By Trish Svoboda/Images courtesy of Kansas Trail Inc.
Kansas Trails, Inc. (KTI) has launched as the state’s first nonprofit organization focused on uniting and supporting Kansas’s trail community, thanks to support from the Sunflower Foundation. Its mission is to make trails across the state more accessible, sustainable, and widely used—now and for future generations. With 98,000 miles of gravel roads and over 4,500 miles of mapped trails, Kansas offers a vast and diverse landscape for outdoor enthusiasts.
Its first priority was creating a detailed, interactive trail map that includes distances, photos, and amenities. The organization also brings together local trail groups, recreation departments, and nonprofits to share resources and strengthen Kansas’ trail infrastructure.
Executive director of KTI, Michael Scanlon, said “a lot of small communities don’t have the horsepower or even the knowledge of how to get a grant to either connect a trail or build a trail or maintain a trail. One of the things that we’re aiming to do is help communities with that.” KTI offers support to navigate the grant process, assist with applications and managing the administrative side.
Sustainability and maintenance are key concerns. Scanlon emphasizes the use of native materials—like crushed limestone—to build trails that are easier to maintain, especially with volunteer help. He said he always starts with the design. “Is this a design that a handful of volunteers can maintain on an annual basis? If it’s low maintenance surfaces like crushed limestone, it’s much easier than if it’s asphalt.”
In addition to technical support, KTI hosts the Kansas Trail Congress every few months, gathering representatives from across the state to collaborate on trail development. “These are people from various trail groups throughout Kansas. And we meet in the community and we talk about the things that are being worked on, things that we can improve, things we should invest in,” said Scanlon.
Scanlon hopes every Kansan recognizes trails as more than paths—they’re connections between communities, cultures, and natural beauty.
“Yeah, trails are dirt and gravel and all that kind of stuff. But it’s that building connections between places because trails connect people to places. They also connect people to the state and to their county and city. I think getting people to understand and appreciate the beauty of their state and get out and enjoy it, that’s how you start selling your state to other people.”
KTI ‘s initial funding came from a grant from the Sunflower Foundation and will continue to be funded through a mix of grants, donations, and memberships. In time, Scanlon said they hope to have enough memberships and trail organizations that they’re supporting to be able to fund themselves.
For more information or to explore trails, visit the Kansas Trail Inc. website.
