Elk River Trail East Trailhead

This is such a cool place to visit. You don't feel like your in Kansas while walking through the rock formations. Prepare for muddy boots if the trail is wet. This was our second time taking this hike but first time with our baby! Good times and great memories!
5 7 years ago (28-02-2018)

Hiked a portion of this trail and camped at about mile 6 from the east trailhead (5/28/2017). I was planning to cache some water at mile 9.5 but the trail was flooded on that part. The first 5 miles is rugged and pretty. it is better to have hiking boots. The temperature was around 82 F which made hiking less pleasant. I think it is better to hike this trail in March and April since it would be cooler and you can find some flowing water for use after filtration (Lake water is not clean enough). Most of the flowing waters were dry. We found just one between mile 4 and 5 that I assume it will be dry in one week. We saw different animals such as black snakes, armadillos, raccoons, and owls. Only be careful not to step on the snakes. Wearing pants and long sleeve shirt prevents ticks and mosquito bites. Road 5200 is a gravel road so it is better to drive on other paths to access trailheads. Overall, this trail is different from what you expect to see in Kansas and can be a nice experience if you hike in a cool weather.
3 8 years ago (30-05-2017)

My family's favorite place to explore
5 7 years ago (26-12-2017)

Amazing hike! Rugged, adventurous, beautiful!
5 8 years ago (22-03-2017)

Great trail, kind of challenging
4 7 years ago (22-07-2017)