Motoring Monday - Tallgrass Prairie

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve covers 11,000 acres, most of it is in the Flint Hills.

If you’re traveling through north central Kansas and want to stretch your legs while taking in some history, there’s no better place to go on a hike then the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The prairie once covered more than 170 million acres of beautiful tallgrass in the United States. Unfortunately, nearly all the prairie has been plowed under or lost by development of towns except for a vast majority found in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The preserve offers 11,000 acres of the prairie with 40 miles of nature trails and eight historic buildings to tour.

These nature trails allow you to experience the prairie first-hand but still near visitor services. The Southwind Nature Trail is a 1.75-mile-long view of what makes up the preserve and starts in front of the Spring Hill Ranch house. The trail winds its way through the upper prairie, across a tree lined creek bed, and up gently rolling hills of an array of grasses to beautiful vistas.

The Bottomland Trail offers a trailhead kiosk at the beginning with either ¾- or ½-mile trail loops to choose from. This trail features both natural and cultural history with five interpretive way side panels, benches, and a comfort station. And lastly, the Fox Creek trail is a 6.1-mile round trip northern extension from the Bottomland Trail in the Fox Creek area. In the fall, the grass can reach about six feet tall here.

Throughout these multiple trails in the prairie you can experience a wide range of wildlife including turkey, white-tail deer, a variety of bird species, and even a herd of bison which can be found in the Windmill pasture.

If you’re not looking for a hike but want to view the prairie’s history, the prairie also offers guided bus tours, free of charge. The tours must be scheduled in advance, are 60-90 minutes long, and run from the last Saturday in April through the last Sunday in October each year, weather and staffing available.

One of the best times to visit the Tallgrass Prairie is when the grass turns a golden brown and reaches its peak height in late September or early October. The prairie is located two miles north of the intersection of U.S. 50 and K-177 just west of Strong City. You can visit www.nps.gov/tapr/ for more information.