Hays House 1857 Restaurant & Tavern
First opened in 1857, you can enjoy fine dining in the oldest, continuously operated restaurant west of the Mississippi River. A steak house…
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The 47-mile-long Flint Hills National Scenic Byway offers incredible views of the native grasses and flowers of the tallgrass prairie - one of the last remaining landscapes left in America. Much of the land along the Byway looks as it did thousands of years ago when the Kaw, Osage, and other native tribes lived here. Early settlers navigated the famous Santa Fe Trail through here, some stopping to build the towns of Council Grove, Cottonwood Falls, Cassoday, Matfield Green, and Strong City.
Today, the Flint Hills area is home to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and historic venues such as the Kaw Mission and Last Chance Store Museums on the Santa Fe Trail. You'll also find towns filled with charming shops, restaurants, artwork, historical sites, and antiques.
Distance: 47 Miles
Council Grove to Cassoday (North to South): Starting in Council Grove, KS at the intersection of US-56 and K-177, head south towards Strong City, KS, Cottonwood Falls, KS, and Matfield Green, KS. Continue on K-177 for the entire route duration until it eventually concludes in Cassoday, KS.
Cassoday to Council Grove (South to North): Starting in Cassoday, KS, head north on K-177 towards the cities of Matfield Green, KS, Cottonwood Falls, KS, and Strong City, KS. Continue on K-177 for the entire route duration until it eventually concludes at the intersection with US 56 in Council Grove, KS.
First opened in 1857, you can enjoy fine dining in the oldest, continuously operated restaurant west of the Mississippi River. A steak house…
Start of the Historic Tour of Council Grove. Mission school for state's namesake tribe, the Kaw or Kansas. Interpretation of the Kaw, Santa…
Nearly 11,000 acres of wide open space, beautiful vistas, seasonal wildflowers, wildlife, bison herd, history, and plenty of solitude. The…
Built 1872-1873, this French Renaissance native limestone building is the oldest working courthouse in the state of Kansas. During the…
Studio and gallery of famed Flint Hills artists Judith and Ken Mackey. Oil paintings by Judith Mackey. Mackey, considered by many to be the…
Check out the scenic overlook that allows travelers an opportunity to pull over and get a better view of the Flint Hills. Visitors can see…
“Come home” to Pioneer Bluffs and take time to enjoy a simpler life. Bring a picnic, hike along Crocker Creek, and explore the oak savannah…
Spring Street Retreat is bed and breakfast in the heart of the Flint Hills in Cottonwood Falls. Come spend a weekend in this beautifully…
Tallgrass Antiques specializes in antiques, primitives and architectural salvage as well as fine restored furniture. We carry lots of doors…
A trip to Council Grove, Kansas, and a stay at The Cottage House Hotel and Motel t is a beautiful and captivating journey back to the days…
An upended limestone monolith juts unexpectedly up into the endless blue sky of the Flint Hills. Located at the crest of the highest hill in…
Prather Creek Falls, also known as Chase Lake Falls, may not be the tallest of all the waterfalls in Kansas, but it’s become one of my…
The Flint Hills Trail stretches for 117 miles across east-central Kansas, from Osawatomie in the east to Herington in the west, and with…
Hear about the Flint Hills as you explore the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway!
Flint Hills National Scenic Byway educates and entertains travelers with a Travel Information Radio System. Tune your vehicle’s radio to 1680 AM and hear about local history; wildlife, and ecosystems of the tallgrass prairie; why ranchers burn pastures; special events taking place in local communities; and much more. To keep the signal strong throughout your drive, three transmitters are located along the route: one each in Cassoday (WQCW625), Cottonwood Falls (WQCU481), and Council Grove (WQCU480).
The Glacial Hills Scenic Byway gets its name from the rolling hills and rock-strewn valleys carved by ancient glaciers.
Kansas' Historic Route 66 Byway offers opportunities for visitors to enjoy a variety of experiences to "get their own kicks…
Ancient floodplains, buttes, canyons, mesas and sinkholes are rare on the Great Plains. Yet, nestled in the Kansas grasslands is the Gypsum…
Visit a rugged landscape on the culturally and visually fascinating route known as the Western Vistas Historic Byway.
Travelers along the Land and Sky Scenic Byway have the opportunity to experience the Wallace Branch of the Great Western Cattle Trail, scale…
Named for their hazy, blue appearance at sunrise and sunset, the Smoky Hills divide the more easterly mixed-grass prairie from the…
Discover the natural beauty of the panoramic Native Stone Scenic Byway.
Travel through time, visiting multiple forts along the Frontier Military Historic Byway. Originally built to move soldiers and…
Along the byway, you'll encounter landscapes and communities shaped by the powerful forces of motion and change. You're entering a…
Over the Smoky Hills of weathered bedrock, the Post Rock Scenic Byway winds through fields, pastures and prairie.
When you travel the Prairie Trail Scenic Byway, you follow in the steps of Native Americans, explorers and pioneers as they sought food…