19th Century Kansas Trails. Click to see large map at Kansas Department of Transportation.
Fort Hays – Fort Larned Trail
Fort Leavenworth-Fort Kearny Military Road
Fort Leavenworth-Fort Gibson Military Road
Jones and Plummer Trail
Otoe-Missouria Trail
Pony Express – Fasted Mail Across the West
Hollenberg Pony Express
Pony Express Stations
Riders of the Pony Express
Sac and Fox Trail
Indian Attacks at Pawnee Rock
Nine Mile Ridge Massacre
Tales of the Santa Fe Trail
Smoky Hill Trail – Heading for Gold
St. Joe Road
Santa Fe Trail outside of Baldwin City, Kansas
Kansas probably has more frontier trails than any other state, being the jumping-off point during westward expansion. In addition to the emigrant trails to the west, including the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails, the Sunflower State also provided a number of military trails which connected the many Old West Forts in the state, as well as cattle trails, such as The Chisholm Trail and the Dodge City and Ellsworth Cattle Trails. Old stage routes include the Smoky Hill Trail and the Cannon Ball Stagecoach Road. Along with these, there are several old explorer routes including that of Lewis & Clark, Zebulon Pike, and Nathanial Boone.
Beyond the Old West, a short peek of Route 66 can also be seen in Kansas.
Get off I-70 and enjoy the history of Kansas‘ many old trails, and explore historic forts, old stagecoach stations, ghost towns, and a lot more along the way.
© Kathy Weiser-Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated September 2021.
Also See:
Legends of Kansas, where the history of the Sunflower State is explored in-depth.