Ford County: History, Trails and Special Places

Ford County offers several distinct travel interests: history along the Santa Fe Trail, museums and historic rooms, walking trails, golf, and cultural events. Would you like to explore the history of the trail route, plan a walk, or focus on culture and entertainment? These themes offer helpful direction when searching for a vacation rental.

Traces of the Santa Fe Trail

Fort Dodge was established in 1865 to protect traffic along the Santa Fe Trail. Fowler's Ruts were part of the Wet Route of the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas from 1821 to 1867. These two periods shed light on different aspects of trail history: the history of a route in one case, and the establishment of a fort with a specific protective role in the other. The Santa Fe Trail Rut Site features some of the best examples of trail traces and also includes the remains of the Eureka Irrigation Canal, also known as the Soule Canal. The trail traces and canal remains thus offer different historical perspectives.

Museums and History at Home

The Boot Hill Museum is one of the properties in Ford County listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Ford County Legacy Center is the county museum for Ford County, Kansas. The preserved rooms of the Mueller-Schmidt House offer another specific glimpse into history: the parlor, kitchen, bedrooms, and outdoor area have been preserved as they were in 1881. These named spaces give the historical theme a domestic scale and differ in character from a museum visit.

Trails by Length and Layout

Three trails can be compared by length and route layout. The Beeson Trail is a 0.3-mile loop in the Beeson Arboretum. The 0.8-mile ITC Trail is also a loop and runs along the edge of Thurow Park. At 4.25 miles, the Gunsmoke Trail is longer and is described as a linear trail; its starting points are at the St. Mary Complex, Legends Park, Spiers Park, and Chilton Park. This lets you weigh up two loops of different lengths against a longer linear route. The trail layout and listed starting points help you choose a walk that fits your plans.

Parks, Lake, and Golf

Wright Park is the oldest and most important park in Dodge City. Ford County Lake has a water surface of 45 acres. These specific details offer two different reference points for a stay focused on parks and water. Mariah Hills is a par-71 golf course. Its character includes rolling bluegrass fairways, well-maintained greens, and tall native rough. If you would like to include golf in your travel plans, you can consider not only the course designation but also its described design.

Cultural Events and Visitor Information

In 2026, Dodge City Days is the second-largest festival in Kansas and combines events, live entertainment, family activities, Western history, and local traditions. At Crossroads Kitchen, visitors can sample special dishes during the festival and learn more about the cultures represented in the community. Culinary and cultural discovery take center stage, without requiring you to plan your entire trip around a festival program.

Practical visitor information is also available for the United Wireless Arena: elevators and designated seating accommodate individual needs, and parking is located directly in front of the south entrance. This can be helpful when planning a visit to the arena.

Choose a Vacation Rental to Match Your Interests

When choosing your vacation rental, you can first consider what you want your trip to focus on: trail history and museums, walking trails, golf, or cultural events. The loops offer a clear comparison by length and layout, while the historic sites offer a different focus.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Phillips County, Montgomery, Sherman County, Dickinson County, Trego County, Saline County, Kiowa County.

For the main travel overview: Kansas.