Prairie State Park

About this park

Prairie State Park protects one of the last substantial remnants of the tallgrass prairie that once covered more than a third of Missouri; today, less than one percent of that original prairie survives anywhere in the state, and a significant share of what remains is found within this park's boundaries. Panoramic vistas of swaying grass and constantly changing wildflowers give visitors a genuine sense of what pre-settlement Missouri actually looked like before the plow transformed nearly the entire landscape. The park's resident bison herd is its signature attraction, grazing freely across the open grassland in a genuine echo of the vast herds that once roamed this same prairie landscape before European settlement. Regular Guided Bison Saunter events let visitors walk the prairie alongside park naturalists specifically to observe the herd up close, while the Regal Tallgrass Prairie Nature Center offers exhibits and interpretive programming explaining the ecology and history of this increasingly rare habitat type. Extensive hiking trails let visitors explore the full sweep of the prairie across the seasons, from spring wildflower blooms through the dramatic color changes of fall grasses, and a wildflower checklist helps visitors identify the genuine botanical diversity packed into this remnant ecosystem. With camping available and a full slate of interpretive programming including wildlife bingo nights and seasonal naturalist talks, Prairie State Park offers one of the most historically and ecologically significant landscapes anywhere in the Missouri state park system.