Konza Prairie Research Natural Area

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(Much of this information is derived from the Nature Conservancy website.)

The 8,600-acre Konza Prairie Preserve is located in the Flint Hills region of northeastern Kansas. Historically, because the Flint Hills were underlain by limestone, their shallow, rocky soils made plowing almost impossible, and the early settlers utilized the Flint Hills prairie as tallgrass pasture as cattle replaced the herds of buffalo. As a result, the Konza consitutes one of the last extensive tracts of virgin (never-plowed) tallgrass prairie in the American West.

Today, the Konza Prairie Research Center is owned jointly by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University, and it is operated as a field research station by Kansas State University Division of Biology. More than 600 species of flora have been documented there, including a diverse array of grasses that typically grow three or more feet tall. Wildflowers bloom from April to September, but May and June are the peak times when they appear in their greatest abundance and variety. Several dozen species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and over 200 species of resident and migratory birds have been documented as well.

The primary aims of the Konza are to support long-term ecological research, education, and prairie conservation. The Konza hosts three hiking trails open daily to the public: the Nature Trail (2.8 mile loop), Kings Creek Loop (4.7 miles), and Godwin Hill Loop (6.1 miles). Pets and bicycles are not allowed.