Soaring and diving from hilltop to valley along one of the quiet country highways through the Flint Hills will quickly challenge your notions of prairie. The continent's largest remaining tract of tallgrass is also one of America's unique places, harboring a wealth of adventure, beauty, and history. The region's sweeping horizons and carpets of wildflowers captivate artists and enchant visitors.
Understand and appreciate the natural communities in Kansas. View live animal exhibits, spectacular landscapes or hike one of the several nature trails at the Milford Nature Center/Fish Hatchery.
20 miles (32 km) northeast on K-18 from Junction City to Manhattan
Manhattan
The Konza Prairie Biological Station is one of the last expanses of untouched tallgrass prairie. Hike along one of the three breathtaking trails: Nature Trail (2.8-mile loop); Kings Creek Loop (4.7 miles); or Godwin Hill Loop (6.1 miles). Be on the lookout for bison in the area!
Enjoy a little Cajun cooking at Hibachi Hut, featuring unique and tantalizing twists on traditional American dishes. Favorites are Blackened Chicken Parmesan, Crawfish Etouffee with Blackened Catfish, Belly Bomb Hamburger and homemade Bread Pudding.
Aggieville Historic District is the oldest shopping district of its kind in Kansas with over 100 shops, restaurants and bars within a four-block radius.
View a wide variety of plant life from banana and vegetable plants to various species of roses and day lilies at the Kansas State University Gardens. The Insect Zoo, located within the Gardens, features incredible displays of live insects on our planet.
39 miles (62 km) south on K-177 from Manhattan to Council Grove
Council Grove
Enjoy dinner in the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi, Hays House 1857 Restaurant & Tavern. Patrons rave about its skillet fried chicken, crunch-chicken salad and fresh strawberry pie.
End your day in the historic Cottage House Hotel that began receiving guests in 1870. Be sure to stay in one of the rooms in the main hotel building, which are beautifully decorated and furnished in keeping with the period in which they were built.
Visit Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park, the lst Kaw Indian village in Kansas. Begin your tour at the restored Indian Agency Ruins and follow 2-1/2-mile walking trail along 11 identified historic sites. Learn the history of the Kanza through audio posts and exhibits.
Enjoy a made-from-scratch lunch in a Victorian setting at the 1861 Santa Fe Trail landmark Trail Days Bakery and Café in Historic Terwilliger Home. Afterwards, find delightful treasures and personal service in the charming Historic Main Street Specialty Shops.
20 miles (32 km) south on K-177, the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, from Council Grove to Strong City
Strong City
The 10,894 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserveprotects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass ecosystem. Tour Spring Hill Ranch and hike nearly 20 miles of prairie trails. Learn about the prairie’s intricate system of plants and animals, the geology that formed the Flint Hills, American Indians and the legacy of ranching. You will also experience the vast prairie landscape - sweeping views, rolling hills and an endless sky.
2 miles (3 km) south on K-177 to Cottonwood Falls
Cottonwood Falls
Enjoy dinner in historic Grand Central Hotel & Grill, offering fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere. Grand specialties include top sirloin, prime rib and crème brûlée. Rest your weary head in a beautifully appointed and oversized room that reflects an extraordinary and unparalleled quality. This is Kansas' only AAA Four Diamond hotel property.
Among the region's most distinctive landmarks is the Chase County Courthouse. Take a guided tour* of this building built of native limestone, the oldest working courthouse west of the Mississippi. *Temporarily closed
Spend the morning shopping in art galleries, antique stores and shops. Be sure to stop by the Fiber Factory to see how hand-woven items are made on turn-of-the-century looms. Take a step back in time at the Cottonwood Mercantile to remember the taste of your old candy favorites.
Eat at the enchanting Emma Chase Café on the city's main street. You'll be treated to wholesome country home cookin' and fabulous pies.
3 miles (5 km) south on K-177
Stop along the Schrumpf Hill Overlook, an award-winning scenic overlook along the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, to get a 360-degree panoramic view of the Tallgrass Prairie. There are native wildflowers as far as the eye can see and five interpretive panels that describe life on the Flint Hills.
5 miles (8 km) north on K-177, then east 10 miles (16 km) on U.S. 50 toward Emporia to the Grandview Ranch
Grandview Ranch
Take an integrated, interpretive tour at Kansas Flint Hills Adventures to appreciate how the interaction of rock, fire, grass and grazing animals has produced the richest grassland in the world and shaped the cowboy culture and farming and ranching traditions of the area. Reservations are required.
17 miles (27 km) west on U.S. 50 to Elmdale
Elmdale
Overnight amid the natural grace and beauty of the Kansas Flint Hills. The Clover Cliff Ranch Bed N Breakfast has thousands of acres of prairie available for hiking, nature watching and fishing in ponds and the Cottonwood River.
