Friday, July 29, 2011

It's A Beautiful Morning . . .

Oklahoma Tallgrass Prairie
A beautiful place to visit. . .

 Several years ago before my mother passed away we visited
the Oklahoma Tallgrass Prairie.
She had treated all the girls in our family to an overnight
stay in a bed & breakfast in Pawhuska.
The next morning we headed to the prairie.

Oklahoma sunrise on the Tallgrass Prairie.


The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska, Oklahoma is the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie on Earth, spanning 39,000 acres. The tallgrass prairie is a complex environment harboring a rich diversity of plants and animals. The current 39,000-acre expanse was purchased from private ownership in 1989 and is now managed by the Nature Conservancy to be enjoyed as a scenic drive.


This scenic route on public county roads takes visitors through the heart of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and through adjacent private ranches. Starting and ending in Pawhuska, the complete drive is approximately 50 miles, and takes about two hours at a leisurely pace with time for stopping.


The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is a haven for watchable wildlife. The diversity of grassland and forest is home to over 300 species of birds. Other wildlife includes white-tailed deer, bobcats, armadillos, beavers, woodchucks, badgers, coyotes, and more. But the stars of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve are the free ranging bison who were reintroduced to the area once it became a preserve. The 2,500 American bison are now part of one of the largest herds in the country. The iconic buffalo can often be photographed and observed from the road.


Drive the 15 miles of road through the bison unit and visit the preserve headquarters and gift shop. There are four scenic turnouts, picnic locations, a self-guided nature trail, a newly added two mile hiking trail, and a historic 1920 ranch bunkhouse. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is open daily from dawn to dusk.


It's Friday. . .
It's going to be another hot day.
It's still a beautiful morning!


Wishing you a fantastic Friday. . .




6 comments:

Kerin said...

What a beautiful place. What a treasure to have a place like this preserved for all to enjoy :)
I would love to see it in person one day.
Enjoy your day, and stay safe and cool.

Elena said...

That sounds like an amazing place. I have not heard of it before. How wonderful to have all that wildlife preserved and for people to see and enjoy!

Christine said...

I've been there and love that area of Okla. It's beautiful.

Cindy said...

Very interesting. I'm so glad we are treasuring and protecting some of our wild areas!

Stacey said...

I would love to go do that. I'm embarassed to say that we've lived here 22 years and haven't seen very much of Oklahoma. Need to remedy that.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol! Oh, it sounds like you had a wonderful time and what a sweet memory of your mother. It's beautiful.
I'm so glad you'll be coming to my party.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)