Prairie Spirit Trail: Quick Information
- Check for detours, hazards and events in our newscenter. Current headline: Use the trail for the National Bike Challenge
- See a listing of the various types of services available in each town along the Prairie Spirit Trail.
- Leave a helpful comment in our forums.
- Look over the trail maps.
- Learn from other people's experiences on the trail on our ride reports.
- See if you're ready with the mileage chart.
- There are not any real hills, but you can look at the grades on the elevation chart.
- There is a lot to see along the trail. Check out what others have seen on our pictures pages.
- Feeling competative? Test your skills versus our speed records.
- Read the Bike Prairie Spirit FAQ.
- Can't remember where that restaurant or bar was along the trail? Or where that mile marker was? Use our search page.
- Got a hot tip or just want to let us know where there is a mistake on a page? You can contact us here.
About the Prairie Spirit Trail
The Prairie Spirit Trail in eastern Kansas is a 51 mile long path through small towns, scenic prairie and occasional wildlife. The trail of hard-packed limestone runs north/south between Ottawa and Iola. Travelers are protected under a shade-providing canopy of trees for most of its length. Built on the railbed of the old Leavenworth, Lawrence and Fort Gibson Railroad, the trail offers easy grades for hikers and bikers alike.
The Prairie Spirit Trail is the first completed rail-trail of a network of trails that will interconnect in the eastern Kansas Area. It directly connects to the Flint Hills Nature Trail at Ottawa. This eastern leg of the Flint Hills Nature Trail currently connects Osawatomie to Ottawa ending at the north end of the Prairie Spirit Trail. When complete the Flint Hills Nature Trail will run 117 miles from Osawotomie to Herington. Connecting to the Flint Hills Nature Trail at Lomax Junction will be the Landon Trail which will run 38 miles north to Topeka. Finally, connecting to the Landon at Richland will be the Free State Pathway. This trail will follow the shores of Clinton Lake to arrive at Lawrence after about 20 miles. The trail is in the very early stages of development. These three trails are under development by the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy.
A day pass on the trail currently costs $3.50. They may be purchased at most trailheads. Annual passes are available online here or wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold for $12.50.
Friends of the Prairie Spirit Trail do a lot of work maintaining the trail. Visit their site and make a donation if you enjoy the trail. If you are just interested in biking in Kansas in general, check out Kansas Cyclist for lots of good information on traveling to and around the Prairie Spirit Trail.