New signs will highlight U.S. Bicycle Routes 76, 66 across Kansas

Officials unveil the new U.S. Bicycle Routes 76 and 66 at the event on Thursday. There will be more than 900 new signs installed along the route throughout the state.  

Highway signs that will help show the way for U.S. Bicycle Routes (USBR) 76 and 66
throughout Kansas were unveiled today at an event along Historic Route 66 in Riverton as part of the sign initiative currently underway.

“Signage is beneficial because it provides wayfinding for cyclists and it alerts motorists to
diligently be aware of and respectful to cyclists sharing the road,” said Kansas Department of Transportation Planning and Development Director Chris Herrick. Other speakers included Bourbon County Economic Development Director Jody Hoener, Cherokee County Sheriff Groves and Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Patrick Tuttle.

More than 900 new road/highway signs will be placed across Kansas marking the two bicycle routes. These routes in Kansas were approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), as a result of collaborative efforts between KDOT and the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), beginning in 2015. The USBR system connects bicycle routes across the country for safer, long-distance cycling.

USBR 76 is also known as the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. It extends more than 480 miles and runs from Greely County on the Colorado border to Crawford County on the Missouri border. The Kansas stretch of USBR 66 is 13 miles long and runs through the southeast corner of the state.

“Thousands of cyclists ride these routes through Kansas every year offering great tourist
opportunities for the over 30 communities they pass through, especially rural towns,” said

KDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Jenny Kramer. “Many towns take advantage of this opportunity for economic growth and development by making their towns more bicycle-friendly and creating attractive resting and overnight spots for travelers.”

Sign installation will begin in spring 2020 and should all be placed by June. KDOT has
developed signing plans to assist with installation along the state and local systems. In
addition, KDOT plans to release the 2020-21 Kansas Bicycle Map by next summer.

For more information on KDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program and resources on cycling in Kansas, go to: https://www.ksdot.org/burRail/bike/default.asp.

Desert your cars and go on an adventure at the Sand Hills State Park

By Laurie Arellano,
Interim Communications Director and District 1 Public Affairs Manager

Just off the TransAmerica bike trail in Hutchinson, drivers on Old K-61 will see “Share the Road” signs as bikers head to Sand Hills State Park to experience over 14 miles of trails on the 1,123 acres of preserved sand dunes, grassland, wetland and woodlands

For those who love the look and feel of desert sand but want all the humidity that Kansas is famous for, Sand Hills State Park is where you want to hike or bike.

Sand Hills State Park proudly proclaims it has more sand than most deserts. Dunes between 10 and 40 feet high were formed by wind-deposited sands from the Arkansas River at the end of the Ice Age and are now covered with native grasses and plants.

A total of eight trails, one of which is an interpretive trail and a total of four of which are designated equestrian trails, weave across the prairie, along water features, and among native flora and fauna.  Biking and hiking are allowed on all trails, but the hiking trails are more suitable for biking unless riders have fatbikes to conquer the very soft, loose sand on the equestrian trails.

The 14 miles of trails run deep into the park. In the heat and humidity of central Kansas, carrying water is going to be a must, as the workout walking, riding or pushing a bike through the loose sand is harder than it looks.  But the view of the natural prairie from the top of the dunes is worth the trip in and up to the top.  Some trails offer a cooler trip through primarily woodland sections of the park.

Transport yourself back to untouched prairie sculpted by natural forces from long-ago and take a walk or a ride through Sand Hills State Park.