Elk River Hiking Trail — Attraction in Independence

One of the, if not the, best trails in Kansas. It's not as much strenuous as it is rugged. The ascents are steep but short. However, it's a very rocky trail. Within 2 miles of the east trailhead, you have a narrow descent where you have to put your pack on the rock, climb down, then reach up to retrieve your pack. It's about a 5 1/2-6' climb down. Not difficult but easier with a buddy. If you don't want to do 10 miles the first day, I recommend stopping at the bench that's just over 2 miles in from the east trailhead for your first night. There are 2-3 nice camping areas behind the bench; the first is maybe 30 yards in. Do 8 miles on day 2 to another beautiful camping area on the creek at mile 10 then do the final 5 on day 3. Water is more scarce during the summer than in spring. Be prepared to bushwhack down to the lake and river for water resupply when backpacking during the summer. ATT cell service is pretty good on most of the trail; having a GPS locator (InReach, SPOT, etc...) is always good due to the possibility of rolled or...

This trail is pretty awesome! If you plan on hiking the full 15 mile trail, it takes about 11 hours to complete. Bring plenty of water and food. The trail is one way, so if you do the 15 miles, have someone park at the east side end of the trail or plan to hike back. There are tons of places to set up camp and I'm under the impression that camping is free or at the very least, not monitored. I didn't see a single person on the trail. I want to add that late spring is probably the best time to hike this trail, as there are plenty of beautiful trees and plants---all of which are clearly dead in the winter. The trail is moderate and rugged, so wear proper shoes. Coming into the trail about a half mile in, there is a large open area to the left that is great for star gazing and...

I hiked there last Sunday with a few friends. It's beautiful but very challenging. Rocks, streams of water, steep inclines and declines; besides, it was raining hard the previous days so, muddy spots, trees down and a bridge was washed away. I know this should be rating the trail only but I would like to rate with 10 stars a volunteer couple that was in the trail taking care of everything. They saw off and removed huge trees along the trail, placed the bridge back in place and worried so much about our welfare. So much that they waited until we returned back to the base. I wish I could remember their names but he's from Oklahoma and she's from New York. Outstanding work. I want to thank them so much for the hard work and...