Flint Hills
The Flint Hills are perhaps the most well-known geologic areas in Kansas. Stretching from Marshall County in the north, to Cowley County in the south, this region is made of a series of gently sloping hills. The Flint Hills area has the most dense intact tallgrass prairie in North America. Created during the Permian Period, the flint or limestone, was difficult to plow and not as nutritious for plants. Buffalo and elk once were plentiful in the area, which proved excellent for ranching. The limestone is fossil rich and used for construction.
Some important sites within the Flint Hills region include Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Cottonwood Falls; First Territorial Capitol State Historic Site, Fort Riley; Goodnow House State Historic Site, Manhattan; Kaw Mission State Historic Site, Council Grove; and Red Rocks State Historic Site, Emporia.
Entry: Flint Hills
Author: Kansas Historical Society
Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history
Date Created: July 2011
Date Modified: July 2016
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
