Ford County: Trail History, Paths and Parks

Ford County combines historical connections to the Santa Fe Trail with paths, parks, golf and cultural offerings. When planning a stay, a specific travel interest can help guide your choice: Would you like to learn about the history of earlier routes, compare trail lengths and layouts, or include a festival visit? The places and information in the county offer different focuses that you can organize according to your interests.

Santa Fe Trail History and Historic Sites

Fort Dodge was founded in 1865 to protect traffic along the Santa Fe Trail. Independently of Fort Dodge, Fowler's Ruts in Kansas formed part of the Wet Route of the Santa Fe Trail from 1821 to 1867.

The Santa Fe Trail Rut Site features some of the best examples of Santa Fe Trail tracks. It also includes the remains of the Eureka Irrigation Canal, also called the Soule Canal. This site therefore draws attention both to the trail tracks and to the remains of the canal. The Boot Hill Museum is among the properties in Ford County listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Ford County Legacy Center is the county museum of Ford County, Kansas. The Mueller-Schmidt House offers a different historical perspective: its parlor, kitchen, bedrooms and outdoor areas have been preserved as they were in 1881. These places differ in focus—from the county museum and the Boot Hill Museum's connection to the Register to the house's preserved rooms and outdoor areas.

Trails by Length and Layout

The Gunsmoke Trail is a 4.25-mile linear trail. Its starting points are at the St. Mary Complex, Legends Park, Spiers Park and Chilton Park. The ITC Trail is a 0.8-mile loop along the edge of Thurow Park. In Beeson Arboretum, the Beeson Trail is a 0.3-mile loop.

The three routes can be compared by length and layout: the Gunsmoke Trail is the longest of the trails listed and is described as linear; the ITC Trail and Beeson Trail are loops. When choosing a trail, you can consider these two specific features together.

Parks, Water and Golf

Wright Park is the oldest and most prominent park in Dodge City. Ford County Lake has a water surface of 45 acres. Together, these offer different landscape features in Ford County: a particularly notable park and a quantified area of water.

Mariah Hills is a par-71 golf course. Its features include rolling bluegrass fairways, well-maintained greens and tall native rough. The par rating and the description of the course surfaces provide two different kinds of information: the course's classification and its described character.

Festivals and Event Visits

In 2026, Dodge City Days was ranked as the second-largest festival in Kansas. In 2026, its program brought together events, live entertainment, family activities, Western history and local traditions.

The United Wireless Arena has elevators and designated seating to accommodate individual needs. Parking is located directly in front of the south entrance. This information can be practically useful when finding your way around an event visit.

When searching for hotels in Ford County, you can plan your stay around your preferred focus: historic sites, a particular trail layout, golf or a festival. If a festival is important for your travel dates, check the specific event days.

Discover more destinations: Dodge City, Ellis County, Gray County, Atchison, Morris County, Finney, Grant, Allen.

For the broader travel overview: Kansas.