WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - After 16 years of planning, the longest biking and hiking trail in Kansas is open for public use, although some spots are still a bit rough. The Flint Hills Nature Trail is currently 90 miles long, and it could expand to 117 miles in the future. Bikers and hikers can see native grasses, wildflowers, tunnels of trees, bridges, streams and a section of hardwood forest. The Wichita Eagle reports that the trail runs along abandoned railroad lines. Linda Craghead, assistant secretary for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, says the trail is already being used by people who overnight in nearby state parks, private campgrounds or motels. She believes the trail will someday stretch nearly 120 miles and meet other Kansas trails.
Learn more about the trail here.