Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve

Went yesterday early in the morning and drove straight to the visitor center which was perfect timing as the volunteers were just getting there. Jim and Lu Ann were exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable about bisons and all other animals in the reserve. It was a very informative chat and we were able to ask all of the questions that we had. I’m glad there’s people that are this passionate about conservation and educating others. We did the bison loop and took us around 1 hour to do it, we went slow and took so many pictures, besides all the bisons we saw a lot of white tailed deer and a coyote. Pretty cool experience and just an hour and a half away from Tulsa. 10/10 would recommend 🦬😊

Beautiful area. Unfortunately we mostly came to see bison but did not see any. There was some in the bison loop, but they were too far away to get a good look. If you've got binoculars, they would be helpful. Once on the preserve the road is all gravel. Your car will get dirty. The folks in the visitors center were extremely nice and knowledgeable. We did see some birds and a deer. Definitely coming back, hopefully see those bison next time around.

Beautiful drives. Lots of Bison to see. Stay in your car as the Bison are great to look at but can be very dangerous! Do not get near them. Spring is a great time to see the calves. They are cinnamon color and much lighter than the adults.

Amazing place to drive through and see the bison. Took a short hike with amazing views. Chuck at the visitor center was super friendly and told me where to go see the baby bison along with tons of facts. Was also fun taking the unpaved roads out in my SUV.

Always love going here. Hit or miss on seeing bison close up, but we were lucky and saw some. Also saw a baby rattlesnake on the road.

Amazing place! Many herds with their babies. Definitely be alert. When they want to cross, they will cross. Went on Sunday afternoon. Gravel roads. (You will need a car wash. If you have an SUV or pickup, definitely would be helpful)

Breathtaking views of the Osage Hills. All gravel roads 30-35 mph max. About 3 hours all in roundtrip from Pawhuska. Docents at the visitor center were awesome. Note there is no longer a gift shop. Really spectacular experience.

Went on a cooler day & were able to see plenty of bison & deer. *Photo taken with a zoom-in

We love driving out to the tallgrass Prairie, however, note it is all gravel road. When we arrived the end of October, they were in round up so we were not able to see the bison, but they scenery was beautiful

What a neat place! It really is in the middle of nowhere. It is nearly all gravel roads for miles. Max speed probably around 35mph. But it's so neat to just drive around. It's also very quiet, except for the wind. I didn't pass many other cars at all. It probably took me about 2 hours to drive through (including my stop at the visitor center). I stopped for about 30-45 mins to talk with the volunteers there and sign the guest book. They were so friendly! Both ladies were so passionate about the preserve and knew so much about its history. And also about the wildlife and plants on the prairie. They were also telling me about the controlled burn that they were doing at the time of my visit. I learned about how the burns help keep the prairie healthy. So neat! Cell reception is spotty. I have an iPhone and downloaded an offline map while still in Tulsa before my journey up there so I was worry free. Worked out perfect! Also check the website i'm close to the day of your visit to ensure of volunteer will be staffed that day. As the visitor center is run by volunteers... There might not always be someone there every day. PS... don't expect to touch a bison. There are signs warning you to stay away as they can be dangerous/aggressive. For the most part, you are supposed to stay on the gravel road.

This place is special. As part of the southern flint hills region, this protected tall grass prairie preserve is something you can't see just anywhere. Once upon a time, America was full of prairie lands, but that is no longer the case. I'm so glad this glorious area is being preserved. Go see the visitor center and learn about bison as well as the native flora that abounds around this area. Learn why fire is essential for maintaining a prairie. While at the visitor center, peek through the windows of the cutest bunkhouse ever (I'd love to spend a weekend here!). Go hike the trail they maintain and see all the flowers, bushes, trees, grasses, butterflies, bees, birds and other wonders of nature. Drive around and marvel at the grazing bison. Leave with a happy heart and your proverbial cup overflowing.

Being in the presence of bison is very cool, at a distance. Imagining what this was like extending all the way to Manitoba is powerful. Thank you Nature Conservancy for managing this, you're doing important work.

Driving through the Tallgrass Prairie is amazing. If you're lucky you'll see a few grazing Bison. Or maybe you'll see multiple herds of grazing Bison with calves. You'll also likely see lots of cattle and cowboys loading or unloading cattle to move them to different areas. The prairie is open in that there are few fences. It's open range. Consequently it's best to stay in your vehicle rather than trying to make friendly with these large animals. Quite an experience.

Tall grass prairies used to dominate the American landscape, but are now mostly limited to parts of Oklahoma and Kansas. While I'm no fan of the Oklahoma area in general, this is unique and beautiful, and should be on your must see list when you're in the area. Plan your route ahead of time and load your Google maps on your phone because eventually cell service will drop out. You will spend several miles on gravel. Your car will be covered in literal rivers of dust. There are active farms on this prairie as well, so locals do drive the road. Even though you should drive 15-20 miles away (so plan to be there for at least a couple hours)--others may fly past you going 50-60 mph. I pulled over many times to let people pass me. There is a visitor center probably half way through the prairie loop. There are restrooms, but no concessions. I was lucky enough to see several herds of bison. There are also free roaming cattle. And the views are gorgeous. I've never seen anything like it. Yes, you and your car will get dirty. Yes, you'll drive slow. But I'm a city girl, and really enjoyed this free activity. I plan to visit the Kansas tall grass prairie this summer as well.

It was a couple miles of gravel roads to get to the preserve but it was worth it!! The visitor center wasn't open but we really came for the bison so it was fine. They were show stoppers! So large! We were fortunate to spot them quite a few times and then they crossed right in front of our car. Very memorable trip for our family!!! This is a must see if you're in the area!!

We had an amazing time. The bison were out today and they were MAJESTIC! We wanted to hike and found out there was a recent burn and we decided to hike anyway. It was beautiful in its own way. Definitely go see the bison. The visitor center is still closed but they have a porta potty if you go.

We got there right before the visitor center closed and they let us in to see it. It's a small visitor center so that will only take you about 30 minutes or so. Also, check the calendar before going to see if the visitor center is open because it's staffed on a volunteer basis. The. You can drive the 15 mile loop and pull over at the lookout areas or you can do one of the trails. The preserve is open 24/7 itself. We spent a few hours here total driving the loop and saw lots of wildlife. I do recommend going to the visitor center first if it's your first time visiting and then enjoy the wildlife and the beauty of the area. Also, the road is gravel (FYI).

If you ever happen to find yourself anywhere within an hour's drive of Pawhuska Oklahoma I highly recommend taking at least half a day to head out to the Tallgrass Prairie preserve. Not only can you find Bison in their natural habitat, but the prairie itself is so beautiful. I was evacuated to Tulsa from hurricane Ida, and found myself within that hour's drive to the preserve. It was so therapeutic to be out in the preserve watching the Bison. It's so calm and there are few people out on a weekday so you can really get a good perspective of what it might have been like once upon a time with the Bison roaming freely in much larger numbers. All I can say is don't hesitate to go, don't second guess yourself and take the day and enjoy. You will be glad you did. Oh, and don't forget your camera because there are some really great photo opportunities on the prairie.

This is one of those hidden treasures that should not be missed! The Oklahoma countryside is truly God's Country. It is absolutely breathtaking with the rolling hills dotted with creeks, trees, wildflowers and the bluest of skies and greenest of grass. The preserve is huge but the drive through is simply breathtaking. You encounter Bison herds, wild horses and other animals. The drive takes you back to the Nature Conservancy gift shop where the lovely docents will happily explain the preserve and give you a short tour and history of the surrounding property. It was absolutely amazing!

We visited Tall Grass while out in Oklahoma and spent nearly an entire day just driving around taking pictures. There's not many places like this left. It's wide open, rolling plains. Everyone should see it at least once

I had been hearing about the bison roaming freely around the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve for several years now. I decided to go check them out myself. I had heard they had several head of bison and they crossed the road in front of your car and were standing right outside the car. I don't know which months this occurs. We wandered over the day before Thanksgiving and saw the bison, but they were at a minimum of 30 feet off the road and at times 50 feet from the car. They were hunkered down and a few were grazing. We attempted to capture some Instagram moments but between them being down on the ground and the grass actually tall, we had to capture several mental pictures. That's okay. That's better anyway. The route we took going into the Tallgrass Prairie wasn't the most ideal. We turned off the highway outside of Barnsdall onto a dirt and gravel road that was slow-going. We were determined to make it to the visitors center and we did! After traveling that gravel and dirt road for 30-minutes and some change. The docents working at the visitors center were kind and full of good information about the bison and the Tallgrass Prairie. The gift shop had nice books, wood carvings, post cards, souvenirs, candy bars and bottled water. Credit cards are accepted. The bathrooms in the building beside the gift shop were clean and functioning. Be sure to sign the guestbook before you leave. There's a donation box next to the guestbook if you should feel so inclined. I'll be honest, when we got in the car to leave. We weren't jazzed about taking that slow-going-road. However, since we were nearby, we decided to go check out The Pioneer Woman's Mercantile in Pawhuska. Due to that decision, we turned off the dusty gravel road towards Pawhuska onto an easier paved road. It's probably best to enter the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve from Pawhuska.

After driving from south Tulsa and the 40 round trip from Pawhuska(20 miles of rocky dirt roads),we didn't see any bison. Why you ask, well it Roundup time. Totally understandable, but please put a sign on first "Beware of Bison" point. Sweet volunteer lady told us to drive 2 more miles to the north and look to the east. Then you'll see (about 2 miles away) the herd of bisons in the pins. At that distance they look like any other black animal. Very disappointed in making the bumpy dirty drive for nothing! Please put up a sign during round up advising others they WON'T see bison.

I love going to the Tallgrass. As you look around you see so much. Loads of wild life. Hawks, Deer and on a good day hundreds of Bison. Maps take you in a funny way. Just go into Pawhuska turn north at Rea Drummonds Mercantile it's maybe 5 miles. It's a great day trip. The Visitors center is great but right now closed (COVID-19). So do a bathroom stop while in Pawhuska.

So cool. We saw quite a few bison. The visitors center was staffed with 3 volunteers that were extremely helpful in sharing information about the history of the land Tallgrass used as well as how they manage the bison.

Leesa S and I drove through here yesterday looking for Bison and boy did we find them. The signs on the preserve say do not drive off the road, so we followed the road as we drove through the preserve. The scenery was beautiful and peaceful. We came across a group of Bison. They walked across the road. Being a youtuber, I took this opportunity to get footage for my channel!!!! It was awesome to see God's creature's in their own habitat.

Really beautiful drive/area and the volunteer docents were so friendly and helpful! We got to spot the massive heard of bison but only from a distance. Enjoyed lots of horses and cows (a few on the road, which the kids enjoyed) bunnies, a turtle, and a deer right in broad daylight. Our kids (8 & 4) really enjoyed it, as did we. Definitely hope to come back when in the area. Would love to see the bison up close so thanks to everyone else here for your pictures! Only room for improvement would be a little better signage/maps, especially online when planning ahead of time. Visitors Center was neat and informative with examples of the grass, bison fur, skulls/bones, and a bit of a gift shop. Clean bathrooms too!

If you ever visit Pawhuska Oklahoma, I highly recommend visiting the tall Prairie preserve. It is definitely a great opportunity to see the 2449 free range bison roam the 23,000 acres of Prairie. There is also a visitor center at the end of the preserve, which I highly recommend visiting. The visitor center volunteers are absolutely friendly.