Split Boulder Trail

Dogs Leashed

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

$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 hike along a paved road. Trail is marked well with red/white ribbons.

This trail offers a perfect taste of what it's like to hike 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 hike. 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.

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