Tallgrass

Prairie

NATIONAL PRESERVE

as big as you thinkSM

The only unit of the National Park System

dedicated to the rich natural and cultural history

of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem

to the Tallgrass Prairie

National Preserve

 he Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is your

opportunity to experience the natural wonder and rich

history of the Kansas Flint Hills. The expansive rolling

hills and wide-open vistas of this Great Plains region

are a rare remnant of the expanse of tallgrass prairie

that once covered 400,000 square miles of central

North America.

 Once the hunting grounds of the Kansa and Osage

Indians, the preserve’s nearly 11,000 acres are home to

an astonishing variety of life: over 450 species of

plants, 150 kinds of birds, 39 types of reptiles and

amphibians, and 31 species of mammals. A cycle of

climate, fire, and animal grazing – once buffalo, now

cattle – has sustained this ecosystem. Much of the

grassland flora and fauna is too subtle to be seen from

a passing car, but careful scrutiny reveals the special

beauty, wonder, and complexity of the prairie.

Cattleman Stephen F. Jones built his home in 1881

with hand-cut limestone. The 11-room house is

characteristic of the Second Empire style of 19th

century architecture. The springs on the hillside

provided water to the house – thus the name, Spring Hill

Farm and Stock Ranch. Nearby are the massive

three-story limestone barn and Lower Fox Creek School,

a one-room schoolhouse. The ranch was designated a

National Historic Landmark in February 1997.

Welcome

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Location: The preserve headquarters is located:

• 2 miles north of Strong City on Kansas State

 Highway 177 (the Flint Hills Scenic Byway)

• 18 miles west of Emporia

• 16 miles south of Council Grove

• 85 miles northeast of Wichita

Hours: The historic ranch headquarters is open daily

(except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New

Year’s Day) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Brochures and a 10-minute site orientation video are available

in the barn (May – October) and on the back porch of the house

(November – April).

A self-guided tour of the historic ranch headquarters is available

daily between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. A brochure and wayside

exhibits tell the story of Stephen F. Jones, who owned the ranch

from 1878 to 1888.

The bookstore and gift shop in the ranch house is open daily

from 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Visitors may purchase books for

children and adults, prints, postcards, educational and

hand-crafted gift items, natural objects, and items related to

local culture.

While in Chase County, make time to visit the towns of Strong

City and Cottonwood Falls. Steeped in prairie history, these

scenic communities will take you back in time. They offer

dining, shopping, and much more.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Strong City, KS

Telephone: 620–273–8494 Fax: 620–273–8950

Email: tapr_interpretation@nps.gov

Website: www.nps.gov/tapr

National Park Service mailing address:

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

P.O. Box 585, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845

Kansas Park Trust Telephone: 620-273-8139

The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org/kansas

photos: Yvonne O’Brien

photo: John Charlton