Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in central Kansas has been on my list of places to visit for a while now. I’m intrigued with the prairie, its diverse vegetation and wildlife, and the seemingly simple beauty that can be found there. So on a recent Saturday morning, my husband and I made a day trip to see this national park and to enjoy the lovely autumn weather.
Doing some quick research before we headed out, I learned that at one time there were 170 million acres of tallgrass prairie in North America. What remains now is less than four percent of that total, and most of those acres can be found in the Kansas Flint Hills. This national preserve is keeping an important piece of history safe from complete destruction.
The property has a long history as land for ranching, being bought and sold many times between the late 1800s and the middle of the 20th century. The three-story stone mansion and three-story barn are still standing today and are truly beautiful structures. A one-room schoolhouse finds a home on the property as well, and it’s interesting to imagine the children who journeyed to learn there.
My favorite part of the day was when we got to see the bison herd. I heeded the warning signs but I really wanted to venture closer! According to published information, thirteen plains bison were introduced to the site in 2009. This was the first time in more than 100 years that bison were on this property. The herd has its residence in Windmill Pasture on the west side of the preserve and is managed by the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy.
When we first stepped onto this road, the bison were hidden in the grass and were part-way down a hill. Once we were still, they slowly ventured closer for a look at us, then began trotting away and across the road to graze in a new spot. There were several babies among the adults, and the mamas were staying close to their little ones. The herd seems to be thriving and growing in number.
Experiencing this place and its beauty was truly worth the drive and the time spent exploring. I hope to return here in another season to see what differences I might discover. If you ever get a chance to see the prairie up close, I highly recommend it!
P.S. We’d love to see what your part of the world looks like! Remember to check out our Instagram gallery, where we link to our daily posts and feature shots from our IG community. Just tag #viewfindersio for your chance to be featured.
2 Comments
Comments are closed.
Such a vastly different landscape than mine here on Cape Cod — really beautiful. Love that schoolhouse.
Lucy, it’s so interesting to see how quickly the landscape changes during a relatively short drive. The schoolhouse was one of the highlights for me, too.