Mt. Sunflower is the high point of Kansas, hence the name Mt. "Sunflower" since Kansas is the "Sunflower State". What Kansas is not is a mountain state. I do believe that state high points should count as summits, as long as there is a reasonable hill with a view from the top. Kansas is a flat state however, and not very exciting to drive through, except for the Central Kansas hill country. Mt. Sunflower is in extreme Western Kansas (near the Colorado border) in Wallace County, and is actually a hill, with a nice view. It is probably not much more than 50 feet up from the beginning of the trailhead to the top.

It is certainly a high point in the area because the wind was pretty substantial blowing in my face, coming down directly from the summit. In fact, Kansas is certainly not the flattest state highpoint (DE, FL, IN, IA, and RI are all flatter). The Kansas highpoint is actually high enough to have an unobscured view of the surrounding areas, so that a person can see for miles and miles.

Getting There

The summit is 38 miles from I-70 if coming from the east. To get there, take exit 17 in Goodland Kansas, which is route 27 South (speed limit of 65). 17 miles later, there is a sign to Mt. Sunflower. Take a right onto a dirt road. The road goes about 15 miles to another sign to the mountain. 6 miles later there is another dirt road that says, "1 mile to Mt. Sunflower." I took that and parked at the base of the hill leading to the summit sign.

If coming from the west, take Exit 1 just after crossing over the border from Colorado to Kansas, and head south on County Road 3. Stay on CR 3 for approximately 22 miles. You will eventually see the sign for Mt. Sunflower.

Recommended Route

From the base of the hill, it is about a half mile to the metal sunflower that marks the highpoint. There is a summit register.

Red Tape

There are no permits, just drive there, park on the dirt road, and hike the last half mile to the summit. Remember that Mount Sunflower is on private land, so be respectful.