Take a trip back in time and see one of our most magnificent mammals on this guided hike. Learn bison biology, how American Indians used bison (bison were more than a food source), herd dynamics, prairies, and much more as you go along with an experienced naturalist.
These hikes take place April 21, May 26, June 23, July 21, Aug. 4, and Sept. 1.
This event will help to dispel myths and rumors about reptiles and amphibians, while giving people a chance to see and touch them up close. There will be crafts to make so you can take a reptile or amphibian home with you. This is an all-day event; feel free to come and go as you please.
This is a biannual event held on the last Saturday in September of all even numbered years. Prairie Jubilee is the premiere event of the park to celebrate the tallgrass prairie. Step back in time to the 1800s and the Civil War-era on the living history loop as you visit trappers, hunters, pioneers and American Indians. Music, storytelling, children's activities and guided wagon rides to view the bison will be available. A bison lunch will be served for a small fee. Contests and various displays will also enrich your prairie experience.
When this hike takes place, spring will be in full gear and the wildflower display will be amazing. Come out to learn more about the beauty that nature has to show.
This 4,790-acre owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation provides opportunities for a variety of outdoor pursuits and is one of the few public areas in Missouri where prairie chickens can still be seen. The mix of prairie, overgrown farm fields and forest habitats provides viewing opportunities for a number of songbird and wildlife species. Hikers will find a network of trails which criss-cross the entire area. There is also a 6.6-mile horse trail. Bicycling is allowed on service roads, roads open to vehicles and horse trails. Primitive camping (no amenities provided) is allowed at one designated site. Hunting for all major game species is permitted in season. Fishing opportunities exist on the area at 157-acre Bushwhacker Lake, 29-acre Willow Lake and three smaller ponds managed for fishing. Check with the Missouri Department of Conservation office in Joplin (417-629-3423) for boating and fishing regulations specific to the Bushwhacker Area.
Hike amid tall prairie grasses, colorful flowers and animals, including bison and elk, at Missouri's largest remaining tallgrass prairie. Sleep under the vast prairie sky at primitive campsites. Exhibits in the visitor center interpret the landscape. The park is located 16 miles west of Lamar.
The park offers a small number of primitive campsites and a backpack camp. Campfires are prohibited at the backpack camp. This is one of the largest remaining tallgrass prairies in Missouri. Bison and elk roam the park. A nature center museum, hiking trails and guided tours are offered. Park grounds: Sunrise-Sunset.
Once an important trail link in the pre-Civil War cattle trade that flowed between Texas and the western Missouri towns of Kansas City and Westport, this 3,635-acre area offers a number of outdoor recreational activities. Owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, Shawnee Trail primarily consists of grassland habitat. This mix of open grasslands and overgrown fields provides good habitat for a number of songbirds and grassland wildlife species, which makes Shawnee Trail a potential destination for hikers and nature photographers. Hunting for all major game species is permitted in season. Fishing opportunities exist on a 68-acre lake and a 14-acre lake, both of which have good populations of catfish, bass and sunfish. Call the Missouri Department of Conservation's Joplin office (417-629-3423) for specific information about regulations pertaining to fishing and hunting at Shawnee Trail. The area has one site designated for primitive camping. Bicycling is allowed on service roads. Horseback riding is permitted only on roads open to vehicles. Pets must be leashed or confined, except when being used for hunting.