Little Jerusalem is an area of Kansas that has been almost mythical to many of us who have spent our lives seeking out the hidden gems of this often overlooked state. Many have no idea that Kansas is anything other than flat (there are actually 7 states flatter than Kansas, thank you), and those that do know a little more about the state, maybe know about the Flint Hills, or Smoky Hills, or Gypsum Hills. Fewer still will know about the badlands near Castle Rock or Monument Rocks. Both are collections of chalk outcroppings in the Smoky Hill River Valley that stand in stark contrast to the idea of Kansas being flat.
Then there are the small number of us who heard whispers of an even grander set of outcroppings further west than Monument Rocks. I remember hearing of them back when I did field work for the Kansas Department of Transportation in the 1980s. I even was able to catch distant glimpses of what was known as “Little Jerusalem” from county roads. But, Little Jerusalem was on private land and the owner was, as I often heard, a little particular about who he let out there to explore. As much as I wanted to track down every surprising bit of my home state and document it with photos, it would be years later before I got a good look at Little Jerusalem.
Decades later, in 2017, I finally got my chance to explore the Little Jerusalem badlands. The Nature Conservancy had managed to purchase them and there were story assignments to be had about the tourism-related future of this obscure part of the Sunflower State. I jumped at the chance to get my first up close look and now, soon, everyone will have that chance. The Nature Conservancy has partnered with the State of Kansas to add Little Jerusalem to the State Park system, and they have been working to determine the best way to make this site accessible, while still managing to protect what is a very fragile ecosystem. In the time I’ve been visiting Monument Rocks and Castle Rock, I’ve seen extensive erosion and crumbling of the formations. Cobra Rock, my favorite of the formations in the Castle Rock Badlands, toppled over completely in the late 1990s. The Kansas Sphinx, near Monument Rocks, fell in the 1980s. Much of this damage is due to weather and natural elements, but humans take their toll, too. I’m glad the Nature Conservancy is sensitive to this and is taking steps to protect Little Jerusalem.
On October 12, 2019, Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park is set to open with two rim trails that will allow visitors to get a glimpse of this mysterious landscape. A part of me wishes that all of the trails weren’t along the rim, looking down on the badlands. When I was able to explore it in 2017, I mainly wandered the lower portion with the stone spires towering over me. I hope you can get the same sense of scale and wonder from the rim, and I guess I’ll find out on my next visit. In the meantime, here are a few more images from my 2017 exploration:
