Release Date 4/11/2006
For Immediate Release
Heather Brown 620-273-8494

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Gears Up for Bus Tour Season with New Bus

Take a tour of the prairie.

Beginning April 29, 2006, visitors will again have the opportunity to enjoy the sweeping views and endless sky of the Tallgrass Prairie National preserve by taking a 6.4-mile bus tour of the preserve's backcountry on the preserve's new 27-passenger bus. The new quiet-ride bus can accommodate nine more visitors, including two wheelchairs. Visitors will continue to view the prairie through large windows, while sitting in a comfortable seat and air-conditioned compartment. The improved sound system captures more of the interpretive program, making for a very enjoyable experience. During the tour, park rangers will discuss the prairie's intricate system of plants and animals, the geology that formed the Flint Hills, American Indians, and the legacy of ranching. The prairie tour is available daily from April 29 through October 29, 2006, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., and lasts approximately an hour and a half. Cost is $5.00 per adult and $3.00 for age 5- 18 years; there is no charge for children age 4 and under. Advance reservations are recommended, but arrangements can be made on the day of the visit if space is available.

From May through October, National Park Service staff also provides guided tours of the historic 1881 limestone ranch house. These tours are conducted hourly on the half-hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is no charge for the ranch house tour.

The Lower Fox Creek School, a one-room schoolhouse, is staffed by volunteers and is open to the public on weekends during May and June, and again in September and October, from 12 noon until 4 p.m. Please call ahead to verify program availability.

Visitor information and a 10-minute site orientation video are available at the visitor contact station, located in the barn from May through October. The Park Education Resource Center bookstore, located in the ranch house, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A self-guiding tour of the historic ranch headquarters, aided by a brochure and wayside exhibits, is also available.

The Southwind Nature Trail begins at the ranch headquarters and winds through the tallgrass prairie. Visitors may choose to walk the 1 ¾-mile loop or take a shorter stroll to the scenic overlook area to experience the magnificent beauty of the Flint Hills. The wheelchair accessible Bottomland Trail is located two miles south of the ranch headquarters on Kansas State Highway 177. Visitors may choose from a ¾-mile loop or a shorter ½-mile loop. The parking area and trail entrance for the Bottomland Trail are located on the gravel country road southeast of St. Anthony cemetery. The Southwind Nature Trail and the Bottomland Trail are open during daylight hours.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a public/private partnership with the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the Kansas Park Trust. Located two miles north of Strong City on Kansas State Highway 177 (the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway), Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is open daily from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. For more information or to make group arrangements call the preserve at (620) 273-8494 or e-mail: tapr_interpretation@nps.gov.

-NPS-