The Monument Rocks, also known as Chalk Pyramids, in Kansas are worth the visit

Milky Way over Monument Rocks on August 8, 2016.Photo bySeraph1888, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Monument Rocks are located in Gove County, Kansas, some 25 miles south of Oakley. Also referred to as the Chalk Pyramids, they are rich in fossils. The Monument Rocks aren't too far from Castle Rock.

On October 31, 1968, these formations were the first landmarks in Kansas to be designated as a National Natural Landmark.

The formations are as tall as 70 feet and include formations of arches and buttes. These formations are believed to have been formed 80 million years ago during the late Cretaceous Period of geologic history.

Slightly cropped image.Photo byArt davis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Imagine this whole area at one time being covered by the Niobraran Sea (Western Interior Seaway) stretching from the Gulf of Mexico up through Canada. The seaway once divided North America. If you visit the Great Plains, you can see what was left after the Cretaceous period.

Some of the most amazing paleontological discoveries have been found near the Monument Rocks (including mosasaurs, pterosaurs, and fossil fish). (Source.)

A wider view of the Monument Rocks.Photo byArt davis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

According to the Outdoor Project website, there is a 6-mile gravel road that leads up to the formations. The road is well-maintained and while you don't have to have a four-wheel drive vehicle to go there, you do after a storm because it will be wet and muddy.

Remember to be respectful that they're on private property. You're allowed to take pictures and are requested to only leave footprints. It's said the area is overflowing with fossils, but you cannot take any with you because it's not your property.

Guidelines for visiting include the following:

• No climbing
• No hunting
• No camping
• No horses
• No littering
• No campfires

Like Castle Rock, these rocks helped guide travelers in the Smokey Hill Valley. The owners allow people to visit free of charge and only ask in return that you respect the property. Hours of viewing are from sunrise to sunset. If you're the only visit, expect it to be extremely quiet.

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