Trails set for Little Jerusalem, located south of Oakley

“They’re really stunning,” said Mike Goodwin on Tuesday of the towering chalk formations that stretch as far as the eye can see at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park.

As part of the Kansas Trails Council, Goodwin was walking the badlands, scouting trail locations and setting pink flags to mark the route for two new trails at Kansas’ newest state park.

“There are lots of canyons and rock towers,” Goodwin said. “Every time you turn a corner it’s an interesting view.”

Few people have seen the new state park. Not yet open to the public, Little Jerusalem has no public access infrastructure at all.

But that will most likely change by next summer, said Matt Bain, who works for the badlands’ owner, The Nature Conservancy of Kansas. And top of mind while designing the two new trails and parking lot is that the 85-million-year-old chalk is very fragile and highly erodible.

“If you concentrate foot traffic, it’s going to erode,” Bain said. “We’re trying to limit the public access infrastructure as much as we can and still accommodate users. So it’s a balance. We want people to enjoy it and learn from it, while keeping the area as pristine as it is today.”