• The setting sun over the Flint Hills casts shadows across the wide expanse of tallgrass prairie.

    Tallgrass Prairie

    National Preserve Kansas

Directions

Car

The preserve is located in northern Chase County, Kansas 2 miles north of intersection U.S. Hwy 50 and Flint Hills National Scenic Byway 177 (K-177) west of Strong City. Watch for brown attraction signs.

The preserve is located:

  • 2 miles north of Strong City, KS on K-177
  • 16 miles west of Emporia, KS on U.S. Hwy 50 and 2 miles north on K-177
  • 17 miles south of Council Grove, KS on K-177
  • 85 miles northeast of Wichita on I-35, U.S. Hwy 50, and K-177
  • 60 miles southwest of Topeka on I-335 (Kansas Turnpike) to Emporia, then 16 miles west on U.S. Hwy 50 and 2 miles north on K-177

Plane

Kansas City and Wichita International Airports

From the Kansas City / Overland Park area, travel southwest on I-35 to Emporia, KS. At Emporia travel 16 miles west on U.S. Hwy 50 and north for 2 miles on K-177.

From Wichita travel northeast on I-335 (Kansas Turnpike) to Cassody (exit 92). Travel north on K-177 for 25 miles to Strong City. Travel slow and watch for the K-177 sign in downtown Strong City. Turn left and continue to follow K-177 west and then north as it crosses over U.S. Hwy 50. Travel north 2 miles on K-177 and watch for the small brown attraction sign and buildings on the west side of the highway.

If you miss the K-177 sign in Strong City, travel north through the town. All streets run into U.S. Hwy 50. Turn west on U.S. Hwy 50, traveling approximately 1 mile, watching for large brown attraction sign. Take the exit (right turn) and travel north on K-177 for 2 miles. The preserve is on the west side of the highway.

 
Map of Kansas showing preserve location.
Where is the preserve?

Did You Know?

Aerial photo of the Flint Hills at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Kansas was once the bed of a vast inland sea. The unique, stairstep landscape of the Flint Hills was formed through a process of differential erosion. Erosion washed away the soft shale layers and left the tougher layers of limestone and flint to form the hilltops and prominent benches.