Kansas--Cowboy Route
Date: 2004-11-17
On this drive you are sure to see many cowboys doing what cowboys have
been doing for many years. To get started, head south on U.S. 56 out of
Great Bend to Dodge City. You should take time to check out the Santa
Fe Trail Center and Fort Larned National Historic Site in Larned. The
Fort was established in 1859 for troops policing the Santa Fe Trail. Among
those finding shelter at Fort Larned was Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer.
Be sure to take a break and tour Old Fort Dodge and the Boot Hill Museum. This will put you in the cowboy mode. Next the drive heads southeast on SR 54 to the city of Mullinville. Follow Rte. 54 to Greensburg. The Front Street Wild West replica, the world's largest hand-dug well (109 feet deep) in Greensburg, is worth a cowboy's break. To stay on the trail, pick up U.S. 183 south to Coldwater. Head east on U.S. 160 to Medicine Lodge. Along the last leg of this scenic drive, the road follows the Arkansas (pronounced "R. Kansas" here) River for over half the route. A "must-see" is Carry Nation's Home in Medicine Lodge. Ms. Nation was a sometimes-violent temperance leader. Medicine Lodge is also the home of a frontier stockade replica and has many trail rides and hay rides through the surrounding buttes, canyons, and mesas.
Starting Point:
Great Bend, KS
Distance of Drive:
207 miles
Must Eat:
Dodge House Inn
2408 West Wyatt Earp Blvd., Dodge City, KS 67801
Phone:620-225-9900
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Spring and fall
Points of Interest on Drive:
Santa Fe Trail Center
Old Fort Dodge
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Boot Hill
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