Sunflower’s goal is to establish an interconnected rail-trail system in the Sunflower State. Toward this end, Sunflower railbanks/conserves out-of-service rail lines and then finds local volunteer project coordinators to recruit volunteers to build the trails. To date we have two successes: the 6.5-mile Southwind Rail Rail between Iola and Humboldt and a two-mile section of the Osage Cuestas Trail which will stretch 19 miles between Fredonia and Chanute. The Conservancy is also working with a committee in Lyons to get portion of the 38-mile Quivira Trail built. We also serve as an information clearinghouse on rails-to-trails in the Sunflower State and as an advocacy organization.
We have successfully railbanked six corridors. We are working on adding two more corridors. The 6.5-mile corridor between Iola and Humboldt will be completed by June 2013. It is being developed by Allen County and Southwind Rail Trail who will also manage the rail-trail. The name of the trail is Southwind Rail Trail. It connects with the 52-mile Prairie Spirit Rail Trail in Iola.
Previous Stories
Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. (formerly Sunflower Recreational Trails, Inc.) was re-organized in 2000. It is an umbrella alliance of rails-to-trails organizations in Kansas, the Sunflower State. Member organizations work to develop and maintain rail-trails and other recreational trails. SRTC serves as an information clearinghouse. Currently, it is railbanking six corridors which will be transfered to local groups for development and maintenance. It publishes an online newsletter called Kansas Trails News.