Garden of God

Garden of God is one of Kansas’ unknown treasures. It’s not even listed on the state’s official tourism site. Many of these strange rock formations along the Smoky Hill River are unnamed, but the docent at Butterfield Trail Museum said it was called Garden of God. The wind- and water-carved formations are a bit south of Russell Springs in a pasture right beside Kansas Highway 25.

Hubby was surprised when we arrived. He hadn’t expected something quite this interesting. He didn’t walk into the formations with me, but stayed on the ridge above them. He’s just visible above the rounded formation to the right. He called those bumps “glorified cow pies.” I think the gunmetal rocks are a kind of shale. Fossils are often found in that strata of rock.

The yellow limestone cracks and spalls easily, as does the shale. Explorers in this terrain need to be careful of their footing. When I walked in the narrow valleys between the formations, I hoped no downpour had been unleashed upstream. A flash flood would be hard to escape.

Erosional forces had carved crevices and small caves into the rocks, but I did not investigate them closely. Those would be prime places for rattlesnake nests. I have no desire to meet a viper. To reach Garden of God from Interstate 70, take Highway 25 south out of Colby (Exit 53) or Highway 40 west out of Oakley (Exit 76). West of Oakley, Highways 25 and 40 run together for awhile until 25 turns south toward Leoti.