www.thetravel.com /what-is-the-tall-grass-prairie/

This Is What It's Like To Walk Through The Last Patch of Tall Grass Prairie In Kansas

By Dora Nuss-Warren 11-13 minutes 10/23/2021

For anyone who doubts the beauty of Kansas, one stroll through the last remaining tallgrass prairie is all that's needed to change their minds.

Breathe deep. Listen for the sound of the breeze gently rustling the shoulder height grass all around. There's the chirp of crickets and the crack of grasshoppers' wings. Birds serenade and a prairie spring babbles nearby. Toads chirp as they search for dinner. It's the hour or so before a fall sunset. The sun's rays warm the skin but don't burn. This sensation is peace, and travelers can find it in the US's largest remaining stretch of tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

Getting There

The Flint Hills National Scenic Byway will take visitors right past the preserve. The byway, also known as Kansas State Highway 177 stretches across the Flint Hills from Council Grove to Cassoday. Drivers will see jaw-dropping views from scenic overlooks and pass by the stone fences that characterize the hills. Fields on either side of the highway are carpeted with wildflowers and sparsely dotted with trees. This allows travelers an unequaled view of the sky. This incredible road will change the mind of anyone (for example L. Frank Baum) who doubts Kansas's beauty.

For those traveling south on Highway 177, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is just about 20 minutes from Council Groves. The nearest town is Strong City--the preserve is just 4 miles to the north. Visiting the preserve is also an easy day trip from the state capital, Topeka. The drive takes around one hour and 20 minutes. Visitors from this city should take I-335 South, and then head west on US-56 until Council Grove. This way they can enjoy the scenic byway as well as the prairie.

What Happened To The Tallgrass Prairie, And Why This Spot Is Special

According to the National Park Service, tallgrass prairie used to cover 170 million acres of North America. That's an area as big as the entire state of Kansas with a third of Oklahoma. Make note: this is a tallgrass prairie, meaning that the vegetation reached heights of six feet. Prairie grasses, short, tall, and between, once carpeted as much as 40% of the continent. After European settlers began populating the region, most prairies became farmland in a single generation, sometimes with devastating environmental consequences like the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

A single ranch in the Kansas Flint Hills, originally owned by the Jones family, is the exception. The plot of land passed from hand to hand many times between 1878 and 1996. Since the owners ranched it intermittently, not planted, much of the original prairie ecosystem remained intact. In 1996, the ranch's 11,000 acres became the Tallgrass Prarie National Preserve.

Appreciating The Prairie

"A gem, with beautiful vistas and something special to be seen in every season. We enjoyed the visitor center where we marveled at the sample grasses and their heights. One piece of grass was a full 8 ft tall!" wrote Karissa DeCarlo in her Google review.

For many, the prairie may bring to mind tan, beige grass, flat ground, and not much else, but this special spot in Kansas regularly surprises visitors. 765 reviews on Google gave the preserve an average rating of 4.8 stars. To put that in perspective, the Grand Canyon also has an average of 4.8 and Stonehenge comes in lower at 4.5. Visitors loved exploring this historic Kansas ranch with its tall grass and resident American bison (buffalo) herd.

By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons in the public domain

There's something for everyone at the preserve. Kids especially enjoy visiting. They love exploring the historic one-room schoolhouse since they can interact with most items inside, including the antique desks. Seeing cattle up close on the ranch delights little ones. Park rangers guide them through activities, like learning to rope wooden saw-horse steers and playing traditional farm games from the 1800s. The preserve's pond is the perfect place to teach kids about catch and release fishing.

Hikers can explore more than 40 miles of paths. The Scenic Overlook Trail takes visitors 3 km one way from the visitors' center. This trail leads them past the Windmill Pasture where bison graze. Rangers say most hikers take between 30 minutes and 3 hours to complete the trek. There are several nature trails that take about 45 minutes to walk. The preserve also has longer trails measuring as long as 13 km. People interested in seeing the grass at its tallest should visit in autumn since it takes the entire season for these plants to reach their maximum height.

Prepare For Your Visit

Remember that this is Kansas, so the summer sun is hot. Prairies are grassland, and shade is scarce. Hats, sunscreen, and plenty of water make visiting the prairie more pleasant. Wild animals can be dangerous. Bison may seem tame, but they're huge and don't want people to bother them, so visitors should keep their distance--rangers suggest a minimum of 125 yards). The park is also home to rattlesnakes. Hikers can protect themselves by wearing boots that cover their ankles. They should never put their hands anywhere without looking first. Tallgrass also often hides parasites like ticks and chiggers, so putting on bug spray is fundamental.

next: Deadwood, South Dakota: What To Plan In A Weekend Trip

If You've Never Tried A Sweetdish From India, Then These Are Not To Be Missed