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Before you go
Your trip to Cottonwood Falls.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Cottonwood Falls – Kansas Destination Topeka and Kansas about 145 km from Topeka
How to get there
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Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) Wichita · 135 km
Approximate distances. Check flights and bus, train or boat schedules before you travel.
By car, it’s about 145 km from Topeka via I-335 and Highway 177, roughly an hour and a half, and about 130 km from Wichita. Travelers flying in usually use Wichita Airport (ICT). Highway 177 is the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway.
How many days
One day is enough to see the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the courthouse. With two days, do the longer prairie trails.
When to go
From May to October, when there are guided bus tours of the prairie. In April, controlled burns often leave the fields black, and new grass shoots green soon after. The grass reaches its greatest height in late summer and autumn.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
Yes. There is no public transportation in the Flint Hills.
Suggested itinerary
An order that works
Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.
One day in Cottonwood Falls
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Morning
Prairie
Start at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve visitor center and take the bus tour or a trail.
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Afternoon
Ranch and courthouse
Visit the Spring Hill Ranch house and stone barn and finish at the Cottonwood Falls courthouse.
Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.
Before you go
Frequently asked questions
Where to stay to visit the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve?
In Cottonwood Falls or in Council Grove, which have few options; Emporia, about 30 km away, has more hotels.
What are the Flint Hills?
A band of limestone and flint hills in eastern Kansas; the rocky soil prevented plowing, and native grass survived there over a larger area than anywhere else on the continent.
How far is Wichita to Cottonwood Falls?
About 130 km, about an hour and a half by car.
What time zone is Cottonwood Falls in?
Cottonwood Falls follows Central Time: UTC-6 in winter and UTC-5 in daylight saving time, which runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.