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Exploring Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

There are 423 units in the National Park System, but a surprising number of people focus on about two dozen parks. Last year, when roughly 300 million visited the park system, just 25 units – the Yellowstones, Grand Canyon’s, Zions, Cape Cods, Blue Ridge Parkways – got 50 percent of the traffic. There are so many overlooked units in the National Park System worthy of a visit. They might not be your final destination, but they’re certainly worth becoming a destination on your traveling itinerary.

This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. Recently I had the opportunity to tour four of those overlooked units. I started this audible road trip last week with my visit to Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska. Today’s stop is at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, an unusual park rich in both cultural and natural history. I’ll be back in a minute with my walk through the tallgrass with Ranger Eric Patterson.

 

02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
1::03 Shenandoah - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
1:19 Interior Federal Credit Union
1:50 Eastern National Passport
2:31 Wild Tribute
2:52 The Everglades Foundation
3:03 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
3:30 Friends of Acadia
3:59 Editor Kurt Repanshek walks through Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve with Ranger Eric Patterson.
49:20 The Horsemen - Randy Petersen - The Spirit of South Dakota
49:48 Episode Closing
50:06 Yosemite Conservancy
50:26 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
50:46 Potrero Group
51:13 Great Smoky Mountains Association
51:32 Washington’s National Park Fund
52:05 Orange Tree Productions
52:36 Splitbeard Productions
52:46 National Parks Traveler footer

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Your support for the National Parks Traveler comes at a time when news organizations are finding it hard, if not impossible, to stay in business. Traveler's work is vital. For nearly two decades we've provided essential coverage of national parks and protected areas. With the Trump administration’s determination to downsize the federal government, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s approach to public lands focused on energy exploration, it’s clear the Traveler will have much to cover in the months and years ahead. We know of no other news organization that provides such broad coverage of national parks and protected areas on a daily basis. Your support is greatly appreciated.

 

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