Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park was established by the Kansas Legislature in 2018. The 332-acre park encompasses 220 acres of badlands – fragile, but ruggedly spectacular geologic formations adjacent to the 17,290-acre Smoky Valley Ranch. Both properties are owned by The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy will continue to own both properties, and KDWPT is partnering with The Nature Conservancy to develop and manage visitor access and use of Little Jerusalem Badlands as a state park.
Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park showcases a mile-long stretch of 100-foot-tall spires and cliffs of eroded Niobrara Chalk, a layer of rock deposited about 85 million years ago. Niobrara Chalk was formed by sediment that settled at the bottom of an inland ocean called the Western Interior Seaway which covered most of central North America roughly 140 to 70 million years ago. The sediment became compressed over time, and the seaway floor was lifted by the same tectonic shifting that formed the Rocky Mountains.
The park is the largest expanse of exposed Niobrara Chalk formation in Kansas. Smaller Niobrara Chalk outcrops are commonly seen along U.S. 83 Highway between Oakley and Historic Lake Scott State Park. Monument Rocks is a well-known Niobrara Chalk landmark east of Little Jerusalem.
