Flint Hills State Park Trail Guide

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Osawatomie, KS, US

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Route Overview

Ottawa Bike and Trail, LLC

Bicycle Sales, Service, Rentals, Tours and Trail Information

94 mi.

1,881 ft.

This route provides a detailed summary of the Flint Hills Trail from Osawatomie Kansas to Council Grove Kansas. Click the point of interest icons to learn about the facilities available at each point.

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Route Details

# Overview
The Flint Hills Trail State Park features incredible views of the Kansas Flint Hills; one of the last remaining tall-grass prairie ecosystems in the world. The trail follows an old railroad corridor developed in 1886 for the Council Grove, Osage City & Ottawa Railway. The trail was previously known as the Flint Hills Nature Trail but it became a Kansas State Park in 2018 and will now be known as the Flint Hills Trail State Park!

The trail visits the towns of Osawatomie, Rantoul, Ottawa, Vassar, Osage City, Admire, Bushong, Council Grove, and Herrington.  The trail follows the Marais Cygnes River as well as some of the original Santa Fe Trail Route. Wildlife on the trail includes whitetail deer, bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, prairie chickens, and bobcats.

**NOTE:**  The Flint Hills Trail continues from Council Grove to Herrington.  However, this part of the route is unfinished and is not currently included in this guide.  This section will be added as soon as it's in rideable condition.
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## Trail Conditions
The Flint Hills Trail State Park is mostly well maintained rail-to-trail with a hard packed crushed stone surface.  The finished sections are incredibly resilient to rain and can be ridden during wet weather.   Much of the trail is tree covered and can become blocked by branches or obstructed until the trail is cleared by volunteers.  If you come across branches or debres on the trail please do your part and clear the trail for other riders.

Some sections of the trail are less finished with either a packed ballast, gravel, or dirt surface.   The less finished sections may be prone to stickers, holes or wet or muddy patches.  These less finished sections are being improved quickly and we will update this guide to reflect the latest conditions.

The route guide below contains a description of trail condition for each section of the trial.  The following terms will be used to describe the relative condition of each section of the trail.   
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## Condition Guide

* **Finished:** Well maintained; finished with crushed stone; ridable in wet conditions; may be ridden with standard bicycle

* **Maintained:**  Finished with ballast, dirt, or other surface material; may contain inconsistent sections, may not be rideable in wet conditions; bicycles with trail, gravel, or mountain bike tires recommended.
* **Un-Maintained:** Mostly unfinished with rough sections, potholes, wash-outs, or plant growth.  Likely not rideable in wet conditions; bicycles with trail, gravel, or mountain bike tires are necessary.
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# @poi[Osawatomie Trail Head](9067183)

Osawatomie is @poi["Mile Zero" of the Flint Hills Trail](38150714).  The recently completed Walker Station trailhead is located at the Southwest Corner of the Karl E. Cole Sports Complex.  Just head south on 12th Street to get to the sports complex.  Signage will direct you to the trailhead.  The trailhead has sufficient parking and will soon have restrooms and picnic facilities.

Park your car at the high school, or at the John Brown Museum State Park.  Parking overnight at the high-school is allowed.

## Points of Interest

Osawatomie is most known as the home of John Brown and the Kansas abolitionists as they fought for Kansas to enter the union as a free State.  Several battles were fought in the area which led many people to refer to the territory as bloody Kansas.

You can learn about the history at the  @poi[John Brown Museum State Historic Site.](9735022)

## @slice[Osawatomie to Ottawa](d,164.3,32560.68)
**Trail Condition:** Finished

**Maris De Cygnes River:**  The name Marais des Cygnes means "Marsh of the Swans” in French.  While you are unlikely to see Swans you’ll see plenty of wildlife as well as beautiful views of the river from the trail.

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# @point[Ottawa](d,32490.67)

## Services

**@poi[Ottawa Bike and Trail:](8879422)** Offers bicycle sales, service, rentals as well as supported bicycle tours along the Flint Hills and Prairie Spirit State Park Trails.  Stop by for trail information, supplies, and recommenations.

## Points of Interest

**@poi[Historic Main Street:](9720892)** Downtown Ottawa was placed on the "The National Register of Historic Places”, on June 29, 1972.  Here's the description from the register:

*"The commercial Main Street structures were built between 1872 and 1900 of the late Victorian styling with renaissance eclectic and some classical features. The buildings are individualistic but have the same underlying style and character. Their uniqueness lies in the almost unaltered facades and great aesthetic compatibility."*

The **@poi[Franklin County Courthouse](9738131)** is located just a few blocks off of the main trail and it's worth a short ride to see.  This Romanesque Revival style building was constructed in 1892 and was designed by local architect George P. Washburn.  Washburn designed many other prominent buildings in Ottawa as well as other county courthouses across the state.

**@poi[Old Depot Museum:](9738146)** The historic depot museum was constructed in 1888 as the headquarters of the Kansas City, Lawrence, and Southern Kansas Railway which later merged with the   Santa Fe Railway.  The depot is now the home of the Franklin County Historic Society and houses a collection of local artifacts.  The depot is also the starting point of the Prairie Spirit Trail State Park.

**@poi[Plaza Theater](11804381)** Plaza Theater is the oldest continuing operating theater in the world.  Moving pictures were first shown here in 1905.   Check out a movie or visit the museum in the theater.

**@poi[Prairie Spirit State Park Trail crossing:](9738132)**  The Flint Hills Trail crosses the Prairie Spirit Trail here.  The Prairie Spirit Trail State Park runs from the Ottawa to Iola, Kansas and covers approximately 52 miles.

## @slice[Ottawa to Pomona](d,32430.2,50823.03)

**Trail Condition:** Finished

**@poi[Marais de Cygnes River Bridge:](9719690)** The bridge over the Marais des Cygnes River is a Ottawa Landmark.  The bridge provides a great spot for pictures and great views up and down the river.

**@slice[Osborne Road Detour:](d,35312.78,40371.39)** This approximately 3.2 mile detour allows you to cross the busy Santa Fe Railroad tracks at the road crossing.  The detour is very well marked and follows a well maintained gravel road.  There may be dogs on the detour road, but they are usually friendly and will likely bark as you ride by.  
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# @poi[Pomona](8879421)

## Services
Pomona contains convenience stores, gas stations and several resteraunts.

**NOTE:** The town of Pomona is located approximately a half mile north of the trail on Colorado Road.

## @slice[Pomona to Vasser](d,50823.03,67582.29)

**Trail Condition:** Finished.  Be prepared for a gradual up-hill grade into Vasser.
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# @poi[Vasser](8879417)

## Services

Services are available at the Post Office, and Vassar Mercantile.  A Porta Potty is also available at @poi[Vassar City Park](8879420).

## Points of Interest

**@poi[Pomona Lake State Park:](8879423)**
Pomona Lake is located approximately a mile north of the trail on S Paulen Road.  The park offers the best camping facilities on the trail as well as  access to the 4,000 acre Pomona Reservoir.

## @slice[Vasser to Osage City](d,67582.29,87072.22)

**Trail Condition:**  Maintained; This section of the trail becomes less finished as you near Osage City.
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# @poi[Osage City](8879416)

## Services
There are many services available in Osage City.  Recommended stops are Jerry's Thriftway Grocery Store and Buzzards Pizza.  This is a good place to stock up on supplies as there are minimal services available until Council Grove.

**NOTE:** The trail through Osage City is not maintained.  *The trail can be ridden, but we recommend taking the @slice[Osage City Detour](d,85154.07,87985.73) through town.*

## @slice[Osage City to Admire](d,87997.9,112057.09)

**Trail Condition:** Less Maintained;  This section is the least finished section of the trail.  You may encounter pot-holes, ruts, or light brush on the trail.   
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# @poi[Admire](8879415)

## Services
No facilities in Admire.  Post office is open with very limited hours.

## @slice[Admire to Allen](d,111679.4,118394.7)

**Trail Condition:** Less Maintained;  You may encounter pot-holes, ruts, or light brush on the trail.   
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# @poi[Allen](8879419)

## Services
Keianna's Dive has Burgers, Fries, and Salads as well as bathroom facilities.  The Post Office and Library are also open with limited business hours.

## @slice[Allen to Bushong](d,118394.7,126456.9)

**Trail Condition:** Maintained; This section of the trail is in near finished condition.  
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# @poi[Bushong](8879414)

## Services
There are no services at Bushong.   There are bathroom services at the next stop in Allen.

## @slice[Bushong to Council Grove](d,126456.9,151096.81)

**Trail Condition:** Finished; this is a very smooth section of the trail.

**@poi[Highest point on the trail:](9740893)** This section contains the highest point on the trail at 1,439 feet elevation.

**@poi[Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park:](9746559)**  This 168 acre park is a tribute to the native homeland of the Kaw Nation.  The park includes the 35 foot Kanza Monument which can be seen just north of the trail.  The park also includes the 2.5 mile Kanza Heritage Trail which connects to the Flint Hills Trail.
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# @poi[Council Grove](9740905)

## Services
There are many services in or near Council Grove including hotels, resteraunts, grocery stores.  Camping is available at the nearby @poi[Council Grove Lake](9741272).

## Points of Interest

**@poi[Council Grove Historic District:](9741273)** Council Grove gets it's name from the treaty that was signed in 1825 between the Federal Government and the Osage Indians.  The treaty allowed safe passage west by the early pioneers.  The Historic District of Council Grove contains buildings and locations that are important to the pioneer migration on the Santa Fe Trail.

**@poi[Trail Days Cafe and Museum:](9746560)**  The Trail Days Cafe and Museum is located in the historic Rawlinson-Terwilliger Home was built alongside the Santa Fe Trail in 1861.  In addition to being a historic site it's also a great place to eat.  You can tour the home and other historic buildings on the site.

Flint Hills State Park Trail Guide

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