Best Place to Camp Without Leaving the Metro

The Prairie Center's 293 acres of pure tallgrass prairie, with trails curving through fields and woods, are a hiker's dream. The few designated campsites offer a peaceful and secluded experience for nature lovers who want to escape the city -- or suburbs -- without driving for hours. Visitors can walk through the switchgrass and enjoy wildflowers such as smooth aster, Missouri goldenrod, prickly poppy and wild strawberry. Mourning doves and eastern meadowlarks abound, and those who keep their eyes peeled might see box turtles, ringneck snakes, white-tailed deer or coyotes. There is a small lake for fishing. The area is owned by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and permission is needed for camping.