These places are essentially in my back yard. I'm a life-long resident of Kansas and have been to the places many times. They are indeed beautiful. I talk to so many people that have only seen Kansas at 75 mph down Interstate 70. The beauty you can find by getting off the interstate and looking around is amazing.
Monument Rocks - the light, colors, contrast - breathtaking. I can see why you waited for that time of day - holy cow. I truly admire how much planning and work you put into these videos.
The formations are, in fact, quite surprising. The "keyhole" rock is one of the most photographed structures in the state of Kansas. It has the ability to frame many beautiful sunsets. Thank you for your video!
Great work John! I appreciate you talking about protecting the sites by not touching. So important with heritage travel/tourism. I loved your video showing off the beauty of western kansas!
@@danielmorris7648 A lot of similiar places have those area fenced off. It's not about being controlling, it's about lengthening the life of these natural monuments so future generations can enjoy them as well.
Wonderful video, thanks! On spring break two weeks ago my teen-aged kids and I overnighted in Hays, then hit Mt. Sunflower, Monument Rocks, Little Jerusalem, and drove past the Pyramids to spend the night camping at Scott Lake. The next day we went through Mullinville, Greensburg, did the Gyp Hills Byway and camped out again at Chaney State Park. After living here 27-ish years, there are *still* places in Kansas I want to see!
My girls & I hung out at the Monument Rocks when I was married and living in Monument (my ex moved us around a lot). It's nice to see someone appreciate them. If you stayed at the Annie Oakley Hotel, my daughter used to call that the Annie Oakley Mistake
If you have the time and are interested, also try going to the NW corner of Kansas to the town of St Francis. North of town a few miles you will discover the Arikaree Breaks (also known as the Little Grand Canyon). Borders the tri-state area of CO/KS/NE. Also outside St Francis is the campsite where Cheyenne Indians stayed after the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and a few other historical sites. Also, just inside Colorado is the Beecher's Island Battleground where Cheyenne Indians and US Scouts fought a major battle during the Plains Indian Wars. Anyway, the Monument/Chalk Pyramids are just fantastic to visit and whenever I visit, I usually stay longer than planned. Seeing them at sunset is spectacular!! Be forewarned that the roads to Castle Rock are gravel/dirt and can be an "experience" when traveling after inclement weather but are relatively drivable when dry. The roads to Monument/Chalk Pyramids are well maintained gravel roads and the roads to Little Jerusalem are well maintained gravel. When visiting the Monument/Chalk Pyramids be sure to check out the historical markers for the B.O.D. (Butterfield Overland Dispatch) a stagecoach line that passed through the area. Also, Scott Lake State Park in Scott City, KS, is not too far from these sites.
I traveled to Monument and Castle Rock back in 2020 during the pandemic. It was nice getting out of restricted Illinois for a change. I should come back during a sunset. Thanks for the great video.
The rock formations in that part of Kansas were/are pretty cool. I had no idea that sort of geology exists in our flat state. Thanks for the tip in Lane County to catch this video. Btw, your drone work has been excellent. ❤️🙏😎👍
My family lived in Hays KS for 5 years and I traveled to Garden City frequently. I wish that I had known about these great looking places. Thanks for the video.
Traveled between central Illinois and Denver when I was living in Denver a few years ago. Always wanted to check this stuff out but never had the time. Great vids thanks!
Fick Fossil & History Museum in Oakley was a pleasant surprise. The vista hi ways are also a treat. Beautiful drive between Oakley and Scott City. Same thing for going west out of Oakley on 40 hi way. The Museum in Scott City both times I was out there was closed.
Awesome video!!!! Way back in those ancient days of the 1990s was the first time I visited Castle Rock. Think there is a billboard up in Quinter, KS, that has a drawing of Castle Rock representing the way it used to look like. Back then it still had some of the spirals/arms protruding upwards. Used to go out there and visit at least once a year because it is such an fantastic site. Can remember one year on a visit and there was some local teenagers having an "alternative" beverage party and shooting guns at the arms. Also, can remember visiting roughly a few years later and the spirals/arms were finally broken off either by gunfire, weather conditions, age, whatever. The Badlands are awesome to go exploring!! Been a few years since have been out that way for a visit. Have Been to Little Jerusalem once and that was shortly after it officially opened. Been to Monument/Chalk Rocks numerous times and never get tired of seeing them. Usually plan on 30-45-minute visit and end up being 2 or more hours!! IF you have not already visited, NW Kansas north of St Francis there is the Arikaree Breaks (Little Grand Canyon) [pronounced A-rick-a-ra for the Indian tribe]. Borders the tri-state area of CO/KS/NE. Another fantastic geographic/geological feature in Kansas that NOT many people are aware of.
From driving from Colorado to north of Wichita on I70, one would get the impression that Kansas is fairly flat with small towns(and grain elevators) every 10 miles or so. I knew otherwise as I had read about these formations. Note: We thought that Goodland, KS was the neatest town on I70. Thanks for posting this. Good video.
5:47 blew me awayyyy! I haven’t been to the badlands and now it all makes sense! This entire video is fabulous how you took the time and with the informational details!! To me it’s a really interesting thought to know sea creatures bones are compacted to nearly brittle surfaces now - from being at the bottom of the ocean! Very exciting history, yet ironic how the key hole formed as well as all locations and not all across entire corner or even half the state - also kinda makes me wonder if they swam through the key hole way back when WiLD!!!
Such glorious beauty! I've only been to Castle Rock....really need to go out and see the rest! Love, love your drone views! The beauty here is indescribable! Great work!
We have been to all of these places. When we visited Castle Rock, we had no idea how rutted out the track down there coming around from the left. We were towing our 17 foot Casita travel trailer behind our 2 wheel drive Sprinter van, huge mistake. My wife walked around, part way to the other end, came back and said it was pretty flat. We drove around to go out that way, an even bigger mistake. As we went up hill and around a slight curve we came to a place where the trail split, neither was passable to our van and at that point we couldn't back down with out getting high centered with the trailer or the van. With much pondering, I backed up about 10 feet, turned left, down into a ditch and up about a 30 degree slope to a corn field, some how we managed to get out with a little damage to the trailer jack and on jack stand. I thought we would be stuck there forever. I would probably go back some day but view it from the top. Thanks for your videos and keep them coming.
Wow that’s a tough situation! I usually don’t mention the roads, but I did in this video because of what you experienced. Definitely worth visiting still, but be aware! Thanks for the message!
We weathered a severe thunderstorm with tornado warnings at Monument Rock. I went to the car, my family stayed under a 12x12 canopy that was destroyed by the wind. BTW the roads get ugly when it rains an inch or so
another great video (as usual). although I have seen Dodge City, etc we have never got the chance to explore the area you are visiting (and it looks very nice). the Butterfield stage route passed only about 3 - 4 miles from where we live in SW Missouri, and we have followed it from here all the way into Arkansas, so I was interested in your mention of that Trail.
This was absolutely out of this world. I have always thought Kansas was the most picturesque state I have lived in. And I have lived in Hawaii, New Mexico, California, and Florida. Call me crazy.
I have watched all your videos as you put them out and there great, here is a test for you try eliminating "ya know and you know" from them there's no prize if you do only a challenge.
Have you been to Mushroom Rock State Park? Keeping in theme with the video, it would have been a fun one to add, though it's on the opposite side of the state.
@@TravelwithaWiseguy probably one of those things I forgot about. That second video was so long ago. I'm sorry. I just need to assume you've been everywhere, whether i remember or not 🤣🤣
So beautiful!! My dad really wants to travel out there and see all of this...he will be 79 this year. About how many miles/hours did it take you to see everything?
It depends on where you’re starting and how much you want to see. If you were just wanting to drive around and look you could easily do everything in 3-4 hours. If you want to walk more and explore you could take the whole day. The longest drive is to Castle Rock.
John when you head out so far into western Kansas, do you make it all in one day or do you spend the night somewhere? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of lodging options in that part of the state. We’d like to travel out there when we visit family around Wichita but really don’t know where we’d spend the night on a trip to Castle Rock, etc. Maybe in your videos (or description) you could give some advice on where to stay & travel time from your departure points
Thanks for the question - I actually filmed multiple videos over the course of a couple days when I was out there. All of this video was one day. I stayed in Scott City at an inexpensive hotel. I go back and forth about showing hotels or restaurants in certain videos. When I do more of a travel vlog like the Oregon Trail I usually show those things. For this one I wanted to keep the focus on the sites.
I found it very interesting. I've lived in KS most of my life and didn't know KS has badlands. I've been to every state in the US except Hawaii and, yet, I haven't seen a lot of the beauty right here in KS. So glad I got to see them.
Love your sense of humor Travel with a Wiseguy :) As a New Yorker who lived for a while in Kansas growing up, I've really enjoyed the videos you post. Keep doing what you're doing. Works for me! :)
