to unwind lakeside in Norton or Russell or seeking experiences off the heavily-tread path, each town welcomes back post-adventure with a homey feel to kick up your feet for another day of wonders. From the Wild West to foreign heritages, Kansas' choice of towns is as diverse as this Midwest state itself, so pick from its tiny kernels for an authentic, serene, and downright epic weekend escape!
