Elk River Hiking Trail

Elk City Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Montgomery County, near Independence)

The Elk River Hiking Trail runs 15 miles along the northwest shore of Elk City Lake and the Elk River in southeast Kansas, through rocky hills that don’t match most people’s picture of the state. It’s a National Recreation Trail, designated in 1981, and it’s managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Kansas Sampler Foundation describes “rock walls, rock canopies, rock tunnels and chambers,” and notes that Backpacker magazine once rated it the best hike in Kansas.

The hike

The trail has three main trailheads. According to the National Recreation Trails database, the northeastern end is below the west end of the dam, near the Fish and Wildlife office, and the southwestern end is reached from Highway 160 south of Elk City. Kansas City Hiker and the Kansas Sampler Foundation both describe a middle trailhead; the Sampler names it Oak Ridge. Several gravel roads cross the trail from county roads north of the lake. Blue paint blazes and mile markers mark the way.

The route crosses the Chautauqua Hills, which Kansas City Hiker says rise about 200 feet above the surrounding land. The NRT listing describes “panoramic views from the tops of the many limestone bluffs,” small streams and ravines, narrow canyons, and passages under rock overhangs. The Kansas Sampler Foundation adds mushroom-shaped rocks, table rocks, ledges, and rock hollows, with oak woods on the hillsides and prairie openings with red cedar, wildflowers, and cactus.

Compulsive Hiker, who hiked the eastern 9.5 miles in September 2011, describes rocky oak and hickory forest with large boulders, limestone bluffs carved by the river, and grassy glades with prickly pear. The trail was well marked and maintained, with “lots of small” elevation changes rather than big climbs, and that section took seven hours with breaks.

Pace is the thing to plan around. Kansas City Hiker says the Corps estimates 11 hours to hike the trail one way and that experienced hikers report needing more, because of rocky, loose footing. That’s why many hikers treat it as an overnight, either point to point with a car shuttle or out and back from one end.

Elk City State Park, at the lake, has its own shorter trails, but the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says the Elk River trail is not on state park property. Kansas City Hiker notes that restrooms are at the state park, not on the trail. For another long Corps of Engineers trail in Kansas, see the Perry Lake Trail.

Tips

Carry or cache water. A 2011 trip report found only one small, seasonal creek and warned against relying on the Elk River. Kansas City Magazine (2022) suggests at least four liters per person, and said the water line at the eastern trailhead had just been repaired; check whether it’s on before counting on it.
Allow more time than the mileage suggests. The Corps estimate is 11 hours one way.
Arrange a shuttle for a point-to-point trip, or plan an out-and-back from one trailhead.
Keep dogs leashed, per Kansas City Hiker.
Wear orange in hunting season. The state manages much of the lake’s project land for public hunting.

Camping

Sources agree that primitive camping is allowed on the Corps land along the trail, but differ on where. Kansas City Hiker says camping is permitted anywhere along the trail, and Kansas City Magazine (2022) says you can camp “at any flat spot along the trail” on Corps land. The Kansas Sampler Foundation says camping is in general areas west of the gravel access roads between the three trailheads. Confirm current rules with the Elk City Lake office, (620) 336-2741. Elk City State Park also has developed and primitive campsites, according to the Corps. Kansas City Magazine says two Corps campgrounds with basic amenities sit near the trailheads, at Outlet Channel and Card Creek, with sites reservable on Recreation.gov.

Inside Intel: Compulsive Hiker found camping options limited and camped at the former Oak Ridge Public Use Area, near the middle trailhead, noting that it’s no longer maintained by the Corps. It sits about 9.5 miles from the east trailhead, a long first day.

Trail facts

Distance: 15 miles one way
Route type: Point-to-point, or out-and-back
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Primitive, no designated sites found
Water: Scarce; small seasonal creek near Road 2175; carry or cache (Kansas City Magazine suggests at least 4 liters per person)
Permits: None found
Blazes: Blue, with mile markers
Trailheads: East (below the dam), Oak Ridge (middle), and West (off Highway 160)
Managing agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Elk City Lake, (620) 336-2741
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Rocky camps above Elk City Lake:

Compulsive Hiker found camping options limited on these rocky hills and settled on the unmaintained former Oak Ridge area. If you sleep on your side, a foam pad under your inflatable is one of several fixes for rough ground.

Get the side-sleeper tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.