Print edition: 
The Smoky Hills dispel the myth that Kansas is flat and boring. They roll westward from Junction City, tracing the river system of the same name.
Mostly coated in original grasses, the eastern part of the range rivals the Flint Hills for classic tall grass vistas.
My favorite part of Kansas is further west, where the hills are carpeted with shorter bluestem and grama grasses spiked with prickly yucca and dotted with fragrant sage.
It is an area where miles of flat wheat lands and prairie pastures drop into jagged canyons closer to the river.
Stone formations as big as castles and carved by centuries of wind and water rise from flats near the Smoky.
It's easy to imagine a Cheyenne warrior atop one of the 50-foot rocks, scouting for herds of buffalo.
While the wild big shaggies are gone, wildlife still thrives in the region.
Golden eagles sail low over prairie dog towns and jackrabbits streak across the prairie. Striking sunsets are usually heralded by a chorus of coyotes. Whitetails thrive even without trees, and mule deer with boxcar bodies bounce effortlessly through the canyons.
Herds of antelope run serpentine routes at speeds up to 50 mph.
Unlike in the Flint Hills, greater prairie chickens still thrive in the Smoky Hills. The region is one of the last strongholds of the lesser prairie chickens, too.
Find a patch of tumbleweeds or thick grass around a farm field or crumbling stone homestead and you may flush a cackling rooster pheasant.
I hope you enjoy the few on this page. To see a photo gallery with more go to www.kansas.com/outdoors.
