Tall in the Fall—When the Prairie State Amazes

BY JULIE THOMAS, PhD

My early fantasies about life on the prairie were undoubtedly influenced by “Little House on the Prairie” (and other Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books). As a child, I sought out tall grass (or weeds in my backyard) to flatten a bed and lay on my back to watch the clouds (just as Laura did). 

Today, I am a grown-up prairie girl who knows Nebraska, the Prairie State, includes four different prairie ecoregions stretching border-to-border. Our home, Lincoln, is in the Tallgrass Prairie Region. Though Lincoln is no longer a sea of grass and open horizons, we continue to appreciate this region’s abundant rainfall and fertile soil (formed in glacial times).   

Fall may be the most beautiful prairie season — when green grasses reach maximum height (some 6-8’) and turn warm shades of brown and red as plants send nutrients into their deep roots for winter. I encourage you to check out this tall in the fall occurrence by visiting one of the prairie destinations below. Managed, remnant prairies such as these preserve some of the most valued ecosystems on earth and remind us, there is no place like Nebraska! 

Photo: Sky and Cloud over Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center. Photo/Audubon

Spring Creek Prairie, located 20 miles southwest of Lincoln (near Denton), features four miles of mowed, walking trails across 600+ acres of native prairie. Here, you can choose your own adventure — follow an accessible path around the spring-fed pond or locate interesting features (such as wagon ruts left by pioneers following the Oregon Trail).  Ample parking, prairie trails, and grounds are open daily (from sunrise to sunset).   

Dieken Prairie, located 21 miles southeast of Lincoln (near Unadilla), features 15 acres of upland prairie wildflowers and native grasses nestled-in among cropland, a windbreak, and the Little Nemaha River.  Parking is available along the road and there are no trails — so you can hike wherever your senses lead you! You might listen for birds in the trees or discover an area where a prairie mammal bedded down in the grass. 

Check these websites for maps, driving directions, Spring Creek’s visitor center hours, and upcoming fall events: 

Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center
springcreek.audubon.org 

Wachiska Audubon
wachiskaaudubon.org

Julie Thomas, PhD, is a retired Science Educator and a Research Professor Emerita from the University of Nebraska and a contributing writer for 55+.