One Of Kansas' Most Unique Parks Is Like A Natural Playground Of Giant Alien-Like Rock Formations

In the heart of Kansas, almost three hours west of bustling, underrated Kansas City, is a little park full of unique geological formations that you can actually climb. Rock City Park is located in the extremely bikeable midwest gem of Minneapolis, Kansas, but it is not like most city parks. As you walk around this shady attraction, you'll find around 200 enormous round sandstone boulders (some more than 25-feet across) sitting on the ground as if they'd just been tossed there. In reality, these strange, grooved rocks have been in Kansas far longer than humans have.

Long ago, the space between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains was a sea. These boulders formed underwater, and their unique appearance comes from the effects of water flowing over and through them. This park, together with its almost-neighbor, the little-known Mushroom Rock State Park, which is only 45 minutes away, are some of the only places where you can see geological formations like this. Just seeing them would be exciting enough — but this park invites visitors to see, feel, touch, and climb on its rare rocks.

When you walk between these enormous stones it's easy to see how this park got the name Rock City. They are so tall and so closely spaced in places that it feels almost like walking down a city street with buildings rising up on either side. This little-known park is perfect for a family vacation, because the stones are flat on top and have deep grooves that call out to kids and adults alike to clamber up on top of them.

If you don't have your climbing sneakers on, just walking between these rocks is well-worth the visit. There's also something of a scavenger hunt for those who like a challenge: Some of these rock formations have names, given to them by local children. If you grab a map on your way in and keep your eyes peeled, you can find them all. Start by looking for the Doughnut-Hole Rock, which has a massive hole right through the center of it that you can look through, and then venture further into the park to track down the others.

This park is less than 10 minutes drive from the heart of Minneapolis (or about 20 minutes, if you prefer to bike.) Plug the address (1051 Ivy Rd, Minneapolis, KS 67467) into your GPS and be prepared to drive or ride through fields until you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere rather than in a city. On Ivy Road, keep your eyes out for a little driveway. While it doesn't look like much, that's the entrance to the park.

You can come any time when the sun is up, and in the warm weather there's even a gift shop. That's where you'll pay your very affordable admission fee, which is just a few dollars for adults and even cheaper for kids. When the gift shop is closed, you can still visit, but admission operates on the honor system. Just put your admission fee in the marked box when you arrive. Once you are inside, you'll have plenty of chances to scratch your legs while you wander around the park. There are several little mowed trails that go through the park to explore, as well as benches to sit on and admire the strange, otherworldly view.