Land and Sky Scenic Byway
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Kansas Byways

Land and Sky Scenic Byway, also, Kansas Byways. . , The stories of Land and Sky reflect the way the land shapes the lifestyle and culture of those who live here, from Native Americans to present- day farmers., First People, First Nations , Storylines of the Kansas Byways , Semi-nomadic Native Americans were the First People, First Nations of the area, trading along the nearby Ancient Indian Traders' Trail. Initially using dogs beasts of burden, Plains Tribes, such as the Cheyenne and Arapaho, developed horse cultures with the introductlon of horses by the Spanish explorers., Land's Legacy , Storylines of the Kansas Prairie , The Land's Legacy along the Land and Sky Byway is driven by the Rocky Mountains' uplift. Despite once being underwater, the continual lifting of the Rockies and sediment from its runoff created higher elevations and a rain shadow, both of which affect the types of plant life that can flourish in the region., Captions , Land and Sky Scenic Byway/ Kansas ecoregion where farming methods are utilized. , A windmill stands in a pasture. , Grain bins alongside railroad tracks. , Horses graze on the land. , Arikaree Breaks , The Kansas byways are as much about people and stories as they are about the scenery. The story of Kansas can be organized into five storylines, like chapters in a novel. Kiosks and signs along the byways tell the larger story with context to enrich your experience, spark your interest in the state, and shine a spotlight on its unique landscape and communities., Storylines of the Kansas Byways, Land's Legacy , To know America, you must know the Great Plains. To know the Great Plains, you must know Kansas. , Land's Legacy, the first byway storyline, explores the land itself and how that landscape has shaped human history. As a vast grassland - that once extended unbroken from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains - the Great Plains defines this country and its people as fundamentally as any of the nation's better-known landscapes. Often overlooked, the stunning landscapes and varied wildlife of the Great Plains provides a scenic backdrop against which this country was made whole as the last frontier for American settlement., First People, First Nations , Native Americans have a rich 11,000- year history in Kansas, inhabiting the state since the end of the Ice Age. , First People, First Nations focuses on pre-Columbian history, before contact with Europeans, American settlement, and the subsequent displacement of tribes. This storyline presents Native American heritage independent of the eventual influences of Euro-American peoples. While it provides basic facts concerning tne Native Americans in Kansas, it is more than a retrospective, emphasizing the history and importance of the Native Americans to present-day generations., Immigrants All , All Kansans are or have been immigrants, from the first Native American to today's most recent Kansan. , Immigrants All follows the people who came to and settled in Kansas. While discussions of settlers often bring to mind stories of Euro-American pioneers, this storyline also includes Native American tribes who were forced to come to Kansas, whether they stayed or not. From settlers to traders, soldiers to passers-through, migrants to refugees Immigrants All is about people and their efforts to eke out an existence in the Kansas territory. There is no native Kansan; all are immigrants. , Bridging the American Divide , The Great Plains is an iconic American landscape that changed the complexion of the American saga. , The Great Plains is a land that fundamentally changed the way Americans view the country and themselves. American settlers pushed west, but it wasn't until they were able to occupy the space in the middle, Bridging the American Divide, that America was finally complete from sea to shining sea. The Kansas Byways, in general, stretch across a rural landscape where travelers are exposed to some of the most open vistas in the nation, a landscape that redefined America. , Past Forward , Adaptations and inventions necessary to settling the Great Plains continue evolving to serve humanity. , Kansas settlers were faced with a foreign landscape that challenged their abilities to adapt, adjust, and persevere. Many from the humid, forested eastern United States were unprepared for the treeless expanses west of the Missouri River Basin. With harsh winters, endless wind, and scarce wood, new adaptations and inventions were developed to tame the rugged landscape. As inventions such as the American windmill continue to evolve, Kansans illuminate the way forward by drawing on the lessons of the past. , Explore the Byways , Experience Kansas along its 12 distinctly unique byways. With nine scenic and three historic byways , including two National Scenic Byways , you can connect with the state's authentic culture, natural beauty, and rich history against a backdrop created over the millennia., 1-Land and Sky , Travel northwest Kansas where the wide-open expanse and endless sky meet on the horizon. Along this scenic route, one can scale the highest point in Kansas, explore the rugged Arikaree Breaks, follow the Great Western Cattle Trail, and learn about agriculture adaptation in the dry High Plains,, 2-Western Vistas , Visit a rugged landscape on the culturally and visually fascinating route in the Wild West of legend. Where Native Americans and pioneers once eked out a living, this historic byway has become a geologist's and paleontologist's paradise with unusual rock formations such as Monument Rocks and LIttle Jerusalem, and one of the world's best fossil hunting areas., 3-Smoky Valley , Named for their hazy, blue appearance at sunrise and sunset, the Smoky Hills divide the mixed-grass prairie from the shortgrass prairie of the western Great Plains. Passing along the historic Smoky Hill Trall, this byway showcases native grasses and wlldflowers year-round in addition to its unique history and places of speclal beauty like the Cedar Bluff Reservoir., 4-Post Rock , Over weathered bedrock in the Smoky Hills, this scenic byway displays its striking beauty across fields, pastures, prairies, and speclal places like Wilson Lake. The challenging landscape required pioneers to earn their space here, as revealed by the route's namesake limestone fence posts. Thls creative and resourceful legacy lives on in its people., 5-Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway , Formed by ancient and ongoing geological motion, this is a land of stunning bird migrations, wild winds and weather, and richly layered human activity, along with its rare inland salt marsh, Everywhere is evidence of movement and change, from rippllng wheat fields to the spectacle of 100,000 shorebirds allghting in wetlands along thls National Scenic Byway., 6-Gypsum Hills , Noteworthy for its rolling, weathered red hills, picturesque vistas, and outdoor recreational options, this byway offers plenty of diverse and tantallzing views. With a rugged landscape of ancient floodplains, buttes, canyons, mesas, and sinkholes, the drive includes two scenic overlooks to help visitors soak it all in., 7-Prairie Trail , Along the byway, follow the steps of Native Americans, explorers, and pioneers as they sought food, shelter, adventure, and a better life. Early traders followed the nearby Santa Fe Trail, 19th century cowboys drove cattle along the Chisholm Trail, and today tourists visit places like Kanopolis and the Maxwell Wildlife refuge to experience the same wonder., 8-Native Stone , Limestone is the bedrock on which much of Kansas rests, providing countless natural landmarks and building material for many historic buildings. This byway highlights the natural wonder of the rock formations and the amazing craft-work of masons who built Kansas' communities of native stone., 9-Flint Hills National Scenic Byway , Experience incredible views of the native grasses and flowers of the tallgrass prairie, one of the last in the world along this National Scenic Byway. Unlike in other places, much of the land looks as it did for thousands of years as the Kaw and other native tribes lived here, and as settlers and traders navigated the Santa Fe Trail to New Mexico., 10-Glacial Hills , This scenic byway gets its name from the rolling hills and rock-strewn valleys carved by ancient glaciers. The receding ice left a beautiful landscape of fertile farmland and nearby rivers. Its magnetic presence has drawn many visitors, from Lewis and Clark, to Kansas' earliest settlers, to present-day sightseers., 11-Frontier Military , Travel through time, visiting the forts built along this historic byway. Originally meant to move soldiers and supplies, the Miitary Trail watched American history unfold. From north to south, visitors will find historical gems from Kansas' frontier days and the Civll War, includlng the historic Forts Leavenworth and Scott. A small cabin in Baxter Springs marks the spot of Fort Blair., 12-Historic Route 66 , Kansas' Historic Route 66 Byway offers opportunities for visitors to "get their own kicks" while driving the original Kansas portion of Route 66. In southeast Kansas on the "Ozark Plateau," this Byway invites travelers to enjoy and experience the history and culture of Kansas along this famous route.