Wichita ? After 16 years of planning, the Flint Hills Nature Trail is open to hikers and bikers, although they might encounter a few rough stretches on a trail that winds through native grasses, wildflowers, trees, bridges and even a section of hardwood forest.

The trail, which runs along abandoned Missouri Pacific Railroad lines, is 90 miles long and could expand to nearly 120 miles from Osawatomie to Herington in the future.

Linda Craghead, assistant secretary for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, says the trail is already being used by people who stay overnight in nearby state parks, private campgrounds or motels, The Wichita Eagle reported.

“Most people don’t realize the interest Kansans have in trails these days, said Craghead, who runs the state’s tourism department. “People want to get out, and get away from the cities and towns. It’s a huge, huge desire.”

Work on the trail began when some residents living along the abandoned line formed the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy in 2001.

“When I first got involved, so many people told me I was crazy,” said Scott Allen, of Council Grove, the group’s vice president. “The only idea crazier was not building this trail. It’s too much of a natural resource to let it go to waste.”

Volunteers spent the first few years cutting back trees and brush from the railroad bed, battling erosion damage and removing thousands of railroad ties. Some volunteers even bought equipment they needed with their own money, Allen said. Eventually the conservancy received money from private foundations.

Craghead said about 80 percent of the money used to improve the trail has come from federal transportation funds earmarked for alternative transportation. The Wildlife and Parks department also had helped raise money and offered expertise.

Trent McCown, manager of the department’s 53-mile Prairie Spirit Trail, said finely crushed limestone has been added to parts of the trail and most of the original railroad bridges have been upgraded or replaced.

While the entire Flint Hills Nature Trail is “traversable,” improvements continue in some areas. McCown said a 15-mile stretch of trail, roughly from Quenemo to Ottawa, is largely complete but other areas need more attention. The 15.5 miles from Osage City to Admire have an unfinished surface and in some places, the trail detours onto country roads for a mile or two.

Allen, McCown and Craghead think the trail will be finished within the next few years. Some access points could one day offer camping, large parking lots, bathrooms and interpretive kiosks.

Another section of the old railroad trail between Council Grove and Herington could be added to the trail, which would stretch it to 117 miles.

Despite some unfinished parts, the trail is already popular.

“It’s not uncommon to see cars from other counties, and even other states, like Missouri, Iowa and New York,” Allen said of the trailhead in Council Grove. “On a Saturday or Sunday it’s not uncommon to see 10 to 12 horse trailers at the trailhead at Rantoul.”