Waterfalls in Kansas
Much to the surprise of many, Kansas does in fact have waterfalls, and quite a few of them at that. However, many of them are created through the states' many lake spillways. These are not entirely natural, but they are still very impressive. And even with this, there are still naturally occurring waterfalls in Kansas. A good resource for more waterfalls in Kansas is "Kansas Waterfalls" by Mickey Shannon, which is a web page.
Northern Kansas
Angel Falls
Description: Angel Falls is a nice small waterfall that has a pleasant hike that most anyone could enjoy. There are a few places to start this hike, but I would recommend starting from this parking space (39.246603, -94.913348).
Hiking Description: From the spot, start heading west on the sidewalk on Mary Street. After .1 miles, turn right onto a wide concrete trail. At .35 miles from your car, the falls will be on the left. You can view them from a short dirt trail that leads to the base, or from atop the large metal bridge over the creek. Easy access to both.
Total Mileage: 0.7 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: Unknown
Date Last Visited: July 29, 2022
Rank: A-
Cedar Lake Falls
Description: Cedar Lake Falls is a great spillway falls in the KC metro that I first visited many years ago, but only got back to to get photos of recently. You can access it from either side of the lake, but the easier option is to start on the north side of the lake. Park here (38.848199, -94.846600).
Hiking Description: From the parking spot, head across the dam headed southwest. After a few hundred feet, you will come to the creek, and see a concrete spillway. Turn right here, following the creek (easy unless flooded) and shortly you will come to the top of the waterfall. Once at the top, you can get to the bottom by finding a cut in the rocks and use them like stairs. It's not too hard. If you want to get to the other side of the creek (as seen in the right photo), you can either wade the creek (which I recommend), or you could head to the south parking area here (38.846498, -94.848160), and follow the trail to the west, and shortly head off on some bootpaths that lead to the water. This access is steeper and there's an old barbed wire fence that's hiding in the brush, so watch out for that.
Total Mileage: 0.3 total
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date First Visited: Unknown
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2023
Rank: A
Indian Rock Falls
Description: Indian Rock Falls is a small waterfall in an unassuming location. It can be found in a park in the city of Salina on the Smoky Hill River. Access is easy.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot here (38.835042, -97.588624), start by walking a short distance down the road going southeast. Within 200 feet, you'll come to a trail on the left (east)-take this trail. The trail will curve around to the right shortly, but instead of following that, turn left going north. You will be right next to the river now. After about a tenth of a mile, the trail will begin turning away from the river, but instead turn right onto a lesser trail. From here, the falls will come into view shortly. You are above the falls here, but getting down to the bottom is easy, and the trail is obvious.
Total Mileage: 0.6 total
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: August 5, 2021
Date Last Visited: August 5, 2021
Rank: B-
Kanopolis Falls
Description: Kanopolis Falls is a nice waterfall just below the spillway at Kanopolis Lake. Easy access.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot here (38.609389, -97.960250), head to the metal staircase at the northeast corner of the lot. Descend the stairs, and the falls will be on the right. Some boulder scrambling will get you closer, but it's still pretty easy.
Total Mileage: 0.1 total
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: January 17, 2021
Date Last Visited: August 5, 2021
Rank: B
Pillsbury Crossing
Description: Pillsbury Crossing is an interesting waterfall that you can get really close to. It’s right next to the road, but some wading will be required to get the best views. Even with this, it is still easy.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot, head down to the road, and cross the ford on the right. Once across, you can head to the top or the bottom of the falls, or perhaps the other side-there are good views from everywhere, and none of it is really difficult to get to.
Total Mileage: 0.1 total
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: May 27, 2020
Date Last Visited: April 15, 2023
Rank: B+
Turkey Creek Falls
Description: Turkey Creek Falls is a nice waterfall that is practically under I-35. It’s pretty noisy, but it can still be enjoyable.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot, head west on the paved trail. After a whole of 100 feet, turn left onto another paved trail. The falls will come into view shortly. The walk takes about a minute. I recently revisted and waded above the falls and to the other side of the creek for a different perspective, which was fun.
Total Mileage: <0.1 RT
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: Unknown
Date Last Visited: October 26, 2023
Rank: B+
Wakarusa River Falls
Description: Wakarusa River Falls is a nice falls that is pretty easy to get to. It can be tricky though because an upstream dam can submerge the falls, as I have seen. They were letting out so much water that the falls ceased to exist. Not even a rapid remained. In lower water levels, the falls can look nice, so just don’t visit right after rain. Also, the falls look much bigger than they really are in that picture-it's only about three feet tall.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot located here (38.927958, -95.322704), head north across the cut grass. Shortly, you should see a steep boot path going downhill through the treeline. This trail will take you down to the falls.
Total Mileage: 0.2 total
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date First Visited: September 1, 2019
Date Last Visited: May 27, 2020
Rank: B-
Southern Kansas
Bachelor Creek Falls
Description: Bachelor Creek Falls is a wonderful spillway falls near Eureka that is easy to get to, and is a fun place for wading in warm weather.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot here (37.894386, -96.287802), the falls are just to the west on some boot paths. You can see the falls clearly from the road bridge, but you can get closer relatively easily.
Total Mileage: N/A
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: August 9, 2019
Date Last Visited: June 2, 2022
Rank: A
Bourbon Falls
Description: Bourbon Falls is a Kansas classic that is very scenic, and unlike other Kansas waterfalls, doesn’t take inches upon inches of rain to get it rolling. I’ve been here many times, and it’s always fun. It’s just enough ruggedness to make it fun, without being overly dangerous (probably). There is a parking lot that is a little closer than the coordinates listed below, but you have to go through a ford that would be difficult in most vehicles, so you’ll probably want to park on the side of the road here (37.799353, -95.063407), and wade the stream.
Hiking Description: From the side of the road, cross the ford. This is not the stream that the falls are on. Continuing on a few hundred feet, you will be led to the official parking lot. Continue past the lot on a small and rough trail and the falls will come into view on the left. Some boulder scrambling will be required for the best views.
Total Mileage: 0.2 total
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate) (if attempting the boulder scrambling; it’s easy otherwise)
Date First Visited: August 10, 2019
Date Last Visited: June 2, 2022
Rank: A+
Butcher Falls
Description: Butcher Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in Kansas, and it can be really impressive after lots of rain. Worth a visit if in the area.
Hiking Directions: Go through the gate (keep it closed when not entering or exiting) and follow the road a short distance to the bridge. Just before the bridge, turn left, following the sign for ‘Artist’s Point’. In a few feet you will get a great view of the falls. You can also cross the bridge and view it up close from the other side.
Total Mileage: 0.1 RT
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: February 24, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 5, 2022
Rank: A
Butler Falls
Description: Butler Falls is a scenic spillway falls in rural Kansas that is easy to get to.Visit after some rain.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot located here: (37.546171, -96.693846), the falls are just to the north a few feet. Some mild scrambling will take you to the best views.
Total Mileage: <0.1 total
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: May 12, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 12, 2020
Rank: A
Cowley Falls
Description: Cowley Falls is probably the nicest waterfall in Kansas. It is not natural, as it is an outflow dam from one of the many fishing lakes across the state. It is beautiful nonetheless. The trail to the bottom is tricky though.
Hike Description: To get to the top of the falls takes about 10 seconds, and is easy. Be careful near the cliff edge though-there are no fences in places. To get to the bottom, you will have to find a boot path that goes under barbed wire, through fields of broken glass, and slippery and steep terrain. It is a dangerous task. Proceed with caution if you dare. Note that it is a great view from the top, so don’t sweat it if you don’t want to attempt the trail to the bottom! The right photo is from the top overlook, and the left photo is from the base. The right photo was taken after significantly more rain had fallen.
Total Mileage: <0.1 RT to top, 0.2 RT to base
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy) to top, 8/10 (Difficult) to base
Date First Visited: March 31, 2019
Date Last Visited: May 5, 2022
Rank: A
Drury Dam
Description: Drury Dam is, as the name suggests, a dam, but it’s easy to get to, and somewhat scenic, so visit if you’d like.
Hiking Description: Roadside access. However, the one and only time I was here, in 2020, the park was closed, but me, being the delinquent that I am, decided to hop the fence and get a quick photo anyway. It should be open by now (Revised 2023). Coordinates for the park are (37.033396, -97.481553).
Total Mileage: <0.1 total
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: May 12, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 12, 2020
Rank: C
Elk Falls
Description: Elk Falls is a Kansas classic. I’ve been here a few times, and I always enjoy it. Viewing it from the old bridge is accessible to all, and the boot paths down to river level aren’t too hard either. The road to get to the falls from the town of Elk Falls is really rough (albeit short), so you could also come from the north off of Road 20.
Hike Description: From the parking near the bridge, there really is no hiking required. You can see it with just a few steps to the bridge. Short trails lead down to the river on either side of the river. They are a bit steep, but not too bad, and they are short.
Total Mileage: N/A for bridge view, 0.2 RT for boot paths to river
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside) for bridge view, 4/10 (Moderate) for boot paths to river
Date First Visited: 2018
Date Last Visited: April 23, 2020
Rank: A
Hitchen Creek Falls
Description: Hitchen Creek Falls is a very, very small waterfall, yet it is still kind of interesting. It is viewable from your car, and the photo attached was taken from the road bridge over the creek.
Hike Description: N/A
Total Mileage: N/A
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: March 1, 2020
Date Last Visited: March 1, 2020
Rank: C+
The Hollow
Description: The Hollow is a very nice little city park that hosts a nice waterfall. The only catch is that it takes tons of rain to get it flowing. The falls are accessed via a disabled access boardwalk, so anyone can visit this falls.
Hike Description: From the parking area here (37.127444, -96.184152), head out on the boardwalk to the east. It's about a 3 minute walk to the falls. Enjoy!
Total Mileage: 0.2 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: April 23, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 5, 2022
Rank: B
Indian Creek Falls
Description: Indian Creek Falls is a pretty little waterfall in the middle of nowhere. Access is easy.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot (37.548329, -96.082922), the falls is to the west. It is roadside. I would recommend driving from Fall River via Road 28 to Quail Road, and lastly to Road 25. This is the smoothest way to get here for your car.
Total Mileage: <0.1 total
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: April 23, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 26, 2020
Rank: B+
Otto's Mill
Description: Otto’s Mill is a nice mill and dam outside of Fredonia, Kansas. It’s not at all natural, but it’s still a nice place, and it’s roadside.
Hiking Description: No hiking required, BUT for anyone with a normal car, park at the top of the hill near (37.514514, -95.848506). Only go down the hill if you’ve got a 4WD, as there is a ford down there.
Total Mileage: <0.1 total
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: April 23, 2020
Date Last Visited: April 23, 2020
Rank: B+
Oxford Mill
Description: Oxford Mill is a massive complex of a building with a nice dam attached to it. It’s quite surreal, with the five story building with its high bridge that you walk under from far below. In more recent times, this spot is no longer marked on Google Maps, which makes me wonder if it is still open. I have been here just one time. It could still be open, but just a fair warning.
Hiking Description: From the road, it’s just down this short trail and through the trees. Some of it is a trail, and some of it is just grass. It’s not hard.
Total Mileage: 0.1 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: May 12, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 12, 2020
Rank: Unranked
Prather Creek Waterfalls
Description: Prather Creek Falls is a really nice Kansas waterfall that consists of three tiers. Access is relatively easy, but the trail gets steep to get to the bottom tier. That’s ok though, because the third tear is the least interesting of the three.
Hiking Description: From the parking lot here (38.371188, -96.583681), head past the gate and head across the dam following a wide path. Once across the dam, you’ll want to turn left, following the creek downstream. You will come to the falls shortly from there. All three tiers are back to back to back, and the coordinates for the falls are (38.369688, -96.578808).
Total Mileage: 0.6 total
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date First Visited: April 5, 2019
Date Last Visited: May 15, 2020
Rank: A+
Upper Falls
Middle Falls
Lower Falls
Rock Creek Falls
Description: Rock Creek Falls is a nice Kansas waterfall that is not entirely natural, but is still nice. There are actually two waterfalls here, as you can see in the image. Kind of interesting drive up there though. It is a narrow gravel road to get there, that would be… interesting to pass somebody on. The parking lot is here (37.816095, -94.756907). You could park before the road and walk up the narrow road instead.
Hiking Description: The falls are almost roadside. It is just to the southwest of the parking lot. One word of caution is that this area can get incredibly muddy, and I’ve fallen here. I didn’t get hurt or anything, but I did get all muddy. Other than that, the access is easy enough.
Total Mileage: 0.1 total
Difficulty: 1/10* (Easy)
Date First Visited: April 6, 2019
Date Last Visited: April 13, 2020
*if it is muddy, it will be more difficult than a 1
Rank: A-
Santa fe Falls
Description: Santa Fe Falls is a massive waterfall below Santa Fe Lake in El Dorado. The one and only time I’ve visited here was after multiple inches of rain, and the falls were very flooded. It was pretty amazing. Even if not after a flood, you should visit after at least some rain.
Hiking Description: Park at the lot here (37.704165, -97.047079). Start walking down the dam headed northwest. This is flat walking. After not too long, you will come to the side of the falls, which can vary widely in width depending on the amount of flow. Some scrambling is required to get up close to the falls, but it’s not too hard, and there are nice views from the top anyways.
Total Mileage: 0.4 total
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: May 12, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 12, 2020
Rank: A
Slate Creek Dam
Description: Slate Creek Dam is a large and interesting dam in a city park in Wellington. The photo shown here looks quite different than most other photos online of this place, but this really is Slate Creek Dam.
Hiking Description: Start at the south end of Woods Park here (37.259494, -97.413991). The waterfall is practically roadside from here.
Total Mileage: N/A
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: May 12, 2020
Date Last Visited: May 12, 2020
Rank: B
Woodruff Falls
#7
Description: Ok, after Mount Nebo Falls in Arkansas, this is the second most shocking image(s) I have to show on this website. Woodruff Falls is an unassuming waterfall most the year, but when I visited, it was anything but. It is almost completely unheard of on the web, and access is not obvious, but not very hard. When I came here, I had no idea what this falls looked like, and I only stopped because when I crossed Woodruff Branch on Highway 75, I noticed it had a lot of water in it. I should mention that I came here after four inches of rain had fallen in an already saturated area, so visit during a flood.
Hiking Description: Start here at this parking lot (37.692879, -95.678942). Walk south along the road for a short distance until you come to an old road trace on the left (south). This road is located here (37.691939, -95.680203). Follow this overgrown road, and to to your left you should be able to see the branch (which will look more like a river during flood stage). It was right around this point when I noticed a heavy mist a few hundred feet downstream. This is the falls, and at the time I saw it, it literally reminded me of Niagara Falls. You would not believe how much mist there was here. Continuing on down the road trace, it will end eventually at the tree line. It gets a bit dicier from here, as there isn't even a bootpath here because of how seldom visited this places is. You'll have to start bushwacking from here, but the underbrush is pretty thin, so it's not too bad. Stay close to the stream. Once you enter the woods, it's about 200 feet until you get to the falls, but it might take a few minutes because of the lack of a trail. Then, you'll come out to a vista right next to the falls, and it is spectacular. ONCE AGAIN, please remember this waterfall literally only has water in it a few days out of the year, and seeing it like the way I did is probably a once in a year experience. The first photo is taken from this vista, and the second is taken from a little ways downstream, still above the falls. Access to the bottom looked dangerous, as you would have to descend through boulders. In fact, this whole area is pretty dangerous with it's sheer cliffs, so take care.
Total Mileage: 0.3 total
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date First Visited: May 5, 2022
Date Last Visited: June 2, 2022
Rank: Unranked
