I would love to see prairie. Where and when should I go?
Kansas. Now.
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Kansas or Nebraska. I would go in the spring when things are greener and it is not as hot. But you do have to watch out for tornados then. Now it is hot and the wheat has been harvested so it’s pretty barren.
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We expect to see a bit of it on our Amtrak trip coming up. I’m not sure how much will be overnight TBH, but we picked summer to have more daylight than winter.
We’ve also driven across the US a couple of times always choosing state highways or back roads over interstates. You can’t really miss the prairie, but it differs in different areas. We love Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, even parts of Texas, and more. Spring is green, summer and fall can be harvest time.
To be fair, there’s very little of nature we don’t like seeing. It’s all awesome to us.
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Kansas Flint Hills and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas - probably spring or fall is best.
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I agree Kansas Flint Hills!
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Dang! Just missed it. I couldn’t stop in Kansa this time. Have to get back in a hurry after wasting time In the mud slide in Colorado.
Yes, Kansas. Kansas is really beautiful in spring. The Flint Hills are rolling. There are little creeks. You can just picture the vast herds of bison that used to roam there.
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We have lovely prairies here in MN, but with the drought they’re past their peak. About six weeks ago they were glorious!
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I thought about going to Tallgrass Prairie Natural Preserve as a great road trip with my D this summer, but her job and a few other things got in the way. It’s on my future travel list, for sure!
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@Creekland, @Iglooo, if you find yourself at the Chicago Amtrak Station for a few hours between trains, you can put your luggage in storage lockers and walk to Lurie Gardens from the station to see an amazing native prairie garden. No buffalo in sight, but even with the backdrop of skyscrapers to one side (it’s near the lake) it’s a wonderous place to stroll in, among head-high grasses and perennial flowers. We went there on an Amtrack trip to Colorado In June one year and it was well worth walking the city blocks to get there.
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Well, hopefully none.
If you want to see prairie and buffalo post-pandemic, the Fermilab site (40 miles west of Chicago) has both.
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Good to know! But sadly, I doubt there’s an Amtrak station within walking distance for those of us who are train-travelers 
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Commuter rail comes within a mile of the site boundary. Maybe less. The bigger problem is that the site is a few miles on a side and the bison are near the middle.
Every few years someone jumps the double fence to pet the baby buffalo. People can move surprisingly quickly if properly motivated. 
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What is the best way to view prairie? What do you do? Do you drive around? Is there a walking trail?
We did road trips through it and there are often state parks with trails (and camping). A few small towns will have motels, or if you stick to interstates I’m sure there are places to stay that aren’t camping.
This will be our first time seeing it via train. I’m looking forward to it! Don’t know it we’ll have much time exploring Chicago - we’ll see when we get there.
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Yes, we didn’t plan to sightsee in Chicago that trip either. But we happened to have three or four hours between trains so walking to a garden seemed preferable to sitting on a crowded bench in an ugly train station for hours. I’ve thought fondly about that garden many times over the years. YMMV!
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We drove around and found a lovely hiking trail in Kansas in the Konza Prairie
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@momocarly Thank you. It helps a lot.