Olathe Prairie Center

In just five minutes from downtown Olathe (26235 West 135th Street) you can renew yourself in a haven where the air is fresh and the wildflowers flourish. The Prairie Center is a 300-acre tallgrass preserve and education site with trails winding through remnant and reestablished prairie and riparian woodlands. Most of the eight ponds on the property serve as intermittent wetlands for wildlife. There is a small lake for fishing and water studies. A bedrock creek provides exploration of aquatic life as well as a look back in time through the fossil remains embedded in the limestone creek bed.

Many of the native prairies, which once blanketed North America, have disappeared. At the Prairie Center you will see, in mid-summer, native grasses taller than your living room ceiling. The primary goal of the Prairie Center is to serve as a preserve for local flora and fauna. There are no public buildings, and public access is restricted to trails and a few gathering areas. No horses, bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed, and dogs must be on a leash. Pit toilets are available. The Prairie Center is open to the public from dawn to dusk seven days a week for trail walking or for fishing in the lake.

A secondary goal is to provide maximum educational opportunities for the public. Most of the programs are educator led with supplies provided by the Prairie Center. One such opportunity is the Stations Programming where students rotate through ten stations with specific topic studies on mammals, soil, water quality, macro invertebrate exploration, birds and reptiles and amphibians. Other educational programming is also available. The emphasis is to tailor a program to fit your needs. NO PETS ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY.