If there is anyone who has earned the title of Kansas driving expert, I would like to think it’s me. Since moving out to Colorado in 2021, I have made the round trip drive from Indiana to Denver at least twice a year. That’s a lot of time on I-70 in Kansas, and a lot of time to think about whether there is a better way to do it.
For most people, Kansas is the state you white-knuckle through as fast as you can, and I get it. The first time I drove out to Denver, I was pulling a U-Haul with my Subaru packed to the gills, my parents in tow, and two extremely unhappy cats in the backseat. We drove the full 16+ hours straight through and didn’t slow down for anything but the tumbleweed. (The first tumbleweed I had ever seen… I screamed.) The goal was simple: survive Kansas, and get to Colorado.
But here’s the thing… A few summers ago, I made the drive with a friend from LA who had never been to the middle of the country. We were taking it slow, which for me is saying something, and we were somewhere in the middle of Kansas when she looked out the window and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much of the sky. It’s beautiful.” No eye roll. No sarcasm. Just genuine wonder.
She changed my perspective on the whole thing.
There really is something about seeing the horizon stretch out in every direction. In the late summer and early fall, you drive through miles of sunflower fields that feel like they were staged for a postcard. The light hits differently out there. Kansas is one of the great gateways to the west, and it turns out it has more than a few things worth stopping for.
In this post, I’m going to share some of my favorite stops and detours along I-70 through Kansas, in order from east to west (Kansas City to Denver). At the end, I’ve put together a rough outline for 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day itineraries for making the most of the journey.
Truckhenge (Topeka, KS)
When Shawnee County ordered the Lessman family to remove the old vehicles from their property, Ron Lessman did what any reasonable person would do: he turned them into art.
The result is Truckhenge, a quirky roadside attraction on the east side of Topeka that is an homage to Stonehenge, but make it Midwestern. Old trucks, cars, and school buses stand upright and at angles across the property – sculptures in their own right.
Truckhenge is only about 2-3 miles from I-70 (exit 366, north on Highway 4, then a short jog on Kincaid Road), which means there is really no excuse not to stop. Walk up to the main house to learn more about the history of the farm and the family behind it. They will often walk you around the property themselves, and that is honestly half the experience. If you want to stay longer, the farm also offers camping, fishing, and a shooting range.
A word of warning: the property is gated when they do not want visitors, so call ahead or check their hours before making the trip.
The Oz Museum (Wamego, KS)
What better way to honor Kansas than to step into the world of the Wizard of Oz?
The Oz Museum in Wamego is a surprisingly comprehensive collection of all things Dorothy, from original memorabilia to interactive exhibits that are genuinely fun for the whole family. It’s about 10 miles north of I-70 (exit 328, north on Highway 99), so it’s a quick and easy detour.
If you’re traveling with a dog, they have a comfortable kennel on site so your pup is taken care of while you tour. Worth knowing before you leave them in the van.
Lindsborg, Kansas (and Coronado Heights Castle)
Okay. Listen to me here. If you skip everything else on this list, please do not skip Lindsborg! I promise you it is worth it.
Lindsborg is about 25-30 miles south of I-70 via I-135. It has been coined the “Little Sweden of the US,” and not without reason. It was settled by a group of Swedish immigrants in 1869, and this town of just under 4,000 people has held onto that heritage with both hands. Swedish is still taught in the schools, hand-painted Dala horses line the streets of downtown, and restaurants feature traditional Swedish foods. The locals working in every shop and museum genuinely want to tell you about their history. It is quintessential small-town America with a really specific and wonderful twist.
You could spend an afternoon here, a full day, or honestly a whole weekend depending on your timeline. Here’s what I’d point you toward:
Red Barn Studio Museum. This is a working museum, workshop, and studio showing the art of Lester Raymer, set inside his actual home. They also have rotating resident artists who live on the grounds and create in the museum space. It feels alive in a way that most museums don’t.
Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum. This is where you get the local history, set inside a restored 1800s flour mill with a historic village you can walk through. The building alone is worth it.
Food. Get traditional Swedish food at Ol Stuga or Crown and Rye. Do not leave without eating.
Downtown. Wander around, shop, and take people up on their offer to tell you things. Free wine tastings happen on the main street on weekends, and you can rent a quadricycle to ride around town, which is exactly as fun as it sounds.
Lindsborg also has a great events calendar, especially in the fall, with a lot of annual celebrations tied to Swedish traditions. Check the Lindsborg Visitors Guide before you go to plan around something special.
Coronado Heights Castle. About 2-3 miles northwest of downtown Lindsborg, the locals will tell you it’s “on the mountain,” which is charming and slightly misleading. It’s a stone castle built as a community gathering place on a 300-foot limestone promontory, and the views from up there are genuinely stunning. Great for sunrise, sunset, a picnic, or just a quiet moment. Don’t skip it.
Mushroom Rock State Park (near Marquette, KS)
If you’re coming from Lindsborg, don’t head straight back to I-70. Instead, go a little northwest to Mushroom Rock State Park, about 17 miles from the interstate near the small town of Brookville.
This is the smallest state park in Kansas, which should tell you something about the kind of stop this is: a short, wonderful, weird detour. The rocks here look exactly like mushrooms, giant formations of sandstone that were once part of a beach during the Cretaceous Period, somewhere between 66 and 144 million years ago. They are held together by a natural cement, and they are genuinely cool to stand next to and contemplate. Quick stop. Big impressions.
If you’re driving from Kansas City and skipping Lindsborg, Mushroom Rock is about 17 miles south of I-70 at exit 253, south on KS-14 toward Brookville.
S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden (Lucas, KS)
About 16 miles north of I-70 (exit 206), in the small town of Lucas, Kansas, there is a stone log cabin surrounded by three-story concrete sculptures. It is one of the stranger and more wonderful things I have ever seen.
S.P. Dinsmoor was a Civil War veteran who relocated to Kansas from Ohio, and between 1907 and 1928 he built the Cabin Home and the Garden of Eden to serve as both his home and a source of income. The sculptures outside tell biblical and political stories in concrete, and they are towering and bizarre and deeply personal. It sits right on a corner in town, so you can drive by just to gawk from the car, or you can stop and spend an hour or two exploring the sculptures and touring inside. If you have the time, stop.
Wilson Lake (near Wilson, KS)
Skip the dingy roadside motels and camp at Wilson Lake instead. You do need a reservation, but it is absolutely worth planning ahead.
Wilson Lake is about 7-9 miles north of I-70 (exit 206), and it has been called the clearest lake in Kansas. If you just need a night of camping to break up the drive, it’s a beautiful spot. But if you want to slow down and spend some time, there is also solid biking, fishing, and just wandering around the state park.
Oakley, KS (Buffalo Bill’s Birthplace)
Oakley sits right on I-70 and is the birthplace of Buffalo Bill Cody, which feels like exactly the kind of thing I-70 Kansas should be known for.
The Buffalo Bill Cultural Center is a quick stop right off exit 70, just south of the interstate on US-83. The bronze sculpture of Buffalo Bill on his horse Brigham is the main event, and it is genuinely impressive in scale. The center also serves as a travel information stop with maps, brochures, and a gift shop featuring Kansas-made products. Great place to stretch your legs and grab a cup of coffee before heading south toward the rocks.
Monument Rocks and Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park
If you like looking at ancient rock formations in the middle of nowhere, these two spots are going to make your day.
Both are south of Oakley on US-83, and they complement each other well as a pair. Monument Rocks are about 20-25 miles south of Oakley: towering chalk formations rising out of the plains that were once the floor of an inland sea. They are on private land and free to visit, which adds to the feeling that you’ve found something secret.
Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park is about 30 miles south of I-70, managed by the Nature Conservancy. There is a 1.5-mile hike along the rim of the chalk formations that is worth every step. The landscape is genuinely otherworldly. Both formations are made of Niobrara Chalk, both are incredible, and taken together they make for a half-day that will stick with you.
Welcome to Colorful Colorado
Make sure you snap an iconic photo on your last stop in Kansas at the Welcome to Colorful Colorado sign… and then buckle up for your three remaining hours in the Colorado plains before you make it to Denver.
The Itineraries
Two-Day Itinerary
Day 1, Option A
Start in Kansas City and make your way west. Stop at the Oz Museum in Wamego (about an hour and a half from KC), then continue west to Truckhenge in Topeka for a quick and wonderful detour. Keep heading west and dip south for a walk through Mushroom Rock State Park. End the day camping at Wilson Lake.
Day 1, Option B
Start in Kansas City and head west, then drop south for a full day in Lindsborg. Wander downtown, eat Swedish food, visit a museum or two, and end the afternoon at Coronado Heights Castle for the sunset. Swing by Mushroom Rock on your way back north. Camp at Wilson Lake.
Day 2 (for both options)
Wake up at Wilson Lake, then drive south toward Oakley. Hike the 1.5-mile rim trail at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park, then check out the chalk formations at Monument Rocks. Stop in Oakley for lunch and say hi to Buffalo Bill at the Cultural Center. Then it is back on I-70 heading west. Snap your photo at the “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign.
Three-Day Itinerary
Day 1
Kansas City west to Wamego for the Oz Museum, then on to Topeka for Truckhenge. Keep heading west and arrive in Lindsborg for the evening. Stay in lodging in town or camp nearby.
Day 2
Spend the day in Lindsborg. Make sure to check operation times and admission fees for the museums before you go. Shop, eat, explore. Visit Coronado Heights Castle in the late afternoon. On your way out, stop at Mushroom Rock State Park. Drive out to S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden in Lucas, and then camp at Wilson Lake.
Day 3
Hike Little Jerusalem, visit Monument Rocks, stop in Oakley for lunch and Buffalo Bill. Head west, hit the Colorado sign, and give yourself three hours of plains before Denver greets you.
Five-Day Itinerary
Day 1
Kansas City to Wamego (Oz Museum), then west to Topeka (Truckhenge). Head south and arrive in Lindsborg for the evening. Stay in town or camp nearby.
Days 2 and 3
Give yourself the full Lindsborg experience. Two days here means you can take it slow: visit all of the museums, wander downtown, eat well, rent a quadricycle, check the events calendar for anything happening on the weekend. Make time for Coronado Heights Castle and Mushroom Rock State Park before you move on. Camp at Wilson Lake.
Day 4
Head north to Lucas for S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden before officially hitting the road west. Head through Oakley and south on US-83 to hike Little Jerusalem and walk through Monument Rocks. Spend the night in Oakley.
Day 5
Start at the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center if you haven’t already. If you’re feeling good on time, the Fick Fossil Museum and the Butterfield Trail Museum are both in Oakley and worth a look. Then point it west. Stop for your photo at the Colorado sign, settle in for the last stretch of plains, and enjoy the mountains when they finally show up on the horizon.
Romanticize the journey, and Kansas will surprise you. I promise.
~ Written by Kendall