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Hike Through a Rolling Sea of Grass at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Kansas
Published by Erik Shonstrom, Writer
Country: United States 
The Experience
Hiking up into the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, located outside of Strong City, Kansas, I thought of the generations of westward settlers from the east coast who must have found the lack of shade terrifying. The sun is hotter on the plains because there’s not even the slightest chance of respite: No rock overhangs or trees, and no slice of shade to be found.
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve was officially established on November 12, 1996. As far as parks go, this one is a baby. But what it lacks in history, it makes up for in its unique character. At one time, tallgrass prairie ecosystems covered almost half a million square miles of the North American continent. Only four percent of that original territory now remains, and most of it is in pockets along the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Hiking the tallgrass prairie is quite different from any other kind of hiking. There’s no scenic waterfall at the end of the trail; no tall, rocky summit from which to drink your fill of water, munch your granola bar, and compliment yourself on a good climb. There’s no variation, at least from the layperson’s perspective—just undulating hills of grass. Early pioneers often referred to the tallgrass prairie as a rolling sea of grass; and this metaphor is very apt. It is an oceanic place; and the hills which stretch out in every direction (broken by the occasional tree, or silo, or cell phone tower) do indeed look like ocean swells. On the day I visited, there were only two colours: The green of the grasses and plants carpeting the ground, and the azure blue sky.
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is slightly over 10,000 acres, and I doubted I’d get to see all of it. Many areas in and around the preserve still function as ranches, and in the distant miles I could see Black Angus and brown Hereford cattle grazing. The Preserve offers bus tours, but I chose to walk, and took the longest trail possible—one that led to an overlook of sorts. The bus trundled along the rutted road about a mile ahead of me; a bright conspicuous blue amid all that green.
The Flint Hills are the ancient floor of an ancient ocean. During the Permian Period of the Paleozoic Era, about 250 million years ago, oysters, urchins, coral, algae and other invertebrates lived and died in a shallow sea that covered the region. When they died, they left their shells and skeletal structures behind in the form of Calcium Carbonate, which turns into limestone. That stone now forms part of the brittle backbone of the Flint Hills. The other geologic component is the eponymous flint, or chert. The sedimentary limestone erodes more quickly, leaving the tallgrass prairie terraced in places like the hills of Machu Picchu.
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is huge, but so is the entire region, and from the top of the trail I could see the borders of the park and the ranches that surrounded it. The nearest town, Strong City, was swallowed up by the prairie even though it was less than a half dozen miles away. Staring out over the prairie, I could see the clouds in their entirety blanketing the land. The tallgrass prairie was actually made up of many different species of plants, and lichen covered much of the exposed rock. There are about fifty different kinds of grass (according to some counts), and also woodier plants like liverwort and miniature shrubs.
Prairies exist because they’re too dry to support a healthy forest, but too wet to be a desert. The result is a unique ecosystem that has up to 80 percent of it’s biomass under the ground. The visible plant life on the surface is there to photosynthesize, but the harsh environment doesn’t lend itself to large, showy growths. The air is dry, the ground is dry, and with no protection from the sun, it can be a difficult environment to survive in. Prairie flora keeps it simple.
One of the risks pioneers faced crossing the American plains during the 18th and 19th centuries—was getting lost. I could see why. It’s disorienting, and the view changes as you pass over from one hillock into the next little swale. Hills that you thought you recognized turn out to be in the wrong places, and you can easily start turning yourself round and round trying to find your way out. This risk now doesn’t exist because of the farms, agriculture and ranches eating up the swath of fertile soil that runs through the centre of the continent. There’s no frontier anymore, and no territories to “light out” for like Huck Finn. There is sadness in that, but at the very least there is the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, where you can get a taste of the landscape and imagine what it might have been like once.
An estimated fifty million bison roamed the plains before settlers began to arrive, and their abundance, along with the Spanish introduction of the horse, changed the indigenous peoples of the region. Before the horse, the Native Americans who lived there were nomadic, but essentially agrarian. With the introduction of a speedy mount, their lifestyle became that of the big game hunters, which is the image that was mythologized as the settlers pushed across the plains, wreaking havoc on the Native Americans, destroying the buffalo and changing the prairie forever.
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve was officially established on November 12, 1996. As far as parks go, this one is a baby. But what it lacks in history, it makes up for in its unique character. At one time, tallgrass prairie ecosystems covered almost half a million square miles of the North American continent. Only four percent of that original territory now remains, and most of it is in pockets along the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Hiking the tallgrass prairie is quite different from any other kind of hiking. There’s no scenic waterfall at the end of the trail; no tall, rocky summit from which to drink your fill of water, munch your granola bar, and compliment yourself on a good climb. There’s no variation, at least from the layperson’s perspective—just undulating hills of grass. Early pioneers often referred to the tallgrass prairie as a rolling sea of grass; and this metaphor is very apt. It is an oceanic place; and the hills which stretch out in every direction (broken by the occasional tree, or silo, or cell phone tower) do indeed look like ocean swells. On the day I visited, there were only two colours: The green of the grasses and plants carpeting the ground, and the azure blue sky.
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is slightly over 10,000 acres, and I doubted I’d get to see all of it. Many areas in and around the preserve still function as ranches, and in the distant miles I could see Black Angus and brown Hereford cattle grazing. The Preserve offers bus tours, but I chose to walk, and took the longest trail possible—one that led to an overlook of sorts. The bus trundled along the rutted road about a mile ahead of me; a bright conspicuous blue amid all that green.
The Flint Hills are the ancient floor of an ancient ocean. During the Permian Period of the Paleozoic Era, about 250 million years ago, oysters, urchins, coral, algae and other invertebrates lived and died in a shallow sea that covered the region. When they died, they left their shells and skeletal structures behind in the form of Calcium Carbonate, which turns into limestone. That stone now forms part of the brittle backbone of the Flint Hills. The other geologic component is the eponymous flint, or chert. The sedimentary limestone erodes more quickly, leaving the tallgrass prairie terraced in places like the hills of Machu Picchu.
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is huge, but so is the entire region, and from the top of the trail I could see the borders of the park and the ranches that surrounded it. The nearest town, Strong City, was swallowed up by the prairie even though it was less than a half dozen miles away. Staring out over the prairie, I could see the clouds in their entirety blanketing the land. The tallgrass prairie was actually made up of many different species of plants, and lichen covered much of the exposed rock. There are about fifty different kinds of grass (according to some counts), and also woodier plants like liverwort and miniature shrubs.
Prairies exist because they’re too dry to support a healthy forest, but too wet to be a desert. The result is a unique ecosystem that has up to 80 percent of it’s biomass under the ground. The visible plant life on the surface is there to photosynthesize, but the harsh environment doesn’t lend itself to large, showy growths. The air is dry, the ground is dry, and with no protection from the sun, it can be a difficult environment to survive in. Prairie flora keeps it simple.
One of the risks pioneers faced crossing the American plains during the 18th and 19th centuries—was getting lost. I could see why. It’s disorienting, and the view changes as you pass over from one hillock into the next little swale. Hills that you thought you recognized turn out to be in the wrong places, and you can easily start turning yourself round and round trying to find your way out. This risk now doesn’t exist because of the farms, agriculture and ranches eating up the swath of fertile soil that runs through the centre of the continent. There’s no frontier anymore, and no territories to “light out” for like Huck Finn. There is sadness in that, but at the very least there is the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, where you can get a taste of the landscape and imagine what it might have been like once.
An estimated fifty million bison roamed the plains before settlers began to arrive, and their abundance, along with the Spanish introduction of the horse, changed the indigenous peoples of the region. Before the horse, the Native Americans who lived there were nomadic, but essentially agrarian. With the introduction of a speedy mount, their lifestyle became that of the big game hunters, which is the image that was mythologized as the settlers pushed across the plains, wreaking havoc on the Native Americans, destroying the buffalo and changing the prairie forever.
When to Go to Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is best visited in summer or spring, when the prairie flowers are blooming and the weather is agreeable. Winter can be harsh in the region.
Odds n' Ends
Make sure to bring water and sunscreen when you travel out into the tallgrass prairie as there's no shade to be found. And you may want to bring food, as the pickings are pretty slim in terms of nearby towns and cafes. Strong City is nearby and has a grocery store, and there are the ubiquitous gas stations with the standard Middle American fare of frozen burritos and Cheetos.
Places to Eat
- Arthur Bryant's BBQ
- This restaurant is actually over two hours away from the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, but it is a two hours that you will find well worth the trip. Arthur Bryant's is famous worldwide; they put Kansas City on the 'foodie' map with their food. They specialize in a BBQ dish called 'burnt ends' which is the crispy, fatty off-cuts of a whole brisket. Served over slices of white bread, the BBQ meals at Arthur Bryant's are Americana heaven for those looking for a taste of the plains. You will never eat a better BBQ meal than the one at Arthur Bryants; as attested to by food blogs worldwide. Yes, it's a trek. But you'll be glad you did it.
Places to Stay Nearby
Search over 900,000 global hotel deals from over 30 merchants. Book via Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Priceline and the websites of popular hotel chains.
Conveniently located on the west edge of Emporia. Nearby Emporia State University, william white memorial, national teachers hall of fame, flint hills and spring hill ... 18 miles away
$54 USD+
Welcome to the Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Emporia Kansas Hotel.We are NEWLY RENOVATED in 2006. We are conveniently located at the Industrial Rd exit ... 18 miles away
$89 USD+
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