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Moderate Hiking Trails in Kansas

The directory currently contains 11 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Kansas. Their average mapped distance is 9.4 km and average recorded ascent is 115 m (377 ft); the longest route in the set is 15.6 km.

This subset represents 31% of the 35 quality-checked routes in Kansas. Its average distance is 9.4 km, compared with 35.5 km across the full local set.

Every route in this set is rated moderate by the directory’s distance-and-elevation model. Technical terrain and live conditions are not part of that rating. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (27%) 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

0.9 km

Gnomes' Garden

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

21 m

Lawrence River Trail

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

Return logistics

2 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

Moderate

Marty's Woods

Kansas · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Gnomes' Garden

Kansas · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Waymarked route
Union Pacific 1943 'Spirit of the Union Pacific', 4824, 5339 and 6277 Leading a Westbound Manifest on the UP Kansas Sub at the East 1600 Road Crossing South of North 1700 Road near Lawrence, Kansas. Photo Taken: 9-13-20 at 4:26 pm Picture I
Moderate

Lawrence River Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
15.6 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
3 hr 18 min
  • River
Moderate

Red Valleys

Kansas · United States

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
169 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
Well-exposed natural outcrop of the Cottonwood Limestone alongside the Konza Prairie Nature Trail .
Moderate

Konza Prairie Nature Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
170 m
Typical duration
2 hr 36 min
  • Alpine meadow
Moderate

Outer Loop

Kansas · United States

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
137 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Blue Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
12.4 km
/ 7.7 mi
Elevation gain
136 m
Typical duration
2 hr 47 min
Moderate

Columbine Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
9.1 km
/ 5.6 mi
Elevation gain
110 m
Typical duration
2 hr 3 min
Moderate

Blue Camp Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
12.7 km
/ 7.9 mi
Elevation gain
133 m
Typical duration
2 hr 51 min
Moderate

Blue West Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
10.7 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
2 hr 20 min
Moderate

Carnahan West Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
13.5 km
/ 8.4 mi
Elevation gain
246 m
Typical duration
3 hr 10 min

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
Marty's WoodsKansas2.0 km48 m29 minModerateApril to October
Gnomes' GardenKansas0.9 km35 m15 minModerateApril to October
Lawrence River TrailKansas15.6 km21 m3 hr 18 minModerateApril to October
Red ValleysKansas7.5 km169 m1 hr 49 minModerateApril to October
Konza Prairie Nature TrailKansas11.3 km170 m2 hr 36 minModerateApril to October
Outer LoopKansas8.1 km137 m1 hr 54 minModerateApril to October
Blue TrailKansas12.4 km136 m2 hr 47 minModerateApril to October
Columbine TrailKansas9.1 km110 m2 hr 3 minModerateApril to October
Blue Camp TrailKansas12.7 km133 m2 hr 51 minModerateApril to October
Blue West TrailKansas10.7 km62 m2 hr 20 minModerateApril to October

Marty's Woods, Gnomes' Garden, Lawrence River Trail 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.

Frequently asked questions

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Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

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Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

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Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

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