When most people think of a road trip through Kansas, they picture endless miles of flat highways and wheat fields. But if you know exactly where to turn off the interstate, Western Kansas completely shatters that stereotype. From towering chalk pyramids rising out of the prairie to the lawless, gun-slinging history of the Old West, this region is packed with incredible hidden gems.
We recently packed our bags on a Wednesday evening and headed east from Colorado for a 3-day adventure (plus 2 travel days) centered around the legendary Dodge City.
If you are looking for a unique road trip that combines surreal geology, small-town charm, and deep American history, here is our exact day-by-day Western Kansas road trip itinerary to help you plan your own getaway.
In This Post:
Day 1: Evening Drive & A Lit-Up Masterpiece
Our road trip officially began after the workday ended on Wednesday evening. We hopped onto I-70 East for a smooth and easy three and a half hour drive into Kansas. Our destination for the night was Colby, but even though it was pitch black by the time we neared town, we couldn’t resist a quick stop at one of the state’s most famous roadside attractions.
The Giant Easel
Located right off the highway exit (where we also paused to fill up the gas tank), The Giant Easel holds a massive, 24×32-foot reproduction of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflower painting. Standing 80 feet tall, it is fully lit up at night, making it easy to admire even in the dark. It’s a quick, quirky stop that is absolutely worth stretching your legs for.
Road Trip Save: Always double-check your GPS! Late at night, I realized I had accidentally entered a hotel in Oakley instead of Colby. Catching that mistake saved us from wasting an extra hour on the road when we were already exhausted.
- Where we stayed: Quality Inn, Colby, KS
Day 2: Fossils, Chalk Pyramids, and Badlands
Thursday we worked our way south from Colby down to Dodge City via Scott City and Garden City.
A Surprisingly Great Breakfast
Since options in Colby are a bit sparse early in the morning, we stopped at Muka’s Coffee & Eatery, which is attached to a local gas station. We were thoroughly impressed! They served up delicious egg sandwiches and were kind enough to substitute the breakfast meat for fresh, smashed avocado on mine.
Small-Town History & Wild West Icons
Before leaving Colby, we spent an hour exploring the Fick Museum. This free local gem has a wild, eclectic collection ranging from wartime bullets and vintage kitchen gadgets to an incredible array of local fossils, shark teeth, and ancient sea mammals. The museum also features artwork by history-maker Mrs. Fick, a self-taught artist who used dynamic textures in her work. There were cute cutouts where you put your face in and of course we did that too. On our way out of town, we paused to admire the massive bronze statue of Buffalo Bill commemorating his legendary buffalo hunt.
Exploring the Kansas Chalk Formations
Heading south, the terrain quickly transformed. We drove down an obvious, easy-to-navigate dirt road to Monument Rocks. These 70-foot-tall Cretaceous chalk pyramids rise out of the prairie like ancient towers. We walked around the first cluster of rocks, crossed the dirt road to explore the second side, and then took a slow drive around the formations to capture some video.
Instead of backtracking, we kept moving forward along the gravel road to Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park.
The park’s credit card machine couldn’t find a cellular signal, so we paid our $5 vehicle fee using the cash-and-envelope honor system. To avoid a school bus full of energetic kids, we hiked the farthest overlook trail first—a winding, sun-baked two-mile round trip with zero shade. The views of the sculpted white chalk cliffs were spectacular, and having the peaceful, quiet overlook to ourselves made the trek entirely worth it.
The Drive to Dodge City
We passed by the “Little Pyramids”—which aren’t really pyramid-shaped at all, just smaller jagged rock formations along the road—and made our way to Historic Lake Scott State Park. We had packed a picnic lunch from home, but since the lakeside spots were mostly occupied by campers, we took a quick walk through the historic El Cuartelejo pueblo ruins instead.
We kept driving through Scott City and Garden City, finally checking into our hotel in Dodge City. We kicked off our evening at the visitor center, where a wonderful staff member named Gretchen hooked us up with brochures and insider tips. We ended our night splitting a delicious wood-fired pizza and local beers at Dodge City Brewing before grabbing milkshakes for dessert. We also saw the Salsa Man (same block as the Brewery).
Day 3: Total Immersion in Dodge City
Friday was our dedicated “Wild West” day, and we squeezed every ounce of history out of the city.
Trolleys, Historic Homes, and Time Travel
By 8:30 AM, we were downtown purchasing tickets for the Dodge City Trolley and the Boot Hill Museum dinner show. The 75-minute narrated trolley tour was fantastic, led by a local guide who was incredibly passionate about the town’s history. The tour takes you past the historic downtown, through a massive local cattle feed yard, and out to Fort Dodge, which has beautifully repurposed its historic buildings into a community for veteran housing.
After the tour, we grabbed a local coffee and walked to the House of Stone, Dodge City’s oldest remaining stone residence. A young tour guide gave us a brilliant look into the hardships of the frontier families who lived there. The 45 minutes was full of interesting information — and I even saw my first mustache teacup, clever that the men didn’t get their hair wet! Next, we walked to the historic Carnegie Library (where we ran into Gretchen from the visitor center again!) to read about the history of the library grants in Kansas.
Before lunch, we popped into Boot Hill Museum early to get an old-timey photo taken dressed in full frontier garb. For $40, this vintage-style picture turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of our entire trip!
Frontier Eats & An Honest Review
We had a massive lunch at Cowboy Capital Saloon and Grill (the meatless burger substitution was great, even if the promised onion straws turned out to be three giant, undercooked onion rings) before taking a much-needed afternoon nap.
We returned to the Boot Hill Museum at 4:45 PM to explore the indoor exhibits, watch the live 6:00 PM gunfight reenactment on Front Street, and attend the country style dinner and variety show.
An Honest Blogger Review: While the history in the museum is wonderful, we’d recommend skipping the dinner show package. The pot roast dinner was just okay, and the one-hour variety show felt incredibly long and cheesy. Save your money.
We salvaged the evening by walking up to Boot Hill Distillery for a quiet nightcap on their outdoor patio.
Day 4: Deep Wells, Scenic Byways, and 97-Degree Heat
Saturday brought blazing blue skies and a scorching 97°F forecast, so we decided to explore the surrounding region before finding a way to cool off.
Quirky Stops & The Big Well
We drove an hour out of town to Greensburg, making two quick stops along the way:
The Coronado Cross: A roadside monument marking where explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado crossed the Arkansas River in 1541. From the parking area there was as short path up a slight hill. There was very little to read at the site, but the 1/3 page brochure from the visitor center had more information, so snag one of those and read that when you are there.
Located just southwest of Mullinville, Kansas, the Historic Fromme-Birney Round Barn is a striking piece of agricultural history. Built in 1912 by local carpenter William “Pat” Campbell for the Fromme family, this architectural marvel is actually 16-sided rather than perfectly circular. Standing 50 feet tall and measuring 70 feet in diameter, it was originally engineered to house 28 horses. The barn’s unique design and regional importance earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It was gifted to the Kiowa County Historical Society who restored it. It operates on an honor system where you can walk in, flip on the lights, explore the unique architecture, and leave a donation.
In Greensburg, we visited the Big Well Museum ($8/pp). This town was tragically devastated by an EF5 tornado in May 2007, and the museum does an incredible job detailing the heartbreak of that night and the town’s inspiring choice to rebuild as a fully green, LEED-certified community. The exhibit celebrates human ingenuity and community resilience. The centerpiece is the world’s largest hand-dug well—an engineering marvel from 1888 that is 32 feet wide and 109 feet deep. It was dug to provide water for the city and steam locomotives, and was entirely dug crews using nothing but shovels, picks, ropes, and pulleys.
Visitors can walk down an 84-step spiral staircase directly into the the well to see the original stone masonry up close.
The museum also houses a massive 1,000-pound pallasite meteorite found nearby, which is a rare space rock packed with beautiful olivine crystals.
After a quick walk through the free town museum across the street, we treated ourselves to ice cream sundaes at the old-fashioned Soda Fountain for lunch. We arrived soon after it opened and already it was busy with local kids getting a snack after their sports games/practices.
Cruising the Gypsum Hills
Instead of backtracking to Dodge City, we took advantage of our open afternoon and drove south to cruise the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway. This byway spans 42 miles along U.S. Highway 160 between the towns of Medicine Lodge and Coldwater, The rolling red hills, deep canyons, and cedar-capped mesas added a few hours to our drive, but the dramatic, sweeping landscapes were beautiful to see. (video coming soon, hopefully)
Floating the Heat Away
Back in Dodge City, we threw on our swimsuits and spent a glorious 75 minutes cooling off at the packed Long Branch Lagoon community pool, floating down the lazy river and hitting the waterslides.
We wrapped up our final evening with dinner back downtown, followed by a quick stop at the local Dual Sundials—a unique spot where one dial displays Mountain Time and the other displays Central Time.
Day 5: Following the Historic Wagon Tracks Home
On Sunday morning, we hit the road by 7:30 AM to head back to Colorado. We made one final historic stop just outside of town at the Santa Fe Trail Wagon Ruts. While these historic tracks are a bit faded and overgrown compared to others we’ve seen on our travels, it was still incredible to stand on the actual path where thousands of pioneers journeyed west.
From there, we enjoyed a quiet, scenic drive home through a string of charming small plains towns, watching the clear blue skies finally give way to rolling storm clouds as we crossed back into Colorado.
Western Kansas Road Trip Itinerary Quick Cost Breakdown
- Lodging: $135.26 (Colby Quality Inn – Dodge City hotel stayed on points)
- Gas: $75.00
- Attractions & Admissions: $183.00 (Includes Boot Hill, Trolley, Big Well, and Pool) plus about $30 in tips/donations
- Food & Drinks: Approx. $205.00
Others posts fromt this trip (coming soon)