The Kansas Byways Program has grown with the addition of the newly- designated Land and Sky Scenic Byway in northwest Kansas.
The 88-mile route begins in Wallace County in Sharon Springs, runs north through Goodland, and ends at the Kansas/Nebraska border.
Sue Stringer, the Kansas byways manager, says the location of the Land and Sky Scenic Byway will help capture travelers as they enter Kansas from the North and the West to boost tourism in the area.
“When we select byways our effort is to drive some of that industry and the travelers into the rural communities,” Stringer says.
The new byway is one of 12 in the state and is the only one that focuses on agriculture and features thousands of acres of rotating crops, livestock and wildlife along the route.
“We figure this an opportunity to explain to people where their food comes from,” Stringer says.
Stringer says the Kansas Byways program identifies scenic and historic routes in the state that travelers might miss from I-70 or other large roadways.
“We are excited to extend the byway program into northwest Kansas with the Land and Sky Scenic Byway,” says Kansas Transportation Secretary and Director of the Kansas Turnpike Mike King. “The state designation will create greater awareness of the agricultural significance and scenic beauty of this area for visitors and spur interest in the communities along the route.”
Travelers along the byway have the opportunity to experience the Wallace Branch of the Great Western Cattle Trail, scale the highest point in Kansas at Mount Sunflower and explore the deep canyons and rugged landscape of the Arikaree Breaks.
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