Scott Bean Photography
I'll admit when you think of places to photograph landscapes and nature, Kansas is probably not at the top of your list. However, as I hope you've seen in some of my photographs, Kansas is a beautiful place. There are actually a number of places you can go hiking in Kansas which is a great way to find photos. There are also a number of scenic byways which are great to drive. And you can also just pick a country road and go exploring. So...I've put together some resources to highlight the hiking and photographic opportunities in Kansas below.
Useful Books: (mouse over or click on the book title to go directly to Amazon.com - link will open in a new window)
Hiking Guide to Kansas
Watching Kansas Wildlife: A Guide to 101 Sites
Kansas Outdoor Treasures (Trails Books Guides)
Kansas Prairie Wildflowers
Compact Guide to Kansas Birds (Compact Guide to...)
Kansas Atlas & Gazetteer
Wildflowers And Grasses Of Kansas: A Field Guide
The Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hot Spots
Kansas Wildlife
Kansas Geology: An Introduction to Landscapes, Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils
Roadside Kansas: A Traveler's Guide to Its Geology and Landmarks
Kansas Off the Beaten Path, 8th (Off the Beaten Path Series)
Websites: (links open in a new window)
Kansas Trails Council - Lots of information on hiking trails. Make sure you download the PDF of hiking trails.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks - Information on hiking trails, events, etc.
National Scenic Byways in Kansas - Information and maps on Nationally designated scenic byways in Kansas.
Kansas Scenic Byways- Great information and maps on state designated scenic byways in Kansas. A great place to start exploring.
Kansas Flint Hills - Information on the Flint Hills region of Kansas.
Tall Grass Prairie Preserve - Information on the 10,000 acre Tall Grass Prairie National Park
Konza Prairie - An 8,600 acre Prairie Preserve operated as a research station by KSU. Public hiking trains are available.
Kansas Photo Tour Page - Excellent resource (and excellent photographs) for places to photograph in Kansas.
Kansas Birding & Natural Heritage Trails - More information on trails in Kansas.
Leisure and Sport Review: Kansas - Lots of information here.
Kansas Nature Conservancy - Information on places the Nature Conservancy protects in Kansas and places to photograph.
Eye on Kansas - Online magazine covering Kansas.
Kansas Hiking Trails - Lots of information here on hiking trails.
Maxwell Wildlife Refuge - Wildlife preserve with Bison and Elk
Cheyenne bottoms - Major wetland in the US and stopping point for thousands and thousands of migratory birds.
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge - Another major wetlands and stopping point for migratory birds.
Cimmaron National Grasslands - 108,000 acre grassland open to the public.
Corps of Engineers - Many of the lakes in Kansas have Corps of Engineer lands on them, you can find maps and trail info here.
Pillsbury Crossing - One of my favorite places to photograph. Has a short hiking trail and waterfalls to photograph
Natural Kansas - Great resource for information on Kansas, many, many ideas for places to photograph.
Flickr - Flickr has a suprising number of groups dedictated to Kansas, a great place to research potential photography subjects and ask for more information. Just don't ask about Dorothy and Toto please!
FlintHillsTallGrass - Great website about the Flint Hills with lots of good information and great photos.