Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Free admission with a variety of trails to hike. A couple of the trails have free roaming bison on them, but there are also options if you prefer some distance. There is no shade or tree cover, be sure to plan accordingly.

Born and raised in the Flint Hills of Kansas, I love the beauty in its simplicity. Post-university, I’ve enjoyed living in and experiencing big cities around the country and traveling internationally, but my heart always brings me back to visit Kansas, especially my native Flint Hills. Once you learn to appreciate the vast and romantic barrenness of this wild Kansas landscape, your awe for dramatic mountains, oceans and city skylines changes and amplifies. Your perspective evolves, your eye will see the world in a new way. Listening to the waves of wind hitting the tallgrass, it can be hypnotic. While at first you might feel alone, stand still and you can sense the centuries worth of inhabitants and travelers who preceded you; the indigenous people, European explorers, Santa Fe Trail pioneers, homesteaders, farmers, bootleggers. A rich history. Hike the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and get lost in its meditative charm. It is a one of a kind experience. I recommend reading PrairyErth by William Least Heat-Moon before your visit.

This is an amazing preservation of Kansas history! The limestone buildings constructed on this ranch in the early 1880s are unspeakably jaw dropping!! I could have watched the buffalo roaming in the natural prairie for many more hours than I did! The many trails are a great way to experience the land, natural habitats, and breathtaking views. Plan to stay an entire day here as it is well worth it!!! I'll be going back!

Wide (really wide) open space on rolling hills and gulches. Magical for its serenity, silence, far horizons, and history. Seeing the undisturbed bison herds in the distance was special. Take a camera or phone with a good zoom lens but don't forget to look down at the watering holes and wallows as you walk. The sky is endless.

This was a great stop on a trip from Wichita to Topeka. We had planned on spending two hours here but ended up hiking for four. You hike to get to the pasture where the bison graze. It was a breathtaking experience to find the herd. Just make certain to wear appropriate sun protection (as there is no shade) and to bring water. There is also an old school house you can visit. The visitor center has a water fountain with a bottle filler and restrooms. The park rangers were friendly and helpful. They also offer a van tour.

This place is a must stop if anywhere in the area. Best deal around, free, and what a history lesson. Plan to be here a couple of hours to experience all this place has to offer. You are able to go into a large barn with turn of century equipment, a 4 story mansion and outbuildings. There are multiple trails and a one room school house. Experience yesteryear and make this a stop.

Beautiful place with amazing views of the Flint Hills, tall grass prairie, and bison. Everything is free, but if you call ahead, you can book a van tour which will take you up to the highest point for some amazing views and photos. You will also see the bison herd on the tour.
We also toured the old barn and home. It was a great educational experience for all.

Great visitors center. Self guided tour of grounds and home. Worth the stop.

I stopped in for a short visit, to learn something, and collect a National Park Passport stamp. They had free passport stamps, a store, visitors center, hiking trails, etc. Every think you'd expect from a National Park. Plenty of accessible parking and accessible. Kid friendly exhibits

Beautiful scenery and plenty of good trails to hike. I highly recommend getting one of the jeep tours if you want closer pics of the bison.

I love the peaceful atmosphere. You can hear the slight breeze, birds and insects and take in the beauty of the prairie.

Great place for a hike! Strange feeling to walk in between these beautiful wild animals! Worth a visit!

Tallgrass Prarie gives a well rounded experience of Kansas in the 18 and 19 hundreds. It is a unique experience to get to see the history of the plains come to life. There are nice walking trails as well as several buildings to explore.

We spent a few hours hiking around here as a way to break up a road trip. Totally worth it, as we saw Bison, and enjoyed the views. Staff/volunteers are friendly and accommodating.

I was out for a motorcycle ride and came across this gem on a Sunday morning. I was pleasantly surprised to not only see it open but also free to explore. The house is wonderfully preserved and beautiful. Highly recommend if you are already traveling the scenic byway.

Places like this are far and few between. The tour with the ranger takes about an hour in the van and was well worth the trip. We got to see the bison fairly close to the road.

We loved our visit. We had most of the place to ourselves. The barn and house were really interesting and the trails were beautiful prairie. We plan on coming back in the spring when the vegetation has grown in, but even still it was a great visit in the winter.

We were able to tour the visitor center, the barn, and main house before we ran out of time. We took the guided van ride into the park. If you like wide open spaces, this is for you. The milkweed and yarrow blooms were beautiful. They had not had much rain recently, so the flowers are a bit behind schedule. We saw some bison right by the road as well as in the distance. I recommend allowing time for the van ride. There are some walking trails.

We went on a Monday afternoon. Except for the rangers and one other visitor it was empty, which is our favorite way to visit natural sites. The visitors center was small but cool. Then we went out on the paths and saw so many Bison! They kep getting walking closer which was so cool until they were too closer and we had to walk away. They crossed the path twice. It was beautiful and sooo quiet. We also saw deer and lizards and huge grasshoppers. We want to come back when more wildflowers are blooming.

An absolute beauty of a place. You can spend hours hiking here, and taking in the scenery.

You get to see heard of Bisons. The rangers at the visitor center, who were friendly, can guide you on where to find them.

Remember to carry water and some snacks with you. Also get your sunscreen, and bug spray.

There's absolutely no shade, so be prepared.

The nature trails are on gravel, hence, not stroller and wheelchair friendly. They have a Bottomland trail which is apparently wheelchair friendly.