Park Photo

Autumn on the Tallgrass prairie

The 100 acres of Tallgrass Prairie at Homestead National Monument of America has been restored to approximate the plants and animals that once covered the central plains of the US. This restoration has been managed by the National Park Service for over 60 years, making it the second oldest restoration of tallgrass prairie in the nation, and the oldest in the National Park System. It is a monumental task to re-create wilderness, and a restored prairie will never exactly repeat the original mix and variety of plants a native prairie would have. However, this bit of land supporting the ancient flowers and grasses that once covered the plains gives visitors a glimpse of the landscape of past centuries. This is a landscape and ecosystem that is very rare today.