Be
among the first to drive the newest Kansas Scenic Byway. Central
Kansas will soon be the home of the Wetlands & Wildlife Scenic
Byway. This drive is a perfect way to enjoy a tour that mixes
wetlands, prairie, and small rural communities. This Byway is
a visual surprise. Flat prairie vistas are certainly here but
there are also lovely, softly rolling sandhills coverd with grass
and gnarled trees. There are large shelterbelts of everygreens
and deciduous trees saluting the prairie and revealing glimpses
of homesteads and farmhouses. Take a drive and discover the quiet
beauty of Central Kansas.
The
Byway begins in Barton County at the west junction of US-281
and Highway K-4 (5 miles west of Hoisington, Kansas).
Go
east on Highway K-4 for 15 miles.
Turn
right (south) onto NE 100 Ave and follow this road for 4 miles.
Turn
right (southwesterly) onto Highway K-156 and follow this road
for about 6 miles.
Turn
left (east) onto NE 30 Rd and then make an immediate right
(south) turn onto a blacktop road (NE 60 Ave/RS-980).
Stay
on NE 60 Ave for 17 1/2 miles until you reach NE 140th Street/RS-1484
in Stafford County. When you have traveled 10 of the 17 miles,
you will come to Stafford County where there is a correction
line (the road will jog over 1/2 mile to the west and then
back south). You do not change roads, but at the county line
the road name changes to NE 40th Ave/RS-980 for the remaining
7 miles).
Turn
left (east) onto NE 140th Street/RS-1484 and follow for 12
miles (the last mile of the 12 miles is in Reno County and
is called 95th Ave/RS-554).
Turn
right (south) onto Raymond Rd/RS-506 and follow for 7 miles.
Turn
right (west) onto 4th Ave/NE 70th St/RS-636 and follow for
16 miles to the Byway's end at the junction with US-281.
