Please note! Sherman and Wallace counties are on Mountain Time.
All times listed on the website are Central Time. The program guide lists both times.
The three showcase counties are located in northwest Kansas - Cheyenne (Bird City, St. Francis-county seat, Wheeler), Sherman (Edson, Goodland-county seat, Kanorado) and Wallace (Sharon Springs-county seat, Wallace, Weskan).
Cheyenne shares the border with Colorado and Nebraska and Sherman and Wallace with Colorado. These counties are part of an active tourism group, the Northwest Kansas Travel Council, promoting this region of Kansas.
As you travel to this area in 2019 you'll find their promotional materials handy for sightseeing along the way. Portions of all three counties are part of the Land & Sky Kansas Scenic Byway (88 miles along K-27 between Sharon Springs and Nebraska) and Wallace County is part of the Western Vistas Historic Byway (a 100 mile route from Lake Scott north on U.S. 83 to Oakley, then west on U.S. 40 to Sharon Springs). Learn more by clicking on the highlighted links.
NOTE: Sherman and Wallace counties observe Mountain Time. Once you've entered these counties you are in a time warp and have gone back in time one hour! (They are two of four counties still on Mountain Time with the others being Greeley and Hamilton.)
Since this is still a new event, there are questions about how it works. You are part of this historic and adventurous experiment. Thank you for taking part in the fun!
Just jump in your car and start exploring. Really. That’s it. Create your own adventure. Do what you want, when you want.
Caravan with friends or head out on your own. There is no organized tour. You’ll bump into other Kansas explorers throughout the three counties. Enjoy each other.
It's important to be flexible and go with the flow, especially this year when we have two counties that are in the Mountain Time Zone and one is in the Central Time Zone. We're all sure to get mixed up. Give locals your best you. This is an experiment for them, too.
When we pitched this new event to the the three counties, we told them all they had to do was just be the best they could be at being themselves. They didn’t have to invent any kind of activity or spend a lot of money hosting visitors. What has evolved has been amazing. A menu of activities that accentuates who they are has evolved and expanded since the list was first published in the "official” program guide so new ones have been added to a Day Program (available at Information Centers) and this website.
The BKRT is not a caravan. The idea is to go on your own, wherever you want, whenever you want.
You bet it is! What kid doesn’t want to climb to the top of the highest point in the state, take a picture with a giant green grasshopper or sing on a band shell stage? Kids can get their fingerprints taken, play lawn games and board games, go on scavenger hunts and do geocaching. They can build their own helicopter or help put a Kansas jigsaw puzzle together. Tours of a large dairy and a bean factory will be given. Museums, arts, crafts, and a story walk are ready for kids. Ballgames, a track meet and car racing can be watched. Old-fashioned to new-fangled playgrounds are waiting to be used. Natural landmarks and small-town cafes are just as good for young as for old. Kids can touch, taste, see and run around on a trip that will nurture a love for Kansas and build the next generation of Kansas explorers! Yes, this is a wonderful family outing!
We understand that it can be easy to get lost on the back roads. If this happens, flag down a car, go to a farmstead, or call the following numbers:
Information centers will be set up at each county. Find them at this page.
Share your pictures on your favorite social media page(s) and use the HASHTAG - #bkrt19. Follow the BKRT Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to share your posts. Don't forget to use the hashtag!
