Best Tallgrass
The Glacial Ridge Project is a major tallgrass prairie and wetland restoration initiative located in northwestern Minnesota. Overseen primarily by The Nature Conservancy, the project focuses on restoring thousands of acres of landscape that had previously been drained for agricultural use. It is rec...
The Osage Hills is a region of rocky, rolling terrain in northeastern Oklahoma associated with the lands of the Osage Nation. The area became economically significant during the early 20th-century Osage oil boom, when petroleum was discovered beneath Osage allotments. The region is also associated w...
The Flint Hills Prairie encompasses a significant portion of eastern Kansas and bordering Oklahoma. It’s notable as one of the largest remaining examples of North American tallgrass prairie, characterized by unique limestone-rich soils and abundant native grasses like big bluestem. This region suppo...
Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is a protected natural area located in northwestern Minnesota that was established in 2004. The refuge manages one of the largest tallgrass prairie and wetland restoration projects in the United States, reversing decades of agricultural drainage. It provides a...
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Oklahoma protects one of the world’s last significant examples of native tallgrass prairie ecosystems. This area represents a crucial conservation effort, safeguarding a unique habitat and supporting a substantial bison population. It is valuable for researchers stu...
The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve safeguards a vital remnant of North America’s historic tallgrass prairies in Kansas. Established in 1996, it protects this unique ecosystem characterized by diverse plant life and abundant wildlife. The preserve offers opportunities for scientific research and...
Somme Prairie Nature Preserve is an ecological site located in Northbrook, Illinois, and managed by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. It was established to protect and restore high-quality examples of mesic and wet prairie ecosystems, as well as oak savannas, which are native to the region. The p...
The Gensburg-Markham Prairie Nature Preserve is a protected natural area located within the Chicago metropolitan area of Illinois. Recognized as a National Natural Landmark, the preserve safeguards a high-quality remnant of mesic tallgrass prairie that survived regional urbanization. The site is uti...
The Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is a protected conservation area located in the southeastern region of Manitoba, Canada, near the town of Tolstoi. It safeguards one of the largest remaining fragments of untouched tallgrass prairie in North America, an ecosystem that has been reduced to less...
The Coteau des Prairies is a prominent glacial plateau extending across parts of South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Composed primarily of glacial deposits, it rises distinctly above the surrounding flat plains and forms a geographic divide between the Red River valley and the Missouri River...
Taberville Prairie Conservation Area is a 1,360-acre protected native tallgrass prairie located in St. Clair County, Missouri. Managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the area preserves an unplowed prairie ecosystem that serves as a vital habitat for the greater prairie chicken and other...
The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve protects a significant portion of the remaining North American tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Located in Oklahoma, it encompasses nearly 17,000 acres and supports a substantial bison herd vital for grassland biodiversity conservation. This preserve is...
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is a restored area within Illinois encompassing approximately 8,700 acres. It represents the first national tallgrass prairie designated by the U.S. Forest Service. The site’s significance lies in its transformation of previously contaminated former military land i...
The West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve is a conservation area located in DuPage County, Illinois. The preserve encompasses over 300 acres of high-quality remnant tallgrass prairie that survived the region's historical agricultural development. It features a network of trails that allow visitors to...
May Prairie State Natural Area is a protected tallgrass prairie remnant located in Tennessee. It is one of the few remaining unplowed prairie remnants in the southeastern United States, preserving a habitat type that was once more widespread in the region. The site contains over 300 documented plant...
Afton State Park is a Minnesota state park located along the St. Croix River in Washington County. The park encompasses rolling terrain along river bluffs and includes restored tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, and hardwood forest communities. Ongoing prairie restoration projects aim to re-establish n...
The Konza Prairie Biological Station, located in Kansas, is an 8,600-acre preserve of native tallgrass prairie managed by Kansas State University. It’s a globally recognized research station focused on long-term ecological studies of grassland ecosystems. Scientists investigate plant and animal inte...
Rick Evans Grandview Prairie is a 4,885-acre state wildlife management area located in Hempstead County, Arkansas. Acquired in 1997, it represents the largest remaining contiguous tract of blackland prairie ecosystem in the state. The area is characterized by its unique alkaline soil and serves as a...
The Flint Hills tall grasslands represent a significant temperate savanna ecosystem primarily found in Kansas. This region contains the world’s most extensive area of undisturbed tallgrass prairie. It is notable for its unique biodiversity and provides habitat for numerous plant and animal species a...
The Tallgrass Aspen Parkland is a transitional ecoregion spanning southeastern Manitoba and northwestern Minnesota along the Red River valley. It occupies a landscape shaped by glacial Lake Agassiz, producing level terrain with fertile clay soils and poorly drained depressions that support wetlands...
Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve in Indiana is a 44-acre black soil tallgrass prairie remnant, recognized as one of the most pristine remaining examples of this rare ecosystem.
Crow-Hassan Park Reserve contains an extensive restored prairie landscape in Hennepin County, Minnesota, managed by Three Rivers Park District. Its grasslands form part of a broader park reserve that also includes woodland, wetlands, trails, and habitat for native plants and wildlife. The prairie is...
Cherokee Prairie Natural Area is a 232-acre protected site located in the Arkansas River Valley. It is notable for preserving one of the largest remaining tracts of native tallgrass prairie in the region, an ecosystem that has largely been lost to agriculture and development. The area features nativ...
Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie Preserve is a tallgrass prairie reserve in southwestern Minnesota, United States, managed by The Nature Conservancy. It protects a tract of native grassland along the Buffalo Ridge in Lincoln County, supporting populations of prairie-dependent plants and grassland birds....
Ordway Prairie is a nature preserve located in Minnesota's glacial ridge region. Protected by The Nature Conservancy, it consists of mesic tallgrass prairie habitat, one of the most threatened ecosystems in North America. The preserve serves as a sanctuary for native prairie flora and fauna, includi...
Seven Sisters Prairie is a protected nature preserve situated in Pope County, Minnesota, encompassing a chain of seven glacial hills. Managed by conservation groups, the site is noted for its undisturbed dry hill prairie ecosystem, which features native tallgrasses and specialized wildflowers adapte...
The Nachusa Grasslands are a significant Illinois prairie ecosystem representing one of the largest remaining contiguous tallgrass prairie remnants in North America. Restoration work, including extensive seeding and invasive species management, has revived this landscape. The reintroduction of Ameri...
The Living Prairie Museum is a 12-hectare urban nature reserve located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to the preservation of a native tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Established in 1971, the protected area serves as a refuge for indigenous grasses and wildflowers that once covered vast sections of No...
Pembina Valley Provincial Park is a protected area located in southern Manitoba, Canada, established in 2001. The park is situated along a deeply carved river valley, preserving significant tracts of mixed-grass prairie, aspen-oak forest, and riparian ecosystems. It provides an important habitat for...
Established in 1966, the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area located in east-central Kansas along the Neosho River. Managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge was created as a mitigation project for the construction of the John Redmond Reservoir. It encom...
