My wife had seen information on Monument Rocks Natural Landmark and we had tried to visit on a…read moreprevious trip across Kansas but got some bad directions and ended up on dirt road 20 miles before we were supposed to get to Monument Rocks. This time, we planned better and took the Oakley exit from I-70 and followed route 83 south out of Oakley to Jayhawk Road. From the interesection of 83 and Jayhawk, it is about 7 miles on well maintained dirt/gravel roads - a pretty easy drive. There are two main groups of rock formations - one on either side of the road. We spent a good 30-45 minutes walking around and exploring the formations. NOTE - Mounment Rocks is on PRIVATE PROPERTY but the owners allow access to the sites - so please be respecctful of the Rocks to ensure continued access. ALSO NOTE - this is a totally rustic site and there are NO FACILITIES of any kind. The rock formations are incredible and are so totally out of place on the plains of Kansas. It's a good 30-40 minutes from I-70 via route 83, but, if you have the time, a visit is definitely worth the detour. We exited the site by continuing to the south rather that back-tracking the way we came in. It's about 7-8 miles of dirt/gravel road (well maintained) to exit via Dakota Road back onto route 83 at the southern end of the site.

An amazing rock formation in Kansas, a definite must see pit stop! We went with our dogs and it…read moretruly felt otherworldly. Beautiful!

This is a 24' by 32' copy of Van Gogh's famous sunflower picture. It is displayed on an 80' easel…read morein a public park less than 1 mile from exit 17 on Interstate 70 in Goodland, Kansas. Goodland is a great place to stop and refuel when heading west and is one of the last major stopping points until you reach Limon, Colorado. To find the painting, go one block north of the interchange and turn right on the first main drag. The painting is about 1/2 mile down the street. Great place to stop, stretch and refuel. Doesn't require a long visit -- just long enough to get pictures to prove you were here.

Lake Scott State Park is beautiful, a real oasis. NO HOT WATER in the shower houses. Turkey…read morevultures are roosting in trees nearby. I love the park but will take a shower in my camper van tomorrow. Now THAT's desperate. Stayed an additional day in lovely Scott State Park. It was so bright and hot that I stayed in much of the time or sat under dappled shade. It's an interesting place, and one of the best places I know for short walks where there is a lake with Canada geese and their goslings, and a trail that goes back to the edge of the park property. There is a pueblo ruin right on the property. It's quite a hike from my campsite but I enjoyed it. The camp hostess claimed there was hot water in the shower house and that it went on "in demand." She said you had to run it a few minutes before it would get hot. Uh-huh. I ran it for 10 minutes the night before and it stayed stone cold.

So evidently the lake is contaminated by ecoli from a heavy rainfall and it killed all the fish and…read moreit's not safe to swim in. Kind of a bummer, but hey can't really control the weather. Unfortunately the signage wasn't super clear that this was the case, and clerk at the beach club store was happy to sell us sun screen and towels because we were obviously going to take our 3 kids swimming. Might have been a good time to say "hey before you buy this...." A random person stopped us about 5 feet from the edge of the water to let us know about the water. Sigh.....

The discussion in our group was how does one evaluate this kind of oddball attraction? We based our…read more4/5 on the fact that it could use some maintenance. It was worth the one time visit just to say we have, plus a chance to add it to our list of quirky roadside attractions. And, why not?!

A quirky roadside gem close to the border of Kansas and Colorado! This was the perfect place to…read moretake a break, stretch our legs, and admire the giant Van Gogh sunflower painting displayed on an oversized easel. There's plenty of free parking and open space to walk around and relax. A fun and unique stop that's definitely worth a quick visit.

This park has a really fun playground called "Park on the Plains". Fun for kids to explore, lots of…read moreslides and swings. There's a shelter near the playground and bathrooms.

I've been to A LOT of parks with my 3 kids and this is by far the nicest park I've even taken them…read moreto. I didn't even know wooden playgrounds were still a thing at community parks. I like how the existing trees were left in place for shade (and because WHY cut a healthy tree anyway?!) props to the designer/engineer who designed it. EXCELLENT! @fineuglysoap

Stopped for lunch on the way from Kansas to Colorado Springs where we picked up some fast food and…read morewanted somewhere to sit and eat. Park was empty, well-kept with a nice shaded pavilion with picnic tables and trash cans. We didn't play on the wooden jungle gym, but enjoyed the locale nonetheless. Note: if the wind blows from the north, it smells like dairy. Not overwhelming, but might ruin your lunch if you are sensitive. I feel like the last 2.5 hours driving through Kansas smelled like dairy, so not something I would discourage others from checking this place out if they just want a spot to relax. Same smell (worse) when we were getting the food from the restaurant.

This was a great park to stop at along I-70! Fun spaceship themed playground with several slides…read moreand climbable features! Picnic tables with shade in multiple places around the park. Very clean! Splash park next to playground is nice with a partial wall around the edges perfect for sitting towels and bags, etc. pickleball courts and a public swimming pool next to the park.

Considering it's a rainy day, this park is awesome!! Pool isn't open for obvious reasons, but the…read morekids definitely had fun playing in the park. Also there are a lot of poke stops for anyone who plays PoGo. This is definitely way better than some of the parks we have back home.

If you are a Colorado resident and have not learned about the Sand Creek Massacre, please visit the…read moresite. It is very well designed so as to keep the memory of those lost here in buried at peace. Located in SE Colorado, the Sand Creek Massacre site provides an eye opening experience of what happened to 200+ Native Americans on a cold, winter day in November of 1864 at the hands of a volunteer Calvary. There is a quarter mile walk from the parking lot to the overlook of the massacre site. Signs and important information are present along this walk as well as when you arrive at the overlook. There is an additional mile walk that you can choose to take to get closer to the path the Calvary took on that fateful night. Extremely knowledgeable and friendly park rangers are available in the small trailer/visitor center/gift shop. This is a nationally recognized historic monument in Colorado. As more people begin to become aware of this event the Sand Creek Massacre site stands as one of the harshest memories in Colorado history. Please consider visiting Sand Creek and other NPS sites to keep the NPS system alive and well.

I had a lovely time at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site! My first suggestion is this,…read moreplan other activities besides going to SCNHS. Map it accordingly. There is another Historic Site about an hour away. Visiting this site will take about an hour. You can do it in about thirty minutes or so. However, I recommend taking your time to read ALL the signage. It's a very informative experience. Also, take time to go into the Information Center and strike up conversation with one of the Park Rangers. You will walk away very informed. They will appreciate the interaction as well. I spoke with a very nice Park Ranger. We talked books in their gift shop area for quite some time. I liked that he asked where I traveled from for visiting the site on this day. After I told him, he thanked me for making the journey and for visiting. Also, there is no fee to visit. It's FREE! However, they do accept donations. It's not obligatory either. Besides the books in the gift shop, there are plenty of other souvenir items to purchase. Again, they do not obligate you to buy anything. Surprisingly, I walked away without purchasing a book or books. There are many good ones there! I highly recommend bringing water and snacks with you. There is a three miles round trip trail to hike. Also, I highly recommend walking the trail from the main site area all the way to the observation mound or lookout area. It's worth it! A fellow patron remarked that I walked quicker to this area than he drove his car to or. Ha! Also, do not go here with the expectation to be "Wow'd" with a lot of things to see and do. If you take your time by reading the various signage at the site along with taking in the energy of the land, it's quite the experience! So tragic and sad that a tragedy of this magnitude happened here. It's so remote and peaceful. You will spend a significant amount of time driving on dirt roadways to get to the site. Don't fret by thinking you're lost. My GPS guided me to this place beautifully. It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. However, worth the time! Again, map it where you have other activities planned. You can grab lunch or dinner in nearby Eads. There are public restrooms (outhouse type) on site. The information center closes at 3:30 PM and the park closes at 4:00 PM. They will lock the front gate at closing time! Plan accordingly. I would love to visit here. The drive took about three plus hours from Castle Rock. There is another Historic Site south of here. Visit that one as well! Looking forward to another visit here. So glad I checked this one off my list!