Pawnee County

Larned is the county seat of Pawnee County and is situated on the the historic Santa Fe Trail. Established in 1873, the city has many significant early day homes and public buildings that can be enjoyed as a leisurely walk about the city. The Larned Community Center and adjacent Health Walk are also Pawnee County Courthouse in Larned, Kansas. Photo by Susan Howell available year around for walking enthusiasts.

Nearby are the Santa Fe Trail Center and the Fort Larned National Historic Site. Each is truly worthy of an afternoon walking tour and have preserved historic life in the West of the 1800's.

Camp Pawnee, between the Santa Fe Trail Center and Fort Larned National Historic Site, offers scenic nature walks and fishing along the banks of the Pawnee River. The restful camping area also has a modern camp building used for family gatherings and reunions, as well as electrical facilities for multiple campers.


	Larned, Kansas Larned is the county seat of Pawnee County and is situated on the the historic Santa Fe Trail. Established in 1873, the city has many significant early day homes and public buildings that can be enjoyed as a leisurely walk about the city. The Larned Community Center and adjacent Health Walk are also available year around for walking enthusiasts. Nearby are the Santa Fe Trail Center and the Fort Larned National Historic Site. Each is truly worthy of an afternoon walking tour and have preserved historic life in the West of the 1800's. Camp Pawnee, between the Santa Fe Trail Center and Fort Larned National Historic Site, offers scenic nature walks and fishing along the banks of the Pawnee River. The restful camping area also has a modern camp building used for family gatherings and reunions, as well as electrical facilities for multiple campers.
	Fort Larned National Historical Site Fort Larned, located 7 miles west of Larned on Highway 56, was established in 1859 on the vast prairie in western Kansas near the midpoint of the Santa Fe Trail. As the major route of trade between Missouri and Santa Fe, there was an almost constant succession of freight caravans along the Trail. Plains Indians, alarmed by the seemingly endless stream of caravans disrupting their way of life, resisted passage of these latest arrivals through their homelands. Troops stationed at Fort Larned and several other military posts along the Trail protected mail coaches, freighters and other Trail traffic. As the site of an Indian Agency, Fort Larned also was instrumental in maintaining friendly relations with Plains Indians by distributing annuities promised to them by treaties. Today, with nine restored buildings, it is the best preserved Indian Wars military post on the Santa Fe Trail.
	Santa Fe Trail Center Located 2 miles West of Larned on Highway K 156 The Santa Fe Trail Center is a regional museum dedicated to the preservation of the history of this important trade route that began in Missouri and ended in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The museum displays a collection of historic firearms and Plains Indian artifacts, as well as dioramas of life on the Santa Fe Trail. School Facilities School district tracks are available for walkers at posted times of the day. Check with your local district for more information.