National Parks in Kansas
Nebraska is part of the Midwest region of the United States and is the 15th-largest by land area and the 34th-most populous.
National Parks in Kansas
There are no sites specifically designated as a “National Park” in Kansas.
The closest National Park to southwestern Nebraska is the Great Sand Dunes National Park, located in central Colorado.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Best Months: September, October, May & June
Hours: Open all year, 24 hours a day
Entrance Fee: $25 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
To the northwest corner, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is the closest. It is about 215 miles west of Kansas’ border with Colorado.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Best Months: April, May, September & October
Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, weather permitting
Entrance Fee: $25, single day vehicle pass
On the eastern side of Kansas, the closest (but not really) is either the Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, or the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
Hot Springs National Park
Best Months: September, March, April & November
Hours: Trails open 24/7
Entrance Fee: Free
Gateway Arch National Park
Best Months: September, October, May & June
Hours: 5:00am -11:00pm year round
Entrance Fee: $3 to enter per person; $12-$15 tickets to top
National Park Sites in Kansas
Even though there are no National Parks in Kansas, there are five official National Park Service sites located in the state.
| Name | Designation | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve | National Preserve | 66869 |
| Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site | National Historic Site | 66612 |
| Fort Scott National Historic Site | National Historic Site | 66701 |
| Nicodemus National Historic Site | National Historic Site | 67625 |
| Fort Larned National Historic Site | National Historic Site | 67550 |
State Parks of Kansas
As of 2022, there are 28 official state parks located within Kansas.
The most popular state parks in the state are Elk City and Fall River, according to AllTrails.com
Cedar Bluff State Park
Cheney State Park
Clinton State Park
Crawford State Park
Cross Timbers State Park
Eisenhower State Park
El Dorado State Park
Elk City State Park
Fall River State Park
Flint Hills Trail State Park
Glen Elder State Park
Hillsdale State Park
Kanopolis State Park
Kaw River State Park
Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park
Lovewell State Park
Meade State Park
Milford State Park
Mushroom Rock State Park
Perry State Park
Pomona State Park
Prairie Dog State Park
Prairie Spirit Trail State Park
Sand Hills State Park
Scott State Park
Tuttle Creek State Park
Webster State Park
Wilson State Park
