Smoky Hills
Around Smoky Hills
Photo: Spacini · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Countryside and towns · Kansas · 28k people
Smoky Hills
Where the prairie meets the post rock
Golden WheatKansas Sky BluePost Rock Earth
Welcome to the Smoky Hills, where the post rock fences line the roads and the Czech heritage runs deep. Whether you're here for the fishing, the fairs, or just the quiet prairie skies, you'll find a friendly community that's proud of its roots.
Clubs for Smoky Hills
No clubs for Smoky Hills yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Smoky Hills. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Smoky Hills. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Wilson Lake Popular reservoir for fishing, boating, and camping.
- Kanopolis Lake Scenic lake with a state park and hiking trails.
- Mushroom Rock State Park Unique rock formations shaped like mushrooms.
- Post Rock Scenic Byway Drive through countryside lined with historic limestone fence posts.
- Fort Harker Museum Historic military post museum in Kanopolis.
- World's Largest Czech Egg Giant painted egg celebrating Czech heritage in Wilson.
- Outdoors Fishing at Wilson Lake
- Outdoors Hiking at Mushroom Rock State Park
- With kids Visiting the World's Largest Czech Egg
- With kids Exploring Fort Harker Museum
- Evenings High school football games
- Evenings Small-town taverns and bars
- Locals love Post rock limestone fences
- Locals love Small-town diners and cafes
Through the year
- Kansas Wheat Festival June Celebrates the wheat harvest with parades, food, and music in Lyons.
- Wilson Czech Festival August After Harvest Czech Festival with kolaches, polka music, and Czech heritage displays.
- Russell County Fair July County fair with livestock shows, carnival rides, and local exhibits.
- Ellsworth County Fair July Traditional county fair with 4-H exhibits, rodeo, and community gatherings.
- Osborne County Fair July County fair featuring agricultural displays, demolition derby, and family fun.
Hot summers with occasional severe storms, cold winters with snow and wind. Best in spring and fall for mild temperatures. Best: Spring and fall are the most comfortable, with mild temperatures and lower humidity.
Talk like a local
- “post rock”
- The limestone posts used for fencing
- “Smoky Hills”
- The rolling hills of the region
- “Czech”
- Local shorthand for Czech heritage
- “bierock”
- A filled pastry, often meat and cabbage
Getaways
- Hays Visit the Sternberg Museum and Fort Hays State Historic Site.
- Great Bend Explore the Kansas Wetlands Education Center and Cheyenne Bottoms.
- Salina Check out the Smoky Hill Museum and Kenwood Cove Water Park.
- McPherson Visit the McPherson Museum and enjoy the downtown shops.
Local flavour
Rooting for Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Wichita State Shockers, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals
Eat and drink
- Bierocks German-Russian meat pies, often filled with beef, cabbage, and onions, a hearty prairie staple.
- Kolaches Czech pastries with fruit or poppyseed filling, especially celebrated in Wilson, the 'Czech Capital of Kansas'.
- Chicken Fried Steak A classic comfort food found in small-town diners across the region.
- Smoked Sausage A nod to the Czech and German heritage, often served at community gatherings and festivals.
Where people go
- Courthouse squares The historic centers of county seats like Ellsworth, Lincoln, and Russell, often with limestone buildings and a classic small-town feel.
- Post rock limestone fences Distinctive fences built from native limestone posts, a unique feature of the Smoky Hills landscape.
- State parks and lakes Kanopolis State Park and Wilson State Park offer camping, fishing, and hiking amid the rolling hills and reservoirs.
- Small-town diners and cafes The local eateries where farmers gather for coffee and pie, and where the day's news is shared.
- County fairs Annual events in Osborne, Lincoln, and other towns that celebrate agriculture with livestock shows, carnival rides, and community food.
- Czech heritage sites Wilson's Czech Museum and the annual Wilson Czech Festival preserve the region's Central European roots.
Make this page better
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Nearby
Every areaHaysKansasWhere the prairie meets the skyGreat BendKansasWhere the wheat meets the skyLarnedKansasWhere the wheat fields meet the endless sky.SalinaKansasPrairie roots, open skies.McPhersonKansasSmall-town warmth, big prairie skiesHutchinsonKansasWhere the prairie meets the saltDodge CityKansasCowboy country with a warm heartWichitaKansasAir Capital with a warm heart
Rice, Russell, Ellsworth, Osborne and Lincoln counties, KS. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.