Reviews of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Park)

Lisa LBC

I really like this preserve. Lots of hiking, a nice center and interesting historical barn and home. Because of the rocks it has never been farmed. See what the prairie looked like in the 1800's and they also have buffalo to see.

David Henry

If you go out on a hike, it's scary how quiet it is. Saw a lot of bird species and Bison. Good idea to bring binoculars. The ranch/farmhouse on site is a treasure. If you think the grass is tall, you should see how deep the root system goes!

Luke Waller

Quiet beautiful walk

LORI STOTTLEMIRE

Love it that you can free tour the barn, ranch house and other areas. Take a hike but still find some ac! I had my Mother with me and we could not maneuver her wheelchair in the gravel roads or paths so that was disappointing. Please,National Parks Service, install handicap friendly paths at least to the major areas of this facility. I can understand not wanting to loose the charming real feel. But having to sit it out after you’ve arrived is disappointing. Stone fence out front is looking fabulous!

John Church

Not everything open due to shut down but still saw buffalo.

Jackie Diller

Tour was awesome

Gary Stephens

Well done and simple. Informative, both as to prairie environment and pioneer history. Had hard time getting granddaughters out of barn when discovered lariats and calf roping dummies.

jim crump

Cool was very fun great hike 7 miles saw baby bison

Tara Wilson

There are both dog friendly trails and not dog friendly trails. Either way you go you will have a beautiful hike with great views! I definitely recommend taking the time to enjoy this prairie!

Nathan Rodriguez

Amazing the children lved the trails!

Larry Wallace

If you want to get an idea of what The Great American Desert was really like 180 years ago, when the Pawnee and other native Americans roamed the area, this is the place to visit. Take a tour and see a part of the vast prairie eco system, when the buffalo roamed and when it became cattle country. If you are interested in how settlers came and scratched out a living, this is the place to visit. Tall grass provides a view of these historical aspects of when America was a younger nation. Beautiful prairie scenery, beautiful historical buildings. A great place for young and old to learn a bit about ecology and a piece of fascinating American history.

joan t

Peaceful, loving nature

Jack Gannan

Look at that stone work

Nick M

One of the best kept secrets in this part of the country; fantastic place for hiking and enjoying the endless prairie vistas.

Pavel Krupets

Beautiful place. Dogs are allowed on some trails (check in the office to find out which ones). Make sure to bring insect repellant as there are many ticks in the grass.

Katie Christenson

I was blown away by the views on this hike. It is considered the largest prairie reserve in the northern United states. It is open 24 hours so one can also view a sunrise, sunset, and a starry sky. I can't wait to go back for a night sky view.

Katrina McFadden

Very beautiful. Got to see the bison

Billy Clark

Just went for a blizzard hike! The preserve is beautiful in all weather conditions!

Kristina Molash

My family visited yesterday to get a better view of the total eclipse. Beautiful scenery. We enjoyed touring the old buildings. Staff was very friendly and informative. Although our little one was too young to participate in the jr. ranger badges, we heard other kids being "sworn in". It was so cute!

Jane Vie

Interesting place. It was raining so we couldn't go on traols

Deborah Swank

The Center is nice and had some good displays. It was very unclear if you could drive up to the barn and house or had to walk. We had a couple folks who could not walk the distance so did not go up to that area, nor able to walk out on the prairie...next time maybe.

Don Myers

Loved the hikes! Loved the bison! The visitor center was super knowledgable and helpful. And as always the Jr. Ranger program was great for the boys.

Liz Wiff

A fun couple hours just exploring the house, barn, visitor center, and schoolhouse. We're planning to return to walk some trails. Saw lots of people with dogs. Our group was 2 30-somethings, our parents, and a 4 year old- we all had an enjoyable time. Be sure to bring drinks or snacks if you think it will be a longer visit.

A E

Nice quiet place to walk the trails. I like that the trails of well marked so you know where you are going at every intersection on the trail.

David Swenson

beautiful land, and if you bike around you can find bison

Richard Orton

This was our second visit to Tallgrass Preserve in the past 10 years. We love the house, barn, other outbuildings and all of the native stone works. The reason for the 3 Star Rating was the extreme rudeness of our bus driver, Ranger Patterson. Our complete group of six was not at the bus stop at 11:00 am sharp due to the need to drive a short distance to use alternative rest room facilities, caused by a water main break. Two of our group explained the situation to the ranger and we were the only ones waiting for the bus tour. His response and threats were completely unprofessional and a disgrace to the National Park Service. His narrative and actions once the bus tour began was acceptable but we sure got off to a rocky start.

Cherokee Reagan

Beautiful. Came to town for the quilt exhibit.

kars chier

Gorgeous prairie landscape, and it's teaming with sneaky wildlife. The Visitor Center is very interesting the the staff were friendly and knowledgeable.

Will T

Beautiful place. I will return to hike, and enjoy the night sky. Apparently the house will undergoing some renovation which is good news. Amazing that someone built this stone house and buildings in middle of KS

Joe Macy

Beautiful space and well maintained trails. Staff in the visitor center was very nice. Good video and displays in the visitor's center. Trail maps were easy to follow. Looking forward to many more visits!

Eric J Bryant

This is a very peaceful place. The golden hues when I went were delightful, as well as the birds singing and flitting about. I did not see buffalo except at a distance, but I didnt hike in the pasture they were in either. I will be going back to hike the rest of the trails there.

Billy Bob

Amazing place. Highly recommended! Sure, it's not mountains, but it's unique in its own. I can't compare it to a Mountain park because it's a completely different view. It's the most scenic place in Kansas or near Kansas City. You may be skeptical thinking it's just 'tall grass', but it's more than that. There are basically no trees anywhere so you can see for literally 10's of miles and all directions and the flint hills add to the scenery. Also, the sky is huge and surrounds you. It's quite a unique experience. You won't be disappointed! It's also a place of solitude. I've been on the trail 4 times and one time I never saw 1 other person for 2 hours of hiking in the huge open expanse of the preserve and the other times I only saw a few other people but they get lost in the distance. If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out the Sand Hills area of Nebraska, it has even larger hills and IMO is even more amazing. It's like the flint hills on steroids.

Amanda Gray

A beautiful park with plenty of walking paths and a nice visitor center. We had one of our party suffering from early signs of heat stroke and the staff were incredible. They helped us with the assistance we needed in the scary time and were so friendly. Highly recommend - make sure you bring a camera and plenty of water.

Emily Crain

Such a neat place to visit! All of the buildings are really interesting and the craftsmanship is amazing! There are a ton of trails, but unfortunately you can't drive through which makes it difficult if you have little ones. The scenery is beautiful though and it's worth the trip!

Ken Luraas

Enjoyed the historic buildings of the ranch.

Ben Dover

It was awesome to be able to see the bison so close

tim leitnaker

A great location to see the flint hills in its natural state and get a dose of local history.

Denise Breide

Very comprehensive tour. More than you would think about the prairie. Nicely working to renovate the structures on the grounds.

Great Hands

Love the prairie!

Daniel Fossoy

We walked on the trail that went to the schoolhouse. They had done a prairie burn recently, and very little green could be seen. The stone barn and the house were amazing. They built in the 1880s. We visited on March 21st. It would have been more beautiful a month later when plant life was flourishing.

Dan Ellerbrook

Very beautiful. Be sure to heed the warning signs when entering the Bison area. Please take into account the herds move. It's really cool to see them up close, but if you stop and they move closer to you, you may find yourself dangerously close.

M Fugarino

Great place to clear your head and give you perspective of how large the world is.

David Logan

Incredible setting and visitors center. The ranger on the bus tour was a bit talkituve. Never stopped talking for 70 minutes.

Ellen Sheppard

Two females rangers so nice! Bus tour was cancelled due to visiting school groups, but they agreed to let us join one of the school groups. Loved being so close to the buffalo and learning about them. Visitor center also very helpfyl. But …

Mark Alexander

Amazing expanse of natural tall grass prairie with miles and miles of trails to hike and explore. Be sure to go look for the bison in the windmill pasture. The place is open all day, every day and best of all there is no cost to visit. A true hidden gem of Kansas.

Peggy Askins

Beautiful scenery, nice preserved ranch! Very nice visitor center.

Cade Smith

Awesome place, great scenery to be seen on the trails. If you can get here at sunset, they are spectacular. The visitor center has great interactive displays and the ranch house gives a glimpse back in time to what it was like to live in the Flint Hills in the late 1800's.

Sherry Burch

It's absolutely beautiful and so serene. I love going up there. Love to visit the little towns up that way also.

P P

Great place to see what a tallgrass prairie looks like. Some history and buildings to look at as well. It is what it is.

Assaf Levy

It seems like a nice park. Really nice scenic view. We only stopped for an hour , it isn't sufficient time to explore the park (2÷3 miles to bisin grazing area.. round trip 4÷6) Stop here if you have few free hours available Also the ranger at the visitors center didn't tell us about the free tour (by a school bus) which we saw when we got back to he car after a short walk. Trails are not marked properly and we got confused and took the wrong turn. Practice your map reading skills..

Jeremy Johnson

Amazing hike with beautiful scenery! A very challenging hike with good grade change. Loved it!

Denton Stith

A great step back in time!!

Lori McAfee

Such fun to wander and imagine myself in the 1800s living in that great expanse. I stayed to watch the stars and was not disappointed. Wow. Even more impressive was the silence - broken only by the distant train whistle and occasional car. Fireflies kept me company while the milky way passed overhead and a meteor flashed for a split second.

Lisa Cherney

We were there during their Cowboy Independence Day celebration. Reenactors shared lots of interesting history. The grandkids enjoyed taking part in the 1880s games. Bus tour through bison pasture got us within feet of the bison (in the safety of the bus). The Flint Hills and the Tallgrass Prairie are beautiful. The hike to the Lower Fox Creek schoolhouse was great.

Jason Diehl

This National Park is outstanding. The staff was helpful and the property was insightful and educational. I was there in late March. The weather was great but nothing was green or growing yet. I took a walk up the trail to check out the scenery. They give warning of Buffalo in the area and I was excited to have the opportunity to witness nature in it's natural habitat. What a beautiful day!

Steven Rathbun

True Kansas treasure. The Tallgrass Prairie is beautiful and life giving. Last great ecosystem not protected with the full embrace of other wild places in our great nation. Thankfully a small piece of this once great expanse has been set aside for safe keeping and to be enjoyed. By all means allow yourself a time to experience its loveliness.

Lee Jordan

What a wonderful learning experience. A great 2 hour adventure.

Susan Adam

Vast views of some of the last tallgrass in the world. Friendly knowledgeable staff (NPS + TNC). Love it.

Eric Goff

Great place! Tons of trails, even Buffalo. The office is open from 830 to 430 but The trails are open 24/7.

Cori Anzicek

The National sites are always fabulous!

Arlene Keith

Very beautiful place

William Spaet

Great. It's amazing how well you can stop her in a place with nothing.

George Owens

It was great to get out and see the Prairie Fields

Dan Hodel

Very nice park. Plan to return and spend more time.

MaryEllen Sarna

The bus tour was excellent. Many active wildlife including bison. Grasses were tall due to wet spring.

Tad Pufall

Went first Sunday in February, the same day of a certain big football game, and it was 70 degrees and sunny (but windy) in nearby Strong City, Kansas. Pretty good weather for middle of winter. Hiked about 9 or 10 miles in 3 hours, stopping occasionally to take photos. Hues of yellow and brown at that time of year. Not complaining, because it can just as easily be snow covered. This would be best done in April after things green up. When green the Flint Hills can rival pictures I've seen of Ireland, which is known as the Emerald Island. Then late afternoon shadows make for beautiful patterns. First went there 15 or 20 years ago when they wouldn't let you on the land before it was established. Now there is a visitors center which helped immensely with maps and trail descriptions and warnings to stay out of buffalo pastures. There are slabs of rocks at trail junctions with numbers on them to mark the way and trails are two-track old ranch roads. Go earlier in the day in spring before thunderstorms develop, watch forecast for tornadoes and people said don't go in July, when it can be up around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Candace Allen

A chance to see one of the few remaining talk grass prairies

Carolyn H

Amazing adventure space! Incredibly well maintained. I've hike it at 19 degrees and 60 degrees both were great!

Kiley Varney

One of my favorite places on Earth. This is the heart of Kansas. There isn't much of the tall rass prairie left, so visiting this preserve is a must. There are miles of trails and and the some of the most gorgeous views you can find in the state. You can see bison on certain trails too. Great visitors center as well, helpful staff and interesting items for sale. Dogs are allowed on certain trails.

John Schmidt

A very large area of virgin prairie still left. Features bison and cattle and many miles of hiking trails. The visitor center is very nice too You can connect trails and make your hike as long as you want. The whole area is verdant green in the early summer and then becomes a lot more brown later, but always very scenic. Highly recommended to go see!

Michele Kane

Tallgrass Prairie is a beautiful preserve that really lets you experience just how quiet nature really is. With a lot of more well known areas people bring a lot of noise with them but here you can really experience a natural silence. If you look close enough you can see small animals scurry buy and birds soaring past.

Richard Uhlrich

Love having access to such beautiful public land so close by. The National Park Service is the best part of our government. Nothing else is close! Thank You!!

Autumn Beck Brunk

Gorgeous scenery!

Claudia Martínez

It was as so assume I loved the prary and the bufalow

Gayle Fossoy

FREE. I couldn't believe it. 41 miles of trails, plus there are buildings to go through. A 3 story barn! There are explanations about what each level was used for on the audio tour you can access on your cell phone. The house has incredible views of the Flint Hills. Bus tours begin the last Saturday in April and run through the last Saturday in October. They are also free.

Zachary Preheim

Acres of of Prairie to hike through. An old barn and house to explore as well.

Cindy Henley

I love hiking here year round

michael mcmillon

Always a fan of Nat'l Parks. This one is especially important because of it's fragile and unknown future due to big AG. Visit and donate to preserve what little is left

Amanda Johnson

Just beautiful!! Cant wait to explore more!

Dave Miller

Beautiful prairie with great hiking trails leading to wonderful vistas.

Matthew Cloutier

It was very very interesting I loved every minute of it

Todd

I liked it. House was pretty cool and fancy for the day. So was the barn. Kids enjoyed the barn roping activity.

James Everhart

Nature preserve with walk in catch and release bass ponds

Wallace Family Coins and Travels

If you enjoy the beautiful prairie, you'll swoon over this hidden gem! Not to be missed by those who love the Plains!!! We visited post wildflower season, so I can only imagine the immense beauty during June/July. The Flint Hills region of Kansas is not to be missed! Please note they have a tour given by Park Rangers via a bus ride, but you must call ahead to schedule it! We missed out on the bus tour.

Justin P

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is an 11000 acre preserve of Tallgrass Prairie that once covered much of central North America. It is a somewhat unique park in that it is privately owned by the Nature Conservancy but managed by the National Park Service. A herd of bison have been introduced to Windmill Pasture and can be seen on a tram tour or hiking the trails. Please remember these are wild animals and adult males are enormous, so keep a safe distance. We had to cut our hike short due to about 40 of them blocking the trail. (But it was totally worth it to see them, including a number of calves.) There's also an old schoolhouse and ranch complex near the visitor center. Overall, a great place to visit and experience the prairie and see wildlife.

Roger McCoy

A true gem of the heartland. So many prairie plants. So little time to ID them. Go early and stay late. I hear the bus tour is worthwhile.

Erin Kerbs

Beautiful national preserve. The park ranger, Heather Brown was energetic, knowledgeable and a great tour guide. We took the bus tour through the tall grass prairie and saw bison, stunning views, wildflowers, and a Flint knapping site. The buildings were very interesting. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun!

tracie robison

Just a nice quiet leisurely day. Took the bus tour.

Roger Miller

Great place to get back to nature.

Jason Buening

This place is absolutely beautiful! You can walk through the pasture with the Bison. Beautiful views and great trails.

Jeffery Heppler

One of the last remnants of the tallgrass prairie!

Dawn Long

We drove a little out of our way to visit Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and were happy that we did. The Flint Hills section of Kansas is a little more "scenic" than the stereotypical view of Kansas, and Tallgrass Prairie is beautiful. Come ready with good shoes, waterbottles, hats, and sunscreen, and be prepared to walk a ways. It's a big place, and the bison have a large area in which to range. Bring binoculars too if you want to get a better look at the bison.

Tucker Austin

I GOT ENGAGED HERE ON 10-17-18 AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT

eric sloop

Always a nice drive thru Kansas

Krista Bailey

Holy cow! This is a little out of the way, but so pretty! I already want to go back!

Corgeek

IT IS AWESOME! FROM TOUR TO BADGER THE WHITE HORSE. The only place like that in the Great Plains of america. Also I like history. Historic buildings and I love the flint in the rocks in the FLINT Hills. Awesome job on publishing National park service. Um only problem my sister likes cat ALOT we saw a random British Shorthair in the big barn my sister wanted to pet it

Cheerios Are Donut Seeds

Nothing I can say will do it justice. You must visit this place and see with your own eyes. Make the hike at least three miles in. You won't regret seeing what this land was like prior to

James Fattic

Small, but informative visitor's center with an even smaller "gift shop". The stone fences, stone barn and out buildings are impressive as is the house. Most buildings, including the barn, are open and house tours are advertised. Miles of trails through the prairie vary in length and it's easy to arrange a hike to suit yourself.

Evan Meyer

I came here once when I was very young and returned again recently. It was great. The trails are nice, very scenic. The bus tour had some even nicer views than the hiking trails did. Our tour guide was a good balance of informative and casual. The barn was very cool, full of interesting old farm appliances. I would definitely suggest this. I think most people would be surprised at how much they would enjoy it.

Eric Anderson

Honestly... not much here. You can tour the original ranch house that was very impressive for the time. A small visitor center with a tour bus you can hop on to look at free ranging buffalo. Make reservations in advance for the bus, it does full up fast.

B J Medlam

Awesome experience. Beautiful prairie and hills. Very informative.

Mallory Koci

This is a beautiful preserve, with lots to explore. The trails are wide enough for 3-4 people to walk side-by-side. We saw tons of butterflies, grasshoppers, birds, bees, and beetles. We also saw about 25-30 bison, but we were sure to keep our distance. The Visitor's Center is a lovely place for people of all ages to learn more about the preserve and the Flint Hills. We will definitely be back!

Matt McCandless

Great old house and barn to explore.

Gerard Ellis

8-18-18, A must see if you are in the area. A hidden Gem, 90 degrees and sunny, I walked trail 14-35-34 and back to the lot. A large Bison just after the gate at 14 prevented me from going further. I walked 2.5 miles in under 1.5 hours with stopping and taking pictures. The Texas Horned Lizard was the best as I have seen Bison in other parks.

Antonio R. Gonzalez

I wasn't able to go in the preserve but passing it you can see how beautiful it is. This year with all the rain the scenery is spectacular.

Don Williams

Wonderful guide on the bus ride through the tall grass prairie. Made us more appreciative of the natural balance it takes to live well in this world.

Wenhao Peng

Great grassland.

Jonathan Scholtz

You can't truly appreciate this place unless you get out and hike it. We walked in and fished 3 catch-and-release ponds. Where is a good day with plenty of exercise.

Nathalia Kinzie

Park staff was all pleasant and helpful. The view was totally worth the hike! A must see on your Kansas bucket list!

Amanda art tutorials

Honestly, I thought that Kansas was pretty boring. But coming here and experiencing the beautiful rolling Hills and finding all the cool rocks that I found really changed my mind.

Robert Lindsay

Wonderful views of the tall grass prairie, old homes, barns. History all over the place. You can imagine you are out on the prairie listening to the wind whistle by. Really good.

Mari Peck

Love this place! So much to explore. So peaceful! A little slice of heaven in the middle of Kansas.

Celia Kirkpatrick

Second time we've been there. The addition of visitor center helped. Love the tall grass Prairie!! Love Kansas!!

Mike Siegrist

Great place for a hike through some of the most natural prairies of Kansas

Josh Mcloud

This was a great place to bring my Ecology class. Plenty of Goldenrod and sunflowers in bloom.

steven hissa

From this last adventure this was one of the most amazing sites. Just beautiful. Enjoyed walking the grounds. Must see

Dale R

Great natural prairieland, beautiful home and outbuildings

Down The Road with Brian Mallard

This place is amazing! It's about 70 miles (distances available online) north of Wichita. We visited and it was perfection. A little patch of unspoiled prarie which is home to Bison. There is a nice visitor center with a an assortment of information, restrooms and a video. There is a bus ride up to the prarie but it doesn't always run, specifically when there has been a lot of rain. but this is actually good as the best way to experience the land is on foot. The prarie goes on over the horizon and there is a quiet you wont find in most places, only broken by the sound of the wind and the crickets. We got pretty close to the Bison but it is recommended to stay a football field's distance as they can be aggressive. Bring your camera as there are great photographic opportunities.

Chuck Haines

Went here on a field trip with my daughters class. The ranger was amazing and really explained and showed a lot of things. Lots of cool building to see and hiking trails to see. Got to see some bison out in the field. Will definitely be taking the family back.

Roland Rau

Always wanted to come here to see the prairie the way it was b4 everything was plowed up.

Kim Brown

Lots of good information. Very interactive for kids.

JustKey Gaming

I loved the views and the things I saw. But 5he one thing that I was disappointed about is that I only saw 1 buffalo.

Quinton Hett

Great place for engagement photos! Best place to get engaged!

Judi O'Brien

Beautiful! It was so nice to look as far as I could and see nothing but prairie. The Bison were so close!

William Kirkham

Arrived after normal hours. Trails are open 24 hrs. The scenic byway getting there is enjoyable also.

kit berry

Great place to get up and close with nature. The American Bison are running free and are larger than life!

Crunk T.V.

Nice trails and lots of wildlife!

Shea Geist

Very nice! Long hike through the short prairie grass (short this time of year). Make sure you have the essentials - sunscreen, water, hat, snacks. Clean, well-kept facilities. Sweeping views of the gorgeous plains. Worth the drive.