Little Jerusalem 09-28
Location: Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park
Type: Off Trail Hike
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023
Contact: Sara Kay Carrell
Phone No: 620-872-2061 or sarakay.carrell@ks.gov
Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Other Information:
***NOTICE*** ***NOTICE*** Ferruginous hawk is nesting at LJBSP. With an active nest, tours may be a shorter time/distance than normal. We must avoid the area of the hawk nest until they have fledged!
Please be observant of weather conditions!! I cannot have tours if there has been recent rains, snow or melting/melted snow. It is also unsafe to have tours in high wind weather (which happens often here!). Hiking off trail in wet conditions damages the environment of Little Jerusalem. Monitor the National Weather Service locations for Scott City and Oakley to be familiar with weather conditions prior to your trip!
**Restrooms are currently open. Please be advised that due to unavoidable circumstances, there might be temporary closures of restrooms due to water issues. Plan ahead and make stops in Oakley or Scott City just in case!**
**My days off vary for the month of September. I check emails only when at work. Please plan ahead when making your reservations to know for sure there is space available in a tour or that there is not a tour cancellation due to weather!!!
Space is limited on tours. Spaces must be reserved. I try for the tours to not be too much larger than 15-20 people. Please make your plans and email sarakay.carrell@ks.gov to reserve a spot! Hikes down in the rocks will be approximately 1.5 hours. Please plan for about a 2 hour timeframe to allow for time to hike back to the parking lot!. Email is the BEST way to reach Sara Kay!!!
Come to Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park and enjoy an off trail guided hike lead by the naturalist! Be prepared for rough hiking, uneven terrain, and scrambling thru grass and brush. Wear boots or other appropriate footwear that covers the feet. Bring water, a snack, binoculars, and a hiking stick! Please do not underestimate the terrain.
During the summer, it is HOT down in the canyons. The rock formations do a great job of blocking the wind, so BE PREPARED for temperatures to be 10+ degrees warmer during the hike in the rocks!
During the winter, it can be pretty chilly in the rock formations! The winds are predominantly North or Northwest winds, which means the wind whips right thru the canyon bottoms and can chill us down! Plan for a wind chill factor in the winter!
We will start at the main overlook at the west end of the parking lot (The Ramada Overlook) and venture off in a direction that will take us off into the bottoms of the rock formations. Once at the base of the rocks, we will explore the various nooks, crannies, and spires of Little Jerusalem's Niobrara chalk formations. Along the way, we learn about the grasses, forbs, mammals, reptiles, insects, geology, and other great things that nature presents to us. Be prepared for rough hiking, uneven terrain, ups and downs, and scrambling thru grass and brush. No set path is followed! So be ready for an adventure! It is an intermediate level hike/terrain. We hike at a moderate pace with stop and go to learn, talk, ask questions, and take photos.
**Hikes will be cancelled by inclement weather!** If it is snowing, blizzarding, freezing rain, raining, lightning, or any other unsafe weather brought on by Mother Nature, all activities will be canceled at Little Jerusalem. Scott City and Oakley are the closest towns to search for weather on National Weather Service.