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Best Mountain Hikes in Kansas

The directory currently contains 8 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Kansas. Their average mapped distance is 127 km and average recorded ascent is 181 m (594 ft); the longest route in the set is 216 km.

This subset represents 23% of the 35 quality-checked routes in Kansas. Its average distance is 127 km, compared with 35.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 181 m (594 ft), versus 108 m (354 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes carry the mountain tag. Their measured distance and ascent are shown separately so the label is not used as a proxy for difficulty. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 8 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

87.6 km

ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 1

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

25 m

ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 5

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
200 km
/ 124 mi
Elevation gain
291 m
Typical duration
47 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Burlington Northern Santa Fe 5399(C44-9W), 777(C44-9W), Kansas City Southern 4807(ES44AC) and 1890(SD40-2) Lead a Westbound Manifest on the BNSF Emporia Sub near Timberland Blvd West of Northgate Street in Olathe, Kansas Photo Taken: 3-5-17
Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
87.6 km
/ 54.5 mi
Elevation gain
320 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
P.H. Meehan House
Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
99.0 km
/ 61.5 mi
Elevation gain
150 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Quartermaster's store building at Fort Larned , a historic fort and current National Historic Site near Larned , Pawnee County , Kansas , United States . Built in 1860, the fort was declared a National Historic Site on 31 August 1964 and ad
Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
102 km
/ 63.1 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
92.8 km
/ 57.7 mi
Elevation gain
141 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Exterior view of Warrensburg High School in Warrensburg, Missouri , United States. Photo taken by Josh Anderson and Brittany Torres.
Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
216 km
/ 135 mi
Elevation gain
431 m
Typical duration
51 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
129 km
/ 79.9 mi
Typical duration
30 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Kansas · United States

Distance
87.5 km
/ 54.3 mi
Elevation gain
92 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Flint Hills Nature TrailKansas200 km291 m47 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 1Kansas87.6 km320 m20 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 3Kansas99.0 km150 m23 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 5Kansas102 km25 m23 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 7Kansas92.8 km141 m21 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Missouri - L - Seg 3Kansas216 km431 m51 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 4Kansas129 km0 m30 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 6Kansas87.5 km92 m20 hrExpertApril to October

ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 7, ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 3, ADT - Missouri - L - Seg 3 currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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