Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park

I am so excited to tell you about our stop at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park! It's just south of Oakley, Kansas, which I told you about yesterday, and it is absolutely breathtaking. The signs said it is the newest state park in Kansas, and here is what I learned (fact-wise) from the website: It is a 332-acre park with 220 acres of badlands. There is a mile-long stretch of 100 foot tall spires and cliffs made of eroded Niobrara Chalk. 

I'd read on another website (which, of course, now I can't find) that the "Little Jerusalem" part of the name comes from the way the formations resemble the outline of the old city of Jerusalem, and then of course, the "Badlands" part comes from their resemblance to The Badlands. (That's on our bucket list, but we haven't been there yet.) 

We drove on highway until the last five or so miles, and then we were down a really rough dirt road. It was better than the one to Monument Rocks, which I told you yesterday we had to abandon for Abby's safety. But we still had to limit our speed to 5-10 miles an hour because of the dirt and ruts.

 If you ever go, I should tell you that it will look like you are going toward absolutely NOTHING. Even as you drive into the park, you'll think you're being tricked, because the rocks sit down low and you can't see them at all until you begin the trails. But trust me! They're there! 

The entrance cracked me up, because it didn't resemble any state park I've ever been to in the Midwest. There was a post with envelopes tucked inside, and you were supposed to write down your name, license plate number, and put $5.00 inside. When Ryan went to put it in the drop-box part of the post, it was crammed so full he could barely get it inside! There were no people working on site while we were there. Just the drop box and then a small building with restrooms inside (which we didn't use, so I can't speak to their condition). 

There is NO protection from the elements out there, so I absolutely recommend taking water, sunscreen, and an umbrella if it's super sunny and you're sensitive to sun. 

The trail does not go all the way around. It goes somewhere about a mile - basically as far as it can go - and then you have to turn around and retrace your steps. There is also a small length of trail in the opposite direction that takes you a short distance to a lookout and then you also retrace your steps there. We did both sections, but the long part was by far the most picturesque. 

I had some serious worship going on out there. I have never personally seen anything like this in all of creation, and it took my breath away. God is so amazing with the things He created!! 

We had a gorgeous day to hike (and the best monthiversary pictures ever), and we did not see a single snake, thank you Jesus!!! We also didn't see people up close. There were a few small groups leaving when we arrived, and we never ran into a soul on the trail! 

And now, enjoy the pictures. I'll try not to post them all. 

(I have named the above picture "Courage." I am insanely afraid of heights, and I was right at the edge of a tall cliff. Ryan had to retrieve me after the picture, actually. But I was so proud of myself for sitting for the photo.)

(That's Ryan using his Seek app to identify plants.)

It was worth every single bump we bounced on getting down that road. We loved every moment of it, and it was a highlight of our trip. (This has seriously been one of our best vacations we've ever taken. I'm pretty sure "it was a highlight of the trip" could be said of each day, no joke.) 

When we were done here and gave up on Monument Rocks, we drove back up toward Oakley to stay at the "RV Park." I put that in quotes because it was legitimately a parking lot at the end of an old hotel. The price was right, but the view was not even close to picturesque. (Although our neighbor didn't have security cameras pointed at our window, so hurray for that!) But for all it lacked in ambience, it was affordable, gave us a full hookup, and was safe. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening, even if we did stay inside! 

Happy 102 months to us!