Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drive 72
Kansas East and West
FamiliariconsoftheOldWest—fromcoveredwagonsandcattledrivestoIndians
and bison—come to mind on this drive paralleling the Santa Fe Trail across Kan-
sas.
Length: About 360 miles, plus side trips
When to go: Popular year-round
Not to be missed: Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm, Olathe; Fort Larned National
Historic Site
Nearby attractions: Legler Barn Museum, Lenexa; National Agricultural Center and
Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs; Kansas Museum of History, Topeka; Last Chance Store,
Council Grove; Mennonite Heritage Museum, Goessel
Further information: Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks
and Tourism, www.travelks.com
1. Santa Fe Trail
In the mid-19th century the Santa Fe Trail linked Independence, Missouri, with New Mex-
ican trading partners far to the southwest. For about six decades, wagons laden with wares
lumbered the 900 miles between Independence and Santa Fe, slowed only now and then by
outbreaks of war. In 1866, the peak year for traffic on the trail, some 5,000 wagons rumbled
along the popular and well-worn route, now a National Historic Trail.
This scenic drive traces a portion of the trail—from the outskirts of Kansas City west
across most of Kansas to Dodge City. The drive begins in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe,
where tree-shaded streets are lined with stately Victorian homes. Here visitors can stroll
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