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Trails are places where families can enjoy the beautiful outdoors together. They are places where individuals may safely and healthily exercise. Trails, rail-trails particularly, also provide in modern times the original, essential purpose: to link communities together. We believe that an essential element of the health of present and future Kansas generations relies upon opportunities and encouragement towards an active lifestyle; and that an active lifestyle depends upon places where activity can occur.
We believe that Kansas, with its rich history as the crossroads of the nation, is uniquely positioned to develop a comprehensive rail-trail network.
The Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy is a group of volunteers working to help other organizations develop trails in the state of Kansas.
- We monitor the availability of railroad abandonments, work to get them rail-banked, and work to find interested local people to begin development.
- We have railbanked and/or hold the easements for a number of right-of-ways in Kansas.
- We assist other organizations, groups, and municipalities across the state with rail-trail projects, providing advice, referrals, and support.
- We help publicize rail-trail developments in Kansas, and across the nation.
- We help disseminate best practices for railbanking, trail development, and
- We can help research right-of-way availability and ownership issues.
- We can provide letters of support for Kansas trail projects.
- We can provide speakers for meetings and conferences.
If you’re looking for help with a rail-trail project in Kansas, just ask!
Our Trail Projects
We have railbanked and/or hold the easements for the following projects:
- Great Osage Trail (9.2 miles, Wellington to Oxford)
- Lehigh Portland Trails (3+ miles, Iola)
- Quivira Trail (37.4 miles, Lyons to Beaver)
- Short Grass Prairie Trail (46.8 miles. Protection, Coats)
- Southwind Rail Trail (6.5 miles, Iola to Humboldt)
- Spirit Wind Trail (10.7 miles, Jetmore to Hanston)
- Osage Cuestas Trail (19 miles, Chanute to Fredonia)
Learn More
- What is Railbanking?
- Kansas State Rail-Trails Plan
- About the Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy
- Join Us or Donate