The Prairie Spirit Trail in eastern Kansas is a 52 1/2 mile path through small towns, shaded woodland canopy, and scenic prairies alive with wildflowers (and wildlife!), and running beside streams, rivers, neatly-tended fields and family farms. Built on the railbed of the old Leavenworth, Lawrence and Fort Gibson Railroad, the trail offers easy grades for hikers and bikers alike. The trail runs north/south between Ottawa and Iola, connecting to the Flint Hills Nature Trail in the north, and the Southwind Rail Trail in the south. The trail is paved within Ottawa, Garnett, and Iola, with rural sections having a hard-packed limestone surface. The Prairie Spirit Trail State Park is managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.
For southbound runners, initial FKT-setter Harry Hayde points out that the Iola end of the trail confused him at first. The archway south of Madison Ave (Hwy 54) is about 2/10ths of a mile shy of the end of the trail, which is at Bruner Street, near the parking lot indicated in the photo below.
