Monument Rocks Kansas
Also known as “Chalk Pyramids” this is a sight that you are not expecting to see in the flat plains of western Kansas. The area is so unique that it was the first natural landmark chosen by the U.S. Department of the Interior, as a National Natural Landmark in 1968. The formations were formed 80 million years ago when the area was a vast inland sea. The region provides some of the best fossils to be found anywhere in the world. Monument Rocks served as a landmark by the Butterfield Overland Dispatch trail, a Pony Express-type mail route. The limestone formations stick straight up out of the prairie to a height of 70 feet, which looks much larger when surrounded by the flat fields surrounding the site.
Monument Rocks is listed as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.
What to Photograph:
The rock formations along with the flat fields surrounding them.
Best Time for Photographers:
The area is accessible day or night and most anytime can make good photos. As with many subjects outdoors early morning or late evening with the sun low in the sky can give the beautiful golden hour warmth to your images.
Where it is:
LOCATION
Western Kansas, 25 miles south of Oakley and I 70.
Directions: The Smoky Hill River crosses U.S. 83 about 25 miles north of Scott City. North of the river 2.5 miles a sign directs visitors another 4 miles east and 2 miles south to Monument Rocks.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Map by Keystone Gallery
Cost:
There are no fees. The area is privately owned but open to the public.
Facilities:
There are no facilities.
Camping not allowed.
Links:
Keystone Gallery, a Fossil Museum and art gallery located in a historic church building near Monument Rocks.
Fick Fossil and History Museum in Oakley Kansas
Sternberg Museum in Hays Kansas
Location Contact Information:
Keystone Gallery, 620.872.2762; keystone@plpnt.com.
Nearest City or Town:
Oakley 25 miles North.
Scott City 25 miles South.
Tips for the Photographer:
Equipment:
You can use just about any equipment for photographing the Monument Rocks, there is plenty of room to move around and get back as far as you like to get the composition you want. A polarizing filter to help cut the midday glare and add to the deep blue of the sky is a good choice.
Photography Tips:
If you are photographing during the middle of the day the contrast between the light and dark areas will be very extreme and using a High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique will help recover all of the detail. The formations take on a new shape with just a few steps in any direction so move around a lot and shoot from different angles.
Be cautious walking around in the area as there are rattlesnakes in this part of the country and they love rocky places to hide.
Weather:
Monument Rocks Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Kansas:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance.
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