january 2024

The Kansas Prairie

Where:  the center of the US of A

Directions: Interstate 70 east or west and Interstate 35 north and south; US 56 and US 59

Why so good:

These canine hikes are for dogs who cherish peace, quiet, and open spaces to roam.    

THE NATIONAL GRASSLAND.

The Cimarron National Grassland is the largest swath of public land in Kansas. It also contains the longest publicly owned stretch of the historic Santa Fe Trail remaining with 23 miles of the Great Prairie Highway. One of the easiest - and most scenic - spots for your dog to access the old trading route is the Point of Rocks Interpretive Site. The Point of Rocks, a rough low mesa jutting over the hillside was a much-anticipated sight for 19th century travelers as it marked one of the few reliable water sources on the Santa Fe Trail. The spot is the third highest point in Kansas and looks over the verdant Cimarron River Valley. The riverbed flows under the sand and water is normally evident only in flood times. To protect the actual Trail remnants an alternate path was carved as a Companion Trail. Limestone posts tag the original trail route and well-preserved wagon ruts can be seen. Grasses were mowed and cacti removed to facilitate walking this historic route. There are 19 miles of easily hikeable trail through the remote Cimarron National Grassland. Grass, yucca, and sage brush are your dog’s constant companions on this hike in either direction from Point of Rocks. Except for the passage of 150 years this canine hike could take place in the Santa Fe Trail era. Of course, the Companion Trail is a lot less busy now then it was then.

THE TALLGRASS PRAIRIE.

Once upon a time 170 million acres of tallgrass prairie covered North America. Today, 96% of that ecosystem is gone. Most of what remains is in the Flint Hills of southeastern Kansas where the limestone and shale deposits repelled even John Deere’s best steel plows. The Southwind Nature Trail on the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is your dog’s best chance to experience the Great Plains like his ancestors following the Conestoga wagons when pioneers described this landscape as “an ocean of grass.” The Preserve was once Spring Hill Ranch where Texan Stephen Jones be- gan running cattle in the 1870s. This is an exceedingly pleasant outing for your dog, trotting on dirt ranch roads and finely crushed stone paths. There are 70 species of grasses flourishing here, dominated by Big Bluestem. A single blade might have a root system descending over eight feet underground - deep enough so the plant will emerge in the spring even without rainfall. Given more ideal growing conditions these tallgrasses can reach eight feet into the sky creating wide chutes of hiking lanes for your dog. The grasses are high enough to provide shade on a hot summer day. The 1.75-mile canine hike loops past stone fences and along the bottom- lands of Fox Creek. A spur across the stream leads up a small hill to a stone school donated by Jones. It will all leave you nostalgic for the loss of America’s most endangered ecosystem.

THE NEIGHBOR.

Just across the state line, tucked in the remote Oklahoma Panhandle is a layer of lave rock that coated the region about 30 million years ago. The Black Mesa Nature Preserve is the highest point in Oklahoma at 4,973 feet. The ascent to the roof of the Sooner State covers 4.2 miles and is dead flat the first half of the way before your dog begins switchbacking up the rear of the mesa. There is nothing growing high enough to obscure the view of even a dachshund on this canine hike. The Summit Trail is an easy go with a wide, paw-friendly trail save for the slopes of volcanic residue on the mesa. Total elevation gain is 600 feet. As he rises your best trail companion will be scanning a landscape unlike any other in Oklahoma. Once on top another level 15-min- ute hike is required to reach the red granite monument marking the actual highpoint. This will not be the summit of Black Mesa, only the highest spot to stand in Oklahoma. Dirt scars across the flat top lead to overlooks of three other states: Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. There is little shade and no water out here, however, so take the proper precautions. The Nature Preserve is a lonely 15 miles northwest of the small Black Mesa State Park where you can camp, hike a couple of short nature trails with your dog and let him enjoy swimming in Lake Etling if water conditions are right.