Chalk Pyramids/Monument Rocks
Chalk Pyramids/Monument Rocks
Location: About 20 miles South of Oakley turn at the sign and go 4 miles East and the 2 South on Jayhawk Road. Turnoff of Hwy US 83 is well marked.
Nearest Towns:
Oakley, Scott City
Monument Rocks appear just as the county road dips into a small valley. Towering 70 feet above the road on both sides, they have been named a National Natural Landmark by the US Department of the Interior, the first such designation in Kansas. Though they are on private property, the owners are generous enough to allow visitors to walk around these natural wonders. You are their guest--please act accordingly.
Twenty
miles or so to the north, the concrete ribbon known as Interstate
70 hums with traffic. When most of these travelers reach their
destinations in Kansas City, Denver, or wherever, they will report, "There is
nothing in Western Kansas. It's flat as a pancake out there!" Had
they just taken the time for a short side-trip, they would have been pleasantly
surprised.
Swallows
take advantage of the rocks as a place to build nests and raise
their young (photo at left).
Special Note: There are rattlesnakes in the area. This is their home. Don't bite them and they won't bite you. Also look before you step or place your hands somewhere on the rocks. Please don't climb on the rocks. This wears the rocks down, and if enough people do it, we will destroy this natural treasure and deprive future generations of their right to view Monument Rocks.