Area

Available Facilities and Road Conditions

No matter which route you are taking to visit some of our area’s attractions, there are a few facts you will need to keep in mind.

Fuel: Please fill up with gas. There are no service stations in the area between Scott City, Oakley, and Russell Springs.

Restaurants: Except the Beach House at Lake Scott State Park, there are no food services available. Pack a picnic lunch for the remote areas and bring plenty of water to drink.

Roads: It is not advisable to travel on any of the dirt roads during wet weather. If they look muddy, they are. The tow truck drivers are reluctant to pull you out and it’s a long way to walk to town.

Keystone Gallery is situated between Monument Rocks, Little Jerusalem and Lake Scott. We are about fifteen minutes away from each of these sites. Please visit our museum while in the area for fossils, art, and our gift shop.

Monument Rocks

Monument Rocks has been recognized for years as a scenic attraction. These monolithic chalk formations rise out of the prairie like sentinels. Visitors have compared them to Stonehenge and geologically their age is similar to the White Cliffs of Dover, England. This section gives visitors a brief view of what they can expect and helpful hints for visiting this area.

Lake Scott State Park

Lake Scott State Park is a dazzling “oasis” hidden on the plains and the first state park designated in the state of Kansas. Within its confines resides El Cuartelejo, the remains of the northeasternmost Indian pueblo in the United States. We have a cabin at the lake available for rent. It has a spectacular canyon view from the back porch and is easy walking distance to the lake.

Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park

Little Jerusalem is owned by The Nature Conservancy and leased to Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Little Jerusalem. We would appreciate it if you would please contact the TNC at (785) 233-4400 or Lake Scott at (620) 872-2061 directly for inquiries. For their special guided tours, contact Lake Scott at the above phone number.

Image of Little Jerusalem with text: September 2016: Smoky Valley Ranch expands to include Little Jerusalem rock formations

A Bit of History

Little Jerusalem was actually named Castle City by Dr. Samuel W. Williston, Professor of Paleontology at University of Kansas back in the 1870s. It is composed of Niobrara chalk (80 million years old), and its top layer is the same marker unit as Monument Rocks and Castle Rock.

Directions

Little Jerusalem Directions: Logan County, Kansas - US Hwy 83 – North of Keystone Gallery is Gold Road, then left (west) to County Road 400. Go north on Road 400 and this will take you to the entrance of Little Jerusalem. Brochures for the TNC hiking trail and other area attractions are available at Keystone Gallery.

Little Pyramids

The “Little Pyramids” are located north of the lake and are a smaller version of Monument Rocks.

Battle of Punished Woman Fork

The Battle of Punished Woman Fork took place just south of Lake Scott and was the last Indian battle in Kansas. This historically important site is off the beaten path.

History Page

The history page has more in-depth information about Indian sites, the old Keystone Church, C.K.& O. railroad, and the Smoky Hill Trail that transversed this area. The Keystone Renovation page describes how Barbara and Chuck restored the old stone buildings and added an alternative energy system.