Flint Hills Trail State Park Honored by Rails to Trails Conservancy
The Rails to Trails Conservancy has named the Flint Hills Trail State Park, located in Kansas, as its 2025 Hall of Fame inductee.
黄瓜社区; Design is proud to announce that the Flint Hills Trail State Park has been inducted into the , garnering over 80% of the public vote. Developed via a partnership between 黄瓜社区, CFS Engineers, the听Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) and the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, the Flint Hills Trail is the longest trail in Kansas, spanning 93 miles across the rural eastern part of the state. The trail joins an iconic list of Hall of Fame trails recognized for their outstanding scenic value, use, amenities, historical significance and community benefit.
黄瓜社区鈥檚 design team partnered with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy to develop a master plan for the Flint Hills Trail. Grounded in months of public engagement and collaborative design sessions, the plan includes comprehensive wayfinding and signage strategies and concepts for four signature bridges envisioned as iconic landmarks to support local economies and inspire full-trail travel. The resulting vision honors the region鈥檚 unique cultures and histories while creating an accessible, multimodal corridor that connects communities and landscapes across nine counties.
The trail was officially designated as a state park by the Kansas legislature in 2018 and recognized as a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2020. It also directly links to the Prairie Spirit Trail State Park, an inductee in RTC鈥檚 Hall of Fame that extends another 51 miles. The Flint Hills Trail was among three nominees voted on by the public between July 31 and August 6, 2025.
In 2007, the began recognizing exemplary rail-trails nationwide through its Hall听of听Fame. Hall听of听Fame trails have been听selected based on merits such as scenic value, high use, trail and trailside amenities, historical significance,听accessibility,听excellence in facility management and maintenance, community connections and geographic distribution.听In 2023,听eligibility for the听Hall听of听Fame expanded to include greenways, towpaths, rails-with-trails and all other听types听of听multiuse trails, with an emphasis on those that deliver the accessibility and trail use experience to be expected by a rail-trail and priority given to trails that contribute to the connectivity听of听regional trail and active transportation systems.