Camping on Lake Melvern at Eisenhower State Park
Where we had a relaxing day hanging out on the lake, only mid 80’s with a breeze, after an exciting night. We woke to a thunderstorm and windstorm at 4:00 am and had to go out to bring in all the awnings. A little more excitement the next day, when we needed ropes and a ladder to bring out the big awning again, as the wind had cause the pull strap to get totally wrapped up in the awning!
Then we got off early-ish yesterday for a…
Visit to 1 new National Park Site:
- Tallgrass Praire National Preserve (#358), where the tallgrass makes its last stand. Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America, but within a generation most of it had been transformed into farms, cities, and towns. Today less than 4% remains intact, mostly in the Kansas Flint Hills. Established on November 12, 1996, the preserve protects a nationally significant remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem and historic ranch buildings.
We arrived in time for the 10:00 van tour into the prairie, past grazing bison, and up to an overlook. We could have walked it, but NOT 5+ miles RT in almost 90o humid weather, with no shade! Besides, if we missed the van tour, we would also have missed the ranger talk about the Big 4 grasses (big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass, and switchgrass), the wild flowers, the bison herd (from Theodore Roosevelt NP), and other Tallgrass Prairie and area history. She also explained the relationship between The National Conservancy, which own the tallgrass prairie lands, and the National Park Service, which owns the historic buildings. And she told us that the grass was taller for this time of year than her superintendent had seen in 26 years! It’s been a wetter than usual summer. After the van tour we wandered around the historic limestone barn, the ranch house (i.e. limestone mansion), various outbuildings, and drove a bit north to the one-room school.
Tallgrass Prairie Bison Herd 
Tallgrass Prairie Wallow—where Bison rolled in the dirt and made a shallow that collects water 
Tallgrass Prairie Overlook 
Tallgrass Prairie – Mark (Vanna) illustrating how tall the grass is now 
Tallgrass Prairie Limestone Barn, 3 stories with 2 ramps to the top level to unload hay, grain, etc.; entrance to main level in the middle, and a glimps of the 1st level to the left, down the hill 
Tallgrass Prairie Limestone Barn main floor displays 
Tallgrass Prairie Limestone Ranch House with spring house, curing house and outhouse to the right 
Tallgrass Prairie Ranch-nice big curing house 
Tallgrass Prairie Ranch-fancy outhouse even has curtains! 
Tallgrass Prairie – inside the one-room schoolhouse
Back in Camp yesterday…
We did some more relaxing and some extra cooking. We had BBQ chicken legs with roast potatoes and vegies for dinner. While prepping, we cooked lots more BBQ chicken legs and made a batch of potato salad, so we won’t have to cook so much for awhile, as the high will be ~105o the next 3 days!
Off for another Kansas State Park with a lake
Where we will have electric, so may be hanging out inside with A/C for the latter half of our days in the ~105o heat! We actually have no planned visits until the day we leave…halfway to our 3rd/last Kansas stop.
2 Comments
Gretta Scully · August 9, 2026 at 9:30 am
They keep adding more new National parks you will never be Home, but I guess that is ok with you.🤗🚍
Gail · August 9, 2026 at 2:30 pm
WELL, “they” haven’t added any new ones for a bit now We feel we need to hurry to
see them before “someone” actually gets rid of some of them!