Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America, but within a generation most of it had been transformed into farms, cities, and towns.
Photo: NPS / NPS
About Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America, but within a generation most of it had been transformed into farms, cities, and towns. Today less than 4% remains intact, mostly in the Kansas Flint Hills. Established on November 12, 1996, the preserve protects a nationally significant remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Here the tallgrass makes its last stand.
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Driving times from Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, one way, via road — a realistic day is 8–10 hours behind the wheel.
Hours
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Hours
- Mon
- All Day
- Tue
- All Day
- Wed
- All Day
- Thu
- All Day
- Fri
- All Day
- Sat
- All Day
- Sun
- All Day
Activities
Getting there
Typical weather for the preserve ranges from lows of 0 degrees in the winter and highs of 90 + degrees in the summer. Prevailing prairie winds attribute to winter blizzards and occasional summer storms. Thunderstorms that form on the Great Plains have a rare chance of producing tornadoes. Lightning poses a danger when hiking into the prairie. Please check current weather conditions at NOAA before hiking into the preserve.
Frequently asked questions
- What is there to do at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve?
- Popular activities include Arts and Culture, Astronomy, Backcountry Hiking, Birdwatching, Bookstore and Park Store, Cultural Demonstrations.
- Which national parks are within a day's drive of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve?
- Within about a day's drive you can reach Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park (1 h 17 min), Harry S Truman National Historic Site (2 h 4 min), Fort Scott National Historic Site (2 h 24 min), Fort Larned National Historic Site (3 h 1 min), Homestead National Historical Park (3 h 3 min), Santa Fe National Historic Trail (3 h 23 min).