Century in 50 States: Kansas

In August of 2014 I took a short trip and rode 3 states in 3 days. This was the first day of that trip.

The ride was based around the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway near Council Grove, KS. Here is Council Grove on the map.

Council Grove, KS

The route was a simple out-and-back from the Canning Creek Campground to 177, past the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, out to about I-35 and back again.

KS Route

There were a few rolling hills, but nothing major. They did more to add to the scenery than to make the ride difficult. Total climbing for the day was around 2,500 feet. The bigger challenge was the wind- a steady 15-20mph. The good news is that it was from the south, so there was a headwind on the way out and a tailwind on the way back. Heat was a factor with a high of 97 degrees, but the wind made it feel cooler than that and the next two days in OK and AR were much worse.

Canning Creek Campground was great. I stayed on a Wednesday night and pretty much had the whole place to myself. It was right by the water, but bugs weren't a factor. Perhaps the wind scared them off. I was able to sleep in the grass without setting up my tent. The wind was blowing hard all night, which was good for sleeping but an ominous sign for tomorrow.

Canning Creek Campground

The ride to the Scenic Byway was nicer than I expected. It started out with a nice ride over a bridge and took me through Council Grove, which was a quiet little town that was fun to see in the morning when nobody was around.