“Climbing” Mount Sunflower, the Highest Point in Kansas

At 4,039 feet above sea level, Mount Sunflower is the highest point in Kansas. But survival gear isn’t necessary to bag this peak, where the biggest hazard is an occasional cow chip.

A friend and I recently set out from Denver to scale Mount Sunflower, which lies in the immense western Kansas prairie, spittin’ distance from the Colorado border.

Located on private property, Mount Sunflower is part of the original homestead of the Harold family, who have owned the land since 1940.

Why Climb Mount Sunflower? Because It’s There (Sort of)

Over the years, people from around the globe have come to Mount Sunflower. Ed Harold estimates that tens of people visit Mount Sunflower every week, but it’s impossible to know an exact number because not everyone signs the guest register.

“People always ask me why I think people like to drive to a pasture to visit Mount Sunflower. I can’t say for sure,” Ed said with a laugh. “People seem enthralled with the vastness.”

Author and journalist Charles Kuralt, known for his “On the Road” segment on CBS Sunday Morning, came to Mount Sunflower in the 1980s and proclaimed it “my kind of mountain.”

One sweltering day in the mid-’90s, a team whose goal was to climb the highest point in each state visited. A local garden club knew they were coming and met the group with homemade cookies and iced tea.

Ed asked if he and his wife, Cindy, could do anything to help. One person laughed and said, “A shower would be nice!”

On that day, the Harolds opened their home and shower facilities to the climbers.

Tumbleweed Road, Muddy Road, Washboard Road 

Directions to Mount Sunflower from Denver sounded easy enough:  Take the Kanorado exit off Interstate 70 on the Colorado-Kansas border, and head south on County Road 3 for 19 miles.

We exited I-70, and after a couple of miles, the paved county road became dirt. The wind picked up. We hesitated about which way to go when we came to a fork in the road.

“It’s called County Road 3 because it goes in three different directions,” my friend quipped.

We laughed when we saw aptly named signs for Muddy Road, Tumbleweed, and Washboard Road.

Prairie Panorama

The seemingly endless terrain stretched in all directions, interrupted only by an occasional farmhouse, a cluster of cattle, or a windmill. We didn’t see another vehicle or person.

At last, we saw a sign directing us to Mount Sunflower, turned onto another dirt road, and crossed a cattle guard into a pasture.

When I stepped out of the car, the wind blew my baseball cap off my head, but I chased it down before it ended up in Nebraska.

When most people think of reaching a mountain summit, they assume it to be steep and challenging to climb. But Mount Sunflower is just a stroll, and it’s not even uphill. The time it takes to reach the highest point depends on where you park your car.

We walked a few steps to the “peak,” marked by a boulder. The earthy scent of sagebrush hung heavy, and the only sunflower in sight was the sculpture made from railroad ties.

Like all climbers, we took selfies at the summit, even with high winds whipping around.

‘Leave a Beer’

The guest register, stored in a nearby mailbox, revealed visitors’ signatures and thoughts, including one from the day before.

“It’s freakin’ windy out here!” one person wrote.

“Hello from an Australian wandering around the USA,” scribbled another visitor.

My favorite was, “I’m from the flatlands and can hardly breathe at this altitude.”

I recalled a text from a friend I had told I would climb the highest point in Kansas. “Do you think you’ll need oxygen?” she teased.

The guestbook cover read, “Mount Sunflower Registration. Leave a beer for the caretakers.”’

Ed explained that visitors scrawled the message to leave a beer a few years ago after the couple chatted with Ed, who was drinking a beer while checking cattle at the end of the day.

“Since then, we add those words every time we start a new register,” Ed said. “And, yes, people leave beer.”

“And sometimes wine,” added Cindy Harold. “I think it’s whatever they have in their car. We enjoy finding what people leave and reading what they write.”

I asked the Harolds how they would feel if Mount Sunflower became so popular that people started arriving by the busload.

“We have actually had a busload or two in the past,” Cindy said. “Anyone who loves Mount Sunflower is always welcome.”

The Harolds derive joy from knowing that people who come to Mount Sunflower have a positive experience and appreciation for Kansas.

They also take some good-natured ribbing about their claim to fame.

“When I go to town,” Ed said, “someone always seems to ask, ‘Hey, Ed, you get any snow on the mountain?’”

The Summit

As I took in the 360-degree view from Mount Sunflower, I gazed at the vast plains of the country’s heartland. And a whole lot of blue sky.

Technically, for something to be considered a mountain, there must be a 1,000-foot altitude gain from base to peak, so Mount Sunflower is not a mountain in the true definition of the word.

But I didn’t mind as I stood there on top of the world. Well, anyway on the top of Kansas.

If You Go to Mount Sunflower

To reach Mount Sunflower, travel south from the Kanorado exit from Interstate 70 at the Kansas-Colorado border. Follow County Rd 3 for 19 miles when you see signs directing you to Mount Sunflower.

Pack anything you might need because no facilities, shops, or gas stations are nearby. And check the weather. If there has been a lot of moisture, roads can be tricky, and it’s possible to get stuck.

The elegant Claremont Inn & Winery, Stratton, just off I-70 in eastern rural Colorado, is worth the drive even if you’re headed in the opposite direction. You can dine, sip wine on the patio, and stay overnight before or after visiting Mount Sunflower, about an hour’s drive from the inn.

For more information about Mount Sunflower, visit Wallace County, KS.