Explore limestone Flint Hills, virgin tall prairie grass, tree-lined valleys, rocky ledges, and see Native American artifacts, grazing cattle, and Prairie Chicken.
For a true glimpse of America’s Heartland, this 2-hour, 90-mile outing passes through the heart of the limestone Flint Hills and into the biggest remaining tracts of tallgrass prairie in the entire United States. The route sets off from Manhattan, home of Kansas State University, founded in 1855. Heading south on Route 177 through the rolling terrain, a quick detour right on Route 901 leads to the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. Owned and operated jointly by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State, the area encompasses 8,616 acres of the country’s last remaining virgin tall prairie grass. Back on Route177, after crossing over I-70, the road cuts through pastures of wildflowers and grass. Read more . . .
On this tour, you are sure to see many great cowboys doing what cowboys have been doing for many years. To really get started, drive south on U.S. 56 out of Great Bend to Dodge City. You should take time to check out the Fort Larned National Historic Site and Santa Fe Trail Center in Larned. The Fort was established in 1859 for troops patrolling the stretch of the Santa Fe Trail. Among those looking for shelter at Fort Larned was Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer.