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News & Media Midwest rock spires evoke Holy City

Midwest rock spires evoke Holy City

Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park, Kansas

October 15, 2019 By MeLinda Schnyder

A new state park opened in western Kansas on October 12, the culmination of a three-year process to make public a treasured piece of private land featuring 100-foot-tall spires and cliffs of eroded Niobrara Chalk, a layer of rock deposited some 85 million years ago.

  • The Nature Conservancy purchased the 332-acre area encompassing 220 acres of dramatic chalk rock formations from the ranching family who had owned it for generations. Photo by Doug Stremel courtesy of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.
  • Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in western Kansas showcases a mile-long stretch of 100-foot-tall spires and cliffs of eroded Niobrara Chalk. Photo by Andrea LaRayne Etzel courtesy of Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.
  • The formations have long been called Little Jerusalem because the view at sunrise and sunset reminded locals of the walled city of Jerusalem. Photo by Mickey Shannon.
  • The formations that make up Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park were formed by sediment that settled at the bottom of an inland ocean called the Western Interior Seaway, which covered most of central North America millions of years ago. The sediment became compressed over time, and the seaway floor was lifted by the same tectonic shifting that formed the Rocky Mountains. Photo by MeLinda Schnyder.
  • Hiking in Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park is restricted to two rim trails unless you are accompanied by park staff during a guided tour. Photo by Andrea LaRayne Etzel courtesy of Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.
  • The only way to get to the base of the 100-foot-tall formations at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park is to sign up for a scheduled guided tour in advance. Photo by MeLinda Schnyder.
  • Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park view from an overlook. Photo by Bruce Hogle.
  • The part of the formation pictured here is known as the wall. Photo by MeLinda Schnyder.
  • The Nature Conservancy, which owns the land, and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism have developed two trails, interpretive signage, parking, and restrooms to create Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park. Photo by Bruce L Hogle.
  • Matt Bain of The Nature Conservancy walks among the formations at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park. Photo by MeLinda Schnyder.

Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park is the first chance for visitors, including many Kansas residents, to see that a landscape of this magnitude exists in the state. The park showcases a mile-long stretch of bluffs and towering free-standing spires first formed by sediment that settled at the bottom of the Western Interior Seaway that covered most of central North America millions of years ago. The sediment became compressed over time, and geologists say the seaway floor was lifted by the same tectonic shifting that formed the Rocky Mountains.

“I remind people that this was the bottom of the ocean millions of years ago,” said Greg Mills, a manager with the state parks. “It gives you a whole different perspective when you think about it that way. Then you see a giant clamshell on the ground that’s 4-foot across. It still blows my mind.”

While there may be thousands of Niobrara Chalk exposures in Kansas, this formation is unique for its combination of acreage, the number of columns, and the height of the columns rising up more than 100 feet above the nearby Smoky Hill River. You’ll find fossilized evidence of sea creatures as well as a variety of living wildlife and plants, from ferruginous hawks that like to nest in the rocks to Great Plains wild buckwheat that only grows in the chalk prairies of western Kansas.

Why the name Little Jerusalem?

The formations have informally been called Little Jerusalem by locals for years. Those who had the chance to see the bluffs at sunrise or sunset said it was like looking out over the walled city of Jerusalem.

In 2016, The Nature Conservancy purchased the land—a 332-acre area encompassing 220 acres of dramatic chalk rock formations—from the ranching family who had owned it for generations. They rejected offers from buyers wanting to turn it into a dig site for fossils, an off-road vehicle park, or a high-end hunting preserve. Instead they asked that The Nature Conservancy make it accessible to the public while protecting it. The same erosion characteristics that have shaped the soft limestone into fascinating formations also make the ecosystem susceptible to damage.

To do that, The Nature Conservancy partnered with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism. The conservancy continues to own the land and manage the natural resources; the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism manages outdoor recreational activities in a way that protects the fragile rocks. That means it’s not your typical state park.

Open year-round, admission requires a daily vehicle permit, currently $5, or an annual Kansas state parks vehicle pass. Vehicle access is limited to a parking area close to the entrance gate, open from sunrise to sunset. From the parking lot you have access to restrooms, a roofed structure with interpretive panels, distant views of the formations, and two permanent trails for pedestrian use only.

The Nature Conservancy's Matt Bain points out a clam shell, a reminder that the region was under water millions of years ago. Photo by MeLinda Schnyder.

The Overlook Trail takes you one-quarter mile along a crushed rock surface to a scenic viewpoint of the north side of the formation. The Life on the Rocks Trail winds 1.5 miles along the rim of the rocks with multiple bends for a variety of views and two scenic overlooks. Signage on this trail focuses on the plants and animals living here.

“At the end of the rim trail is an overlook that is one of the more impressive spots out in the formation,” said Matt Bain, a biologist who serves as Western Kansas conservation manager for The Nature Conservancy. “You’re looking north over a series of canyons, and it gives you a feel for the height and the number of columns.”

You’re not allowed off trail unless accompanied by park staff during a guided tour. The views from the rim are incredible, but if you’re making a trip here to see the formations, time your visit for a tour into the interior of the park (call Historic Lake Scott State Park at 620-872-2061 to schedule in advance). Standing at the base of these formations is extraordinary.

The dramatic rock formations of Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park contain fossilized evidence of sea creatures and a variety of living wildlife and plants. Photo by Bruce L Hogle.

Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park is about 30 miles south of Interstate 70, just off Highway 83 between Oakley, population 2,000, and Scott City, population 3,800. Scott City Municipal Airport is the closest airport with FBO services. The largest city in the area is Garden City, population 26,000, about 50 miles south and home to Garden City Regional Airport.

The park is on the state’s Western Vistas Historic Byway, whose website lists options for lodging, dining, shopping, and other points of interest in a three-county area.

Here are the closest historical and recreational attractions to consider.

  • Keystone Gallery in Scott City to see art and fossils or to get a map to Monument Rocks, a smaller chalk formation and the state’s first National Natural Landmark (1968).
  • Tours of Duff’s Buffalo Ranch, a working ranch with a herd of 300 to 400 bison; you must arrange tours in advance by calling 620-874-5120.
  • Lesser Prairie Chicken lek viewing public tours are conducted by Prairie Tours and Guide Services at several locations.
  • Camp, canoe, fish, venture on multi-use trails, and stop at historic sites such as the El Quartelejo pueblo ruins at Historic Lake Scott State Park in Scott City.
  • Explore the rifle pits at Battle Canyon, the site of the last engagement between Native Americans and U.S. troops in Kansas.
  • El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection in Scott City.
  • Hike or ride horses on two trail loops on the western edge of Smoky Valley Ranch, a 17,290-acre working cattle ranch adjacent to Little Jerusalem and also owned by The Nature Conservancy.
  • Buffalo Bill Cultural Center in Oakley.
  • Fick Fossil and History Museum in Oakley.

MeLinda Schnyder

Aviation and travel writer
MeLinda Schnyder is a writer and editor based in Wichita, Kansas, who frequently writes about travel and aviation. She worked for 12 years in the corporate communications departments for the companies behind the Beechcraft and Cessna brands.
Go to MeLinda Schnyder's Profile
Topics: U.S. Travel

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