Entry No. 17 — the Wichita file — filed under: roadside oddity
The Lucky Tree (Honking Tree)
A massive cottonwood nearly 150 years old stands alone on the west side of K-96 between the Bentley and Maize Road exits, and generations of drivers honk as they pass for good luck, a ritual reportedly started by Hutchinson High students who honk four times and lift their feet. It has its own Facebook following and was saved from a 1990s highway reroute.
The story
If you are driving northwest out of Wichita on K-96 and hear a sudden burst of car horns near mile marker 276, nobody is cutting each other off. They are paying homage to a solitary, nearly 150-year-old cottonwood standing on the west side of the highway between the Bentley and Maize Road exits. Local lore credits Hutchinson High School students with starting the ritual: as you pass the tree, you tap your horn four times and lift both feet off the car floorboard. Why? For good luck, or simply because driving straight through open Kansas prairie demands a little improvised road-trip ritual.
The tree almost didn't make it into the modern era. When highway engineers laid out the K-96 reroute back in the 1990s, the original blueprints called for taking the old cottonwood down. Local affection for the solitary giant won out, the highway design shifted to spare it, and the tree stayed put. Today it carries true local-legend status, complete with a dedicated Facebook group where regulars post photos tracking its full green canopy through summer and its bare silhouette in winter.
What it's like
Expect zero parking, zero shoulders, and zero opportunities to step out for a selfie. You are experiencing this piece of folklore at highway speeds. Take K-96 northbound between the Bentley and Maize Road exits so the cottonwood sits on your side of the divided highway. Have your driver tap the horn four beats, get your passengers to lift their feet off the carpet, and pay attention to traffic. If you want a second pass or a safer look from a distance, take the Maize Road exit immediately after and loop back around.
The move: Drive out toward Maize, roll down the windows, honk four times and lift your feet off the floorboard together as you pass the lone tree, then loop back for a photo.
📍 Before you go It sits alone on the west side of K-96 between the Bentley Road and Maize Road exits, around mile markers 275.8 to 276, so a northbound pass puts it on your side of the divided highway. There's no shoulder, pull-off, or parking here, so treat this as a drive-by and loop back via an exit for a second run or a photo from a safe spot. Daylight is best, and the cottonwood looks fullest from late spring through summer; it's bare in winter. Drive attentively, honk courteously, and pair it with a swing through Maize.
- 📍 Northwest Wichita (K-96 near Maize)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Hours: Viewable anytime while driving K-96; west side between the Bentley and Maize Road exits (around mile markers 275.8-276).
Pair it with
- Theorosa's Bridge (Crybaby Bridge) — Double down on local legends by driving northeast to this remote creek crossing, famous for its urban myths and phantom sounds.
- Wild Lights Asian Lantern Festival (Sedgwick County Zoo) — Pair a daylight roadside ritual on K-96 with an after-dark walk through hundreds of illuminated giant lanterns just down the road at the zoo.
- The Shadows — Trade an open-air highway tradition for an obscure west-side speakeasy hidden behind an antique wall telephone.
Good to know
Where exactly is the Lucky Tree located?
It sits on the west side of K-96 in Northwest Wichita, situated between the Bentley Road and Maize Road exits around mile markers 275.8 to 276.
What is the specific honking ritual?
According to the local tradition passed down from Hutchinson students, you honk four times and lift both feet off the floorboard as you pass the tree.
Is there a place to pull over or park near the tree?
No. There is no shoulder, pull-off, or parking area along this section of K-96. Stopping on the highway is unsafe, so treat it purely as a drive-by venue.
When is the best time of year to see it?
Daylight hours from late spring through summer offer the best view when the 150-year-old cottonwood is fully leafed out, though its bare branches are still easy to spot in winter.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: kmuw.org · Facebook
last checked: 2026-06-06