Explore These Pristine Prairie Hikes in Greater KC
Konza Prairie Biological Station, Manhattan, Kansas
Prairie trails offer the road less traveled, rewarding those who seek out their quiet ridges and lonely canyons.
By Roy Harryman
Publisher
Is there anything more Midwest than prairie? In our area, tallgrass prairie is dominant. How tall is tallgrass? In its undisturbed environment, it rises from five to 10 feet in height. Imagine being among the first Europeans to try navigating that grassy bulwark.
Although prairie is often characterized as flat, this is not the case in most of greater Kansas City. Rolling and sometimes steep hills rise up to 300 feet above their surroundings. This is particularly true of the Loess Hills along the Missouri River between St. Joseph, Mo., and South Dakota.
Prairie is also complex. If you sit quietly in grasslands, they reveal vibrant wildflowers, songbirds, crystalline streams and soaring birds of prey. And, where they have been reintroduced, bison have returned to their traditional range.
Prairie doesn’t deliver the quick fix of Rocky Mountain National Park or the Grand Canyon. But give it time, and it can deliver its own unique brand of beauty. Ready to explore? Here’s a “starter kit” of six local and regional prairie hikes that won’t disappoint. But there are plenty more. What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
“There’s a vastness here. The people who are born here breathe that vastness into their soul. They dream big dreams and think big thoughts, because there is nothing to hem them in.”
Local prairie hikes
Olathe: Prairie Center Natural Area
Experience 300 acres of native and restored prairie amid gently rolling hills and quiet streams.
Olathe: Kill Creek Park
Twelve miles of trails explore 900 acres of prairie and woodland. A highlight is the 58-foot tall prairie observation tower.
South Kansas City: Jerry Smith Park
The 360-acre Jerry Smith Park is home to the largest remaining tract of native prairie on the Missouri side of the Kansas City area.
Day trips
Mt. Mitchell Heritage Prairie, Wamego, Kansas
Mt. Mitchell, a lesser-known park, is the epitome of stark Flint Hills beauty. About 170 acres of tallgrass prairie rise 250 feet above the Kansas River and lowland plains, giving a glimpse of what the prairie used to be.
Konza Prairie, Manhattan, Kansas
If there is such thing as a showcase for the Flint Hills, it might be Konza Prairie. This nearly 7,000-acre preserve comprises rolling hills, wooded ravines, pristine streams, wildflowers and wildlife unique to the area. It may also be the most-visited site in the Flint Hills. Of course it is never what you would call “crowded,” but if you’re looking for solitude, Mt. Mitchell would be your choice.
Hitchcock Nature Center, Crescent, Iowa
Heading north to Iowa, Hitchock Nature Center is a spectacular reserve in the Loess Hills bordering the Missouri River Valley. Ridges rise 300 feet above the bottomlands, providing picturesque sunrises and sunsets. On clear days, the skyline of Omaha, Neb., is visible in the distance. The park’s visitors center has a 45-foot tall hawk watching tower, allowing you to view raptors and other birds navigating the wind currents.
Pershing State Park, Laclede, Missouri
This 5,000-acre park is home to 9 miles of trails, including a unique 1.6-mile boardwalk through a delicate wetland environment. It’s unique in that it hosts the largest remaining wetland prairie in Missouri, measuring at about 1,000 acres. This generally flat and low-lying area makes for easy, but wild and scenic, hiking. Because of its humid environment, this trail is thick with mosquitos in summer, so plan a hike anytime from fall to spring.
