CO to KS: Monument Rocks and Lake Scott

After 10 days in Denver, it was time to head back to Bowie. I packed up Millie and started towards Kansas. I have a camping reservation at the Lake Scott State Park in Scott City, KS but wanted to check out the Monument Rocks Natural Landmark and the Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park which were close to the campground.

On the way there, I stopped by the Colby visitor center. The lady at the desk was very helpful, gave me detailed information and maps on how to get to the Monument Rocks which she called Pyramid Rocks. She also handed me packets of sunflower seeds (to grow, not eat), the sunflower being the state flower of Kansas.

The drive to the monument was interesting, and as she warned me, the road was unpaved and uneven. It was also very windy and dusty. I was driving through private land, but the owner had apparently allowed access to the public to view the landmark. It seemed like a long way off the paved road, but eventually after wide expanse of grain fields with the occasional petroleum pumpjacks, I saw some pillars in the distance. The road has become coated with white dust (i.e. chalk).

And then, there they were. The chalk-rock formations appeared so out of place, they also reminded me of Stonehenge.

It was pretty surreal, I was the only person there but another two cars came by later. I took a lot of photos, then drove on to New Jerusalem Badlands. It appeared that I would have to hike in to see the rock formations there. It was getting late and the park looked deserted: I decided to call it a day and drove on to the campground.

Lake Scott State Park was very pretty, but it was cloudy and windy with wind gusts blowing sand/dust around, making it difficult to be out of the minivan. There were few people camping that evening. I connected to electricity, and ate a take out dinner that I had purchased when I stopped for gas earlier.