7 Best Small Towns in Kansas for Outdoor Enthusiasts

The state of Kansas, since earning its statehood in 1861, is what many think of as the quintessential Great Plains of the American West. The former territory was once associated with racially motivated violence, inspiring the undesirable label of "Bleeding Kansas." Today, the state is known for its endless grain fields, cattle farming, and cultural juggernauts like the book and film The Wizard of Oz. Kansas' towns are usually not so well known as larger cities, such as Wichita, Kansas City (which is shared with neighboring Missouri), or Topeka, the state capital — yet they symbolize the loveliest and most visit-worthy parts of Kansas, especially for outdoor enthusiasts.

Council Grove

At a modest 2,100 souls, Council Grove, in Kansas' east-central region, often features on lists of the state's prettiest places. Its history may be just as interesting: as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail, and from the fact that its first European traveler was one Seth Hays, a go-wester and the great-grandson of Daniel Boone. Hays came in 1847 to trade with the Kaw tribe of Native Americans, who were assigned a reservation here the previous year.

Council Grove's attractions have only grown since then. It has no fewer than 15 places on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). One of these is the Post Office Oak, a tree to which settlers would tack addressed letters in the hope that someone would later be traveling in that direction. Also outdoors, the beautiful but somber Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park remembers the history of displacement of Native populations. For fun on the water, head to Council Grove Lake, a reservoir northeast of town, for swimming, fishing, and Plains fresh air.

Marysville

Marysville, population 3,400, lies in Kansas' northeast corner, near the border with neighboring Nebraska. Incorporated in 1861, the town offers many cultural attractions, including the Koester House Museum and Gardens. Its celebrated blossoms add color to the Victorian mansion dating from 1876.

In town, the Marshall County Historic Court Museum tells of Maryville's years along the Oregon Trail. The Pony Express postal system also passed through town. The town's green spaces include parks, converted rail trails, and especially Alcove Spring Historic Park, which highlights the town's pioneer history. Next to the Big Blue River, just west of town, visitors can see the Historic Trails Park and its replica of a rope ferry, formerly used to move people and goods to the other side.

Cottonwood Falls

Cottonwood Falls, with 800 people, is undoubtedly small. Yet it punches well above its weight in charm and beautiful sees-and-dos. Finishing its incorporation in 1872 and choosing a place along the Cottonwood River, the town, in the state's Flint Hills region, offers riversides and abundant fresh air. History fans will love the Chase County Courthouse. Built in 1873, it is the oldest continuously used court west of the Mississippi River and is NRHP-listed.

Outdoor enthusiasts should head to Chase State Fishing Lake or the Chase Lake Falls east of town. The Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve protects and celebrates local habitats. Fun fact: Cottonwood Fall's surrounding Chase County inspired PrairyErth, a 1999 travel book, interpretive history, and "deep map" by US writer William Least Heat-Moon.

Wamego

The northeast town of Wamego, with 4,900 residents, makes for a quiet and beautiful weekend. Located west of Topeka and first established in the 1860s, the city, which takes its name from a famous Native American chief of the Potawatomi tribe, draws visitors of all kinds. The town is known for its stone Dutch Mill, built in 1879; the Columbian Theatre, built in 1895; and more modern attractions like Wamego City Park. The pretty Kansas River flows south of town for outdoor pursuits.

Wamego's Oz Museum, which has been running since 2003, is devoted to the movie version of The Wizard of Oz. The museum has a mind-boggling 25,000 objects in connection with the film. Each fall, the town hosts the OZtoberFEST, which manages to celebrate a German-style Oktoberfest and The Wizard of Oz at the same time.

Norton

Norton, with 2,700 inhabitants, unites history and beauty in one place. The Norton County Historical Society and Museum offers a local view of the past in humorous ways: its "They Also Ran" Gallery, an homage to the losers of US presidential races, provides a visit, unlike any other museum. The gallery's tagline summarizes its mission well, and the now-obscure names it remembers: "Defeated, but not forgotten."

For some light exercise, the Norton Public Library has an outdoor sculpture collection that is surprisingly lovely for such a small town. Elmwood Park provides green space and a stretch of water along Prairie Dog Creek, southeast of the city. Veterans Memorial Park honors military service personnel in a downtown location.

Salina

Salina, population 46,200, begins with a gold rush like those in Alaska, Georgia, and California. By the mid-19th century, thousands had descended upon Salina as fortune-seekers. Incorporating in 1970, the city would eventually transition to cattle raising, but its industrial spirit and inherent sense of optimism live on.

Tourists should plan their visit for the Smoky Hill River Festival, held in town each June. Salina's Smoky Hill Museum hosts a street fair every September, and its year-round museum exhibits local history. Outdoor fans will enjoy Salina's two side-by-side parks along the Smoky Hill River: Indian Rock Park and the Bill Burke Sports Complex. Those traveling with children will enjoy Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, a zoo west of town.

Abilene

With 6,400 residents, Abilene lies about 25 miles east of Salina. First founded in 1857, the town, as the boyhood hometown of former president and World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower, draws thousands of US and international tourists annually. Today, the city hosts the statesman's grave, the official Eisenhower presidential library, and a related museum.

Like Salina, Abilene owes part of its growth to the cattle business; the town's Drover's Cottage, which finished in 1868, helped establish Abilene as one of Kansas' original "cow towns." Among Abilene's other points of interest is the Seelye Mansion, built in 1905 and considered one of Kansas' loveliest private homes. Abilene is also home to the legacy of C.L. Brown, whose telephone company later became the Sprint Corporation and, later, T-Mobile.

Kansas' History and Beauty Live On In Its Small Towns

Kansas has come a long way from its days as a violent territory. It now enjoys a modern reputation as one of the most pleasant in the United States, and an ideal haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Plains vistas, not to mention rivers like the Big Blue, Cottonwood, and Kansas, suggest a heritage of natural beauty that every Kansan can be proud of. Historic trails like those in Council Grove cross the state, while Kansas's Native American histories, evident in Wamego and statewide, continue to tell visitors of the region's Indigenous pasts.