Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Chase County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Welcome to the Prairie
You have arrived at the only unit in the National Park Service dedicated to the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Tallgrass prairie once covered a vast region that stretched from Mexico into Canada. Today, only a small fraction - perhaps less than four percent - of North America's native tallgrass prairie remains. The Kansas Flint Hills is home to the largest remnant of unbroken tallgrass prairie.
Formerly known as the Spring Hill / Z Bar Ranch, the preserve provides a rare opportunity to experience sweeping views and the close-up beauty of a tallgrass prairie. You may also learn of the American Indians who hunted here and the ranchers who later settled here.
Established by an act of Congress in 1996, the preserve is cooperatively managed through a unique public/private partnership between the National Park Service and the preserve's private landowner, The Nature Conservancy. In 1994, the National Park Trust purchased the 10,894-acre ranch in the hope that it would become a unit of the National Park System. In 2002, 32 acres, which included the historic ranch headquarters and the one-room school, were donated to the Federal government by the National Park Trust. In 2005, The Nature Conservancy purchased the private property from the Kansas Park Trust, which had recently purchased it from the National Park Trust.
The Nature Conservancy, the Kansas Park Trust, and the National Park Service are working together to achieve the vision of the preserve's general management plan.
For activities available at the preserve, please see the information posted to your right. Enjoy your visit to the preserve.
Erected by National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Environment • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1996.
Location. 38° 26.017′ N, 96° 33.464′ W. Marker is in Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas, in Chase County. Marker is on the grounds of the former Spring Hill Ranch headquarters off Kansas Highway 177, about 2.5 miles north of Strong City. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Strong City KS 66869, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Spring Hill Ranch (within shouting distance of this marker); Prairie for the People (within shouting distance of this marker); Curious Outbuildings (within shouting distance of this marker); Little Barn on the Prairie (within shouting distance of this marker); Vital Necessities (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Back to Basics (approx. half a mile away); W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park (approx. 2.9 miles away); Strong City (approx. 2.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
Also see . . .
1. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. (Submitted on November 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. "Prairie Preservation" in Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. (Submitted on November 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. The Nature Conservancy. (Submitted on November 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 447 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.