From the wind-carved buttes near the Colorado border to the leafy trails of Johnson County, Kansas is about to play a starring role in one of the largest commemorative journeys in American history. Kansas Trails Inc. (KTI), in partnership with the American Discovery Trail (ADT), today announced the Sunflower Stretch, the 575-mile Kansas segment of the American Discovery 250 (ADT250) Relay, a 6,800-mile, coast-to-coast relay marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
A replica of the Declaration of Independence will travel the length of Kansas hand to hand, town by town, carried on foot, by bike, and on horseback as it crosses the state.
"One hand passes it to the next, town by town, all the way across Kansas," notes Mike Scanlon, KTI Executive Director. "This is your invitation to be one of those hands."
KTI's ability to support the Sunflower Stretch is made possible in part by a grant from the Sunflower Foundation, the state-wide health philanthropy whose early support helped establish KTI as a nonprofit organization in 2025. That same partnership continues to power KTI's work today, including its role in bringing the ADT250 Relay across Kansas.
"We simply could not do this without the Sunflower Foundation," said Scanlon. "Their belief in what trails can do for the health and connectivity of our state made KTI possible in the first place, and their continued support is what allows us to show up for a moment as significant as this one.We are endlessly grateful for their partnership."
The Sunflower Stretch will carry a copy of the Declaration of Independence across Kansas from Sept. 15 through Sept. 24, as part of a relay that began near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge on July 4, and will conclude with a symbolic plunge into the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. In all, the relay will span roughly 145 days and 15 states; organizers believe it will be the longest relay ever attempted.
Kansas's stretch offers some of the trail's most distinctive scenery, from the limestone outcrops of the Flint Hills and Smoky Hills to the migratory birds of the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge and, for those who time it right, fields of blooming sunflowers that give the Kansas stretch its name.
A Trail Rooted in History
The Kansas route largely follows the historic Santa Fe Trail, linking small towns and rural back roads that once carried pioneers, traders, and Great Plains tribal nations across the prairie. Most of the Sunflower Stretch runs along paved or gravel back roads (engaging Kansasā massive gravel cycling community), travels the majestic Flint Hills Trail and traverses through cities like Lawrence and Lenexa that offer smooth, fully accessible urban trail. As a special feature, the Kansas Horse Council and Back Country Horseman of KS will participate in the relay through a section of the Flint Hills Trail on Tuesday, September 22 from Allegawaho Park (Council Grove) to Bushong.
Not a Raceā¦A Celebration
Organizers are quick to note that the ADT250 Relay is not an athletic competition, festival, or fundraiser. It's a rolling, community-hosted celebration of American history, culture, and the outdoors. On any given day, one to 50 participants may be carrying the relay forward, and members of the public are welcome to join for a mile, a segment, a day, or the entire Kansas stretch. We welcome all Kansans to participate in this free, historic event.
Long-distance hiking and biking along the route isn't only about the outdoors, it's also about the people met along the way. Kansans who live near the route are encouraged to serve as "Trail Angels," and relay coordinators encourage Kansans who reside farther to register to participate in a segment. This celebration is for the entire Stateā¦ not just the communities that are along the route.
Why It Matters for Kansas
Kansas sits at the heart of the ADT's "Heartland Loop," a connected network of northern and southern routes running through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Missouri, and Kansas. Organizers hope the Sunflower Stretch will introduce more Kansans, and visitors from across the country, to the trails, small towns, and open skies that define the middle of the country.
"This is exactly the kind of moment KTI was built for, communities across the entire state, from Coolidge to Kansas City, showing up for each other and for something bigger than any one town," Scanlon said. "Every mile someone claims, every exchange point a town hosts, is proof of what's possible when Kansans decide trails matter. We can't wait to see the whole state carry this forward together."
How to Get Involved
Kansas Trails Inc. is inviting towns, organizations, businesses, families, and groups of friends to "claim" a stretch of the route or a relay exchange point becoming one of the hands that carries the Declaration of Independence across the State. Getting involved takes four steps:
1. Claim your miles. Sign up your organization, town, or group for a stretch of the route or an exchange point through the KTI Sunflower Stretch route map: forms.gle/BVbKYxQnZSj8oGS56.
2. Register at ADT250. Because KTI is facilitating the Sunflower Stretch but the relay itself is hosted by the American Discovery Trail Society, every participant must also register directly on the ADT250 site. This step ensures each participant receives a commemorative ADT 250 Relay medal. Please be sure to register for the same segment as the KTI.
registrationsecure.qgiv.com/for/americandiscoverytrail/event/250relay/
3. Build your team. Registered groups receive a toolkit to recruit participants and promote the event locally, countywide, and statewide.
4. Show up in September. Kansans are invited to walk, bike, roll, or ride for a day, half day or even just an hour or across the full length of the state as the relay crosses Kansas. Visit https://map.kstrails.org/?trail=4 for the complete Kansas ADT Route.
Full Details and Route map: www.kstrails.org/events/sunflower-stretch
Questions: info@kstrails.org or (913) 214-2240
Complete ADT Interactive Relay Route Map: discoverytraildata.org/RelayWholeRouteMap.php
About Kansas Trails Inc.
Kansas Trails Inc. (KTI) works to find, build, support, and promote trails across the state of Kansas, connecting Kansans to trail-based outdoor recreation through mapping, trail development resources, and community programs. KTI is based at 6841 Woodson, Overland Park, KS 66204. Learn more at kstrails.org or follow @kstrails on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About the American Discovery Trail Society
The American Discovery Trail is a 6,800-mile, coast-to-coast trail system connecting fifteen states and the District of Columbia, established more than three decades ago and used by hikers, cyclists, and equestrians year-round. The American Discovery Trail Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 68-0381715) based in Front Royal, Virginia, that maintains and promotes the trail. Learn more at discoverytrail.org.
About Sunflower Foundation
Sunflower Foundation is a statewide health philanthropy serving all of Kansas. Its early support helped launch Kansas Trails Inc. as an independent nonprofit, and its continued grant funding helps make KTI's statewide trail work, including its role in the Sunflower Stretch, possible.