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Our Address Has Changed
Our new mailing address is: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve 2480 B Ks Hwy 177 Strong City, KS 66869
Pets
Pets at the preserve How can I visit the park with my pet? Dogs are welcome in picnic areas and at the ranch headquarters area, but please not inside the historic buildings or in the tour buses (also not carried). They must be kept on a visible leash at all times that does not exceed 6 feet in length. Electronic behavior altering devices are not allowed, as they do not provide verification to other visitors that your pet is physically restrained. Large national parks that have extensive backcountry areas as a rule do not allow dogs on trails. These include parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Rocky Mountains, and several others. The park prohibits dogs on backcountry hiking trails for several reasons: • Dogs can carry disease into the park's wildlife populations. • Dogs can chase and threaten wildlife, scaring birds and other animals away from nesting, feeding, and resting sites. The scent left behind by a dog can signal the presence of a predator, disrupting or altering the behavior of park wildlife. Small animals may hide in their burrow the entire day after smelling a dog and may not venture out to feed. • Dogs bark and disturb the quiet of the wilderness. Unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells can disturb even the calmest, friendliest, and best-trained dog, causing them to behave unpredictably or bark excessively. • Pets may become prey for larger predators such as coyotes. Dogs can also encounter insects that bite and transmit disease and plants that are poisonous or full of painful thorns and burrs. • Many people, especially children, are frightened by dogs, even small ones. Uncontrolled dogs can present a danger to other visitors. |
Did You Know?
Cattle can gain up to 2 pounds per day grazing on the prairie grasses of the Flint Hills. The calcium found in the limestone erodes into the soil, making the prairie plants more nutritious for grazing animals. Cattle grazing is still the main agricultural use of the Flint Hills today.