Kansas is full of flint hills, wide open areas, and a huge sky. There’s rock formations, rivers, lakes, and even wetlands. We have just about everything under the sun, but still, Kansas is locked in people’s minds as a “mostly flat” state, with a few great features. Well, whether you take a look at Kansas yourself, or even just ask your friends, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t anything like this. This unbelievably beautiful location belongs on any Kansan’s bucket list.
Today’s amazing location is the gorgeous Gypsum Hills where the landscape becomes drastically different than you’d expect in our state.
Nick Varvel/Flickr The endless prairie takes a little break in Barber county, at the Gyp Hills (also known as the Gyp Hills, Red Hills & Medicine Hills). They’re made up of rolling hills, mesas, canyons, and buttes that hang out just north of the Oklahoma border in Barber County, near Medicine Lodge.
Gyp Hills Guest Ranch Facebook This area was referred to as the Medicine Hills by the Native Americans that lived here, and the stream running through them is named the Medicine River. However, to make it even more interesting, the area has also been called “Cimarron Breaks,” as if the list wasn’t growing quickly enough.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr These gorgeous hills are full of wildlife such as deer, pheasant, and other, more reptilian members of the Kansas ecosystem. There’s over 100 caves that have formed in the gypsum, collapsed natural bridges, and sink holes.
Kansas Tourism/Flickr However, taking a tour through these hills isn’t as scary as you might think. For the most part, it’s an open range where cattle roam semi-freely.
Gyp Hills Guest Ranch Facebook The largest wildfire ever recorded here happened in March of 2016, but the land regrew almost everything in about six weeks. Isn’t that amazing?
Vincent Parsons/Flickr You have the choice of taking the scenic byway through them, or traveling on foot to explore a little more closely. Either way, they’re a wonderful backdrop you can’t find anywhere else in the state.
Here’s a handy map to describe where they’re located, and the Scenic Byway route runs along US-160 between Coldwater and Medicine Lodge. Happy trails!
Nick Varvel/Flickr
The endless prairie takes a little break in Barber county, at the Gyp Hills (also known as the Gyp Hills, Red Hills & Medicine Hills). They’re made up of rolling hills, mesas, canyons, and buttes that hang out just north of the Oklahoma border in Barber County, near Medicine Lodge.
Gyp Hills Guest Ranch Facebook
This area was referred to as the Medicine Hills by the Native Americans that lived here, and the stream running through them is named the Medicine River. However, to make it even more interesting, the area has also been called “Cimarron Breaks,” as if the list wasn’t growing quickly enough.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr
These gorgeous hills are full of wildlife such as deer, pheasant, and other, more reptilian members of the Kansas ecosystem. There’s over 100 caves that have formed in the gypsum, collapsed natural bridges, and sink holes.
Kansas Tourism/Flickr
However, taking a tour through these hills isn’t as scary as you might think. For the most part, it’s an open range where cattle roam semi-freely.
The largest wildfire ever recorded here happened in March of 2016, but the land regrew almost everything in about six weeks. Isn’t that amazing?
You have the choice of taking the scenic byway through them, or traveling on foot to explore a little more closely. Either way, they’re a wonderful backdrop you can’t find anywhere else in the state.
If you’re looking for other stunning Kansas places, you should check out this gorgeous bed and breakfast that’ll charm you before you even walk through the door.
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