Kansas’ Konza Prairie Is An Oasis Of Beauty Almost Anyone Can Hike

It's certainly no secret that Kansas has a lot of prairie. We're somewhere around 87% farmland, which is a lot to consider, especially with how much area we have to work with. This area of the Flint Hills called the Konza Prairie is the perfect place to stretch your legs in one of our favorite natural areas of our state. Come see for yourself!

We love to see, drive through, and take photos of our beautiful Flint Hills and the Konza Prairie.

The Konza Prairie Biological Station is a preserve covering 13.5 square miles of native tallgrass prairie south of Manhattan. However, you'll want to stick to one trail in particular to see some of the best parts.

The Godwin Hill Loop Trail is just over 6 miles of gorgeous prairie, taking you through some of the Konza's best spots.

There's a trail guide at the beginning of the hike, which will help you find your way and spot the signs you need to keep following the trail correctly. It will be an adventure through trees, open prairie full of tallgrass, and hills that overlook our gorgeous landscapes.

Abandoned stone buildings are even hiding within the peaceful trees, just waiting for you to explore what once was. But don't let that distract you from the hundreds of species of birds, plants, mammals, reptiles, and more that you will spot all over the place.

A few things to note when hiking here, is that the trails aren't wheelchair or stroller friendly, due to how rough the ground is in most areas. There is no smoking allowed, no pets, bikes, or camping. Remember that they want to keep this preserve as clean as possible, so there are not even trash cans on the trail. You also cannot take anything back with you, so leave everything right where you found it on the trail. But you can take as many photos as you desire!

The trail is open every day from dawn to dusk, and they suggest you donate $2 upon your visit to help with upkeep costs.

For more information about the Konza Prairie Godwin Hill Loop Trail, check out their AllTrails page.

If you love Kansas nature areas and also like to have a little bit of history included, you'll love this lake state park with plenty of historical markers all around it.