Tallgrass Prairie Preserve - Views from the Past by BixB
Getting even farther afield, but still easily accessible and well worth the visit, is the 39,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (TPP) located about 55 miles NW of Tulsa near Pawhuska, OK. A drive through the TPP provides at least a glimpse of the American heartland before the arrival of European settlers. The sweeping, unspolied vistas of the open hills and relatively narrow valleys are startlingly beautiful. Sunrises and sunsets can be breathtaking. The natural vegetation includes 747 identified plant species and features the namesake tallgrasses: big bluestem, indiangrass and switchgrass, each of which can reach up to eight feet by September. Wildflowers bloom throughout the preseve from spring to late summer. A herd of over 2,300 Bison freely range over about half of the preserve. Dozens of bird species, including Greater Priaire Chickens and Bald Eagles, call the preserve home, as do armadillo, beaver, badger, bobcat, deer, and many other forms of animal life.
A scenic route on public county roads takes you through the heart of the preserve. Starting and returning in Pawhuska, the drive is approximately 35 miles. Self-guided 1-3 mile nature trails begin near the preserve headquarters. The headquarters are located in the historic bunkhouses of the ranch that once owned the property.
Bison are almost always viewable from somewhere on the roadways, and often may block your path for a time. It is exciting to see these magnificant animals up close but please remember that these are wild and potentially very dangerous animals (males may be over 6ft. tall and weigh 2,000 lbs!).
Picnicking is allowed near the headquarters. Camping, hunting and fishing are not allowed. The TPP is open dawn until dusk, every day of the year. There is no admittance fee. From March through November the Preserve Headquarters is staffed by volunteers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.