Mount Sunflower
Mount Sunflower rises to 1,230 m in Kansas. Rock Hill stands 1,185 m to the south-southeast, 16 miles off. Western Vistas Historic Byway passes 17 miles off. 16 named places lie within 25 miles, 3 of them named summits.
The story
Mount Sunflower, although not a true mountain, is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of Kansas. At 4,039 feet (1,231 m), it is 3,300 feet (1,010 m) above the state's topographic low point, which lies on the opposite side of the state. It is located between the communities of Kanorado and Weskan in Wallace County, less than half a mile (0.8 km) from the state border with Colorado and is near the lowest point in Colorado. Mount Sunflower is located on private land owned by Ed and Cindy Harold, who encourage visitors to the site. Amenities include a picnic table, a little free library, a sunflower sculpture made from railroad spikes, and a plaque on the site stating, "On this site in 1897, nothing happened." Additionally, there is a mailbox on the site with a registration book inside where visitors can write their names, where they are from, and how many members are in their party. Access is via county dirt roads to the edge of the property, then across a cattle guard and onto a private dirt road through a cattle grazing pasture to the summit. Mount Sunflower was designated as Kansas’s highest point by the United States Geological Survey in 1961. In the late 1970s Ed Harold decided to commemorate this site, homesteaded by his grandparents in 1906. The most famous attraction at the site is the sunflower sculpture made from railroad spikes that are welded together. The state of Kansas gradually increases in elevation from the east to the west. As such, Mount Sunflower, while the highest natural point in the state in terms of elevation, is virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding terrain.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q1587215, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1230 m
What to expect
- Access
- Permitted
How to reach it
- 17.4 mi off the Western Vistas Historic Byway
16 named places within 25 miles
- Sharon Springs City Park: 17.8 mi
- Soldiers Memorial County Park: 18.7 mi
- Little Park: 21.8 mi
- Medicine Arrow Park: 22.1 mi
- Parmer Park: 22.8 mi
- Rock Hill: 16.4 mi
- Red Hills: 22.0 mi
- Motti Hill: 24.8 mi
- Goodland Rest Area Westbound: 22.2 mi
- Kansas Welcome Center: 22.3 mi
- Burlington Rest Area & Colorado Welcome Center: 22.5 mi
- Kit Carson County Carousel: 23.5 mi
- Kit Carson County Fairgrounds: 23.5 mi
- Old Town Museum: 22.6 mi
- Rocket Park: 22.8 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Mount Sunflower. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Hill | SSE 168° | 1,185 m | 16.4 mi |
| Red Hills | E 94° | 1,091 m | 22.0 mi |
| Motti Hill | E 97° | 1,063 m | 24.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:52 | 18:25 | 19:00 |
| June solstice | 05:23 | 19:38 | 20:18 |
| September equinox | 06:37 | 18:12 | 18:47 |
| December solstice | 07:04 | 15:48 | 16:30 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 30 | 32 | 41 | 48 | 58 | 69 | 75 | 72 | 64 | 51 | 40 | 30 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Arapahoe 14N, 7 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/358642191
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