Perry Lake Dam Road Trail

The old Army Corps maintenance road that snakes behind Perry Lake’s main dam offers one of Kansas’ most overlooked prairie adventures. Built in the 1960s for dam construction access, this forgotten route winds through native tallgrass restoration areas where the Delaware River carved deep channels before impoundment. The trail passes through the old Sarcoxie townsite—now just foundation stones and a cemetery—before climbing to overlook the spillway where massive concrete channels funnel excess water downstream during spring floods.

Easy driving in stock vehicles most of the year, but spring rains turn the clay sections into tire-grabbing gumbo that’ll strand anything without ground clearance. Best tackled fall through early spring when the grass is down and you can spot the old homestead ruins scattered through the bottoms. No permits needed, but respect the active spillway areas and stay clear during high water. It’s not technical, but it’s pure Kansas—endless sky, forgotten history, and the kind of solitude that reminds you why the prairie gets under your skin.