neal smith national wildlife refuge and prairie learning center

The reconstruction of native prairie land is on the comeback here. Iowa was able to allocate some 5ooo acres of land to reintroduce native prairie back to what it was like before Iowa was even a state. I visited in the off season(midMarch) but was not dissappointed. The scenery and woods and trails were very pleasant to see and walk through.There are three walking trails here all very easy for anyone to walk on. The longest is the Tallgrass trail which is a short two mile walk on paved walkway. IF you are lucky, you will see native bison and elk.This place is open year round and the best time to visit is between June and September.There is a learning center that offers much history on the area and what Iowa was like a long time ago. There are many wildlife displays and info on the native lands and animals. The coolest thing at this place I got a kick out of being able to drive through the animal enclosure to see the bison and elk up close & personal. You are advised to stay inside your vehicle as these are wild animals and both species average 800 pounds each so I would keep the noise to a minimum. I was able to drive slowly up to a herd of five buffalo and took some pictures. These animals were only a few feet from my camera and they looked beautiful and graceful if not bored. Elk were also nearby but off in their own part of the park. The drive is short and its a dirt road but no hurry here. Enjoy the scenery and relax. No motorcycles please as these animals WILL charge if they hear loud noises. Do not feed them either. For many years I have driven past the turn off signs but took the time recently to stop by and enjoy this spot. I will return again soon. This place is a great place for children and families. But leave the dog at home as they are not permitted unless by permission. The learning center has modern bathrooms, a gift shop, vending machines and an auditorium and offices. Much to see and do here if one has the time.

There is a fantastic modern learning center showing prairie life. Hiking and snowshoe trails. The best part of the visit is you can drive through the bison and elk park. Cross the cattle barrier in your vehicle ( no motorcycles as bison are wild creatures) and drive slowly on the road. The bison will often be close to the road offering great picture taking. Stay on the road and in your car and you will have a great time.

If you've never seen bison before, you'd love this place. For me, I'm a photographer and have seen thousands of bison. The wildlife drive was short compared to other wildlife sanctuaries I have been to and in the winter there is not much to see. Maybe in a different season there would have been more.Note: I did not actually go in the education center so my review is just for the sanctuary.

Seeing the buffalo and elk in this large prairie setting was great. The visitors center and the movies are excellent. However, though the childrens area was once a wonderful was for kids to learn, it needed lots of repairs to reach its full potential.

Setting aside land so we can step back in time to see our country looked like when the Native Americans lived here. Very nice little drive around the wildlife preserve. The buffalo are magnificent. When we were there it was in the middle of the afternoon so the Elk we bedded down. Best time to see them is early morning or at dusk. Wife enjoyed taking pictures of all the wildflowers and grasses. Kind of funny that in our yard we call them weeds but in the country they are called wildflowers, but they are beautiful in their natural surroundings. Very enjoyable place to walk and drive around. Highly recommend a visit here and after you are done drive in to Prairie City, Iowa and have a bit to eat or enjoy some ice cream at Goldie's. They have the best Tenderloin's in the State, hands down.

My husband and I came here on Monday, July 28. Because of where we live, my husband drives right by this gem every time he goes to work and we, as a family, drive right by it, every time we go to Des Moines metro for shopping - for 4 years now - and had never taken the time to stop! Oh what beauty we had missed! We have also been to Goldies Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City a handful of times now, again, never taking the time to stop. Well...Monday we decided, we were GOING! From the moment one enters the Refuge, you feel like you were placed back in the "Little House on the Prairie" era. The openness and beauty of the nature that surrounds you, is unbelievable! If someone would have told me that I would end up taking over 75 photos, I would of laughed in their face...but I did! The prairie flowers were in abundance and while we never seen any elk, we did get to see the herd of buffalo enjoying a lazy summer day amongst their native grasses! We did stop at the Learning Center, but due to heat/air ventilation issues, the gift shop and other "hand's on" exhibits were closed. We enjoyed walking the grounds and are looking forward to coming back in the fall. This is a must-see for anyone who enjoys history amongst nature!

This place was hard to find...both google maps and mapquest gave us incorrect directions. Drove thru most of it before arriving at visitor center...saw bison (and some calves) and elk. Bring your binoculars and drive slowly...elk were hiding in the grass. The visitor center was large and had many interactive exhibits. My kids enjoyed the bison area with the pelts. Lots of neat stuff to see and well worth the time off the interstate.

This was a short side-trip on out drive to Pella. We arrived around 1 so most of the animals were taking a mid-day snooze. We saw about 50 bison and 10 elk. They were away from the road so no chance of a decent photo. The problem is that after visiting places like Yellowstone and the boundary waters my expectations for wildlife are ridiculously high.Come early or later in the day so you can see the animals when they're active.

Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is a lovely place. It is free, about 20 minutes from Des Moines, has lovely walking trails through the restored prairie and an oak savannah area, an interesting learning center with a great short film, a nice bookstore/gift shop run by volunteers. Check their facebook page for notices of special events. The elk and bison often are very near or on the road that drives through the enclosure area (gravel road but well-maintained). Sunrise and sunset times are often times that they are near the road, but you never know. Keep your eye out for other forms of wildlife, too: owls, mink, deer, many bird species, butterflies, etc. The 2 mile trail is a beautiful walk, especially when the prairie flowers are in bloom during spring through early fall. And, it is free!

The educational center is interesting. You can take a walk on a trail to observe various birds and insects. The driving tour is beautiful but you might see the buffalo every time. It just depends on where they are grazing that day. Well worth a visit.

This is a lovely restored prairie that is free just outside of Prairie City. The visitor center is 4.5 miles from the highway on a curvy and paved road. However, the buffalo and elk enclosure is on gravel so we didn't go see the buffalo since we were in the little sports car. The visitor center has many hands on activities regarding the prairie, native animals, and work that was done to restore the prairie. Young kids-probably 8 and under-would really enjoy the exhibits. There's also a short movie, about 12 minutes, as well as a really nice gift shop. There are also 2 paved walking trails around the center, one is a half mile and the other is over a mile. We strolled along the trail and enjoyed all of the native plants. A great place to go regardless of age.

Our group had a wonderful experience walking through the exhibits and learning about the prairie. We started with the video and went on from there. The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and Prairie Learning Center has so much to offer. After we went throught what was offered inside we ventured out to find the buffalo. We found some of them and what a thrill for me. Not only is the wildlife fun to see but the prairie is so beautiful. Your imagination can just run wild thinging about our country's past. I found some unusual gifts for my grandchildren in the gift shop along with books that I would not be able to find anywhere near where I live. I just had a wonderful experience and would recommend this for others, young and older.

This refuge is an ongoing experiment in restoring prairie habitat. Start your visit at the excellent visitor center for fascinating, informative displays on the refuge and the prairie ecosystem. My kids enjoyed doing the scavenger hunts! At the gift shop we bought the CD called Prairie Passage, which narrates the driving tour loop, which we did next. It added to our understanding of the history and challenges of establishing the refuge. Next time we will walk some of the trails, which we didn't have time to do this time. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and we will be back!

If you live in central Iowa, the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and Prairie Learning Center is certainly worth a visit, especially since it costs nothing. We visited in the middle of June on a Saturday and it wasn't crowded at all, which made for a very relaxing experience. The building houses exhibits with good information, and anyone who lives in Iowa would benefit from learning about the prairie ecosystem. There is a short video that plays every so often which you can sit down and watch--they announce over the PA system when it is about to begin. The staff were helpful and friendly when we visited. Some of the exhibits did not seem to be maintained, but the visit was worth it simply for the chance to touch the fur of different native animals, including the otter.You can sometimes see the bison from the building, but the driving trail affords the best views. You may wish to drive the trail multiple times. When we visited, the bison did not venture onto the road, but one of them came very close. Be sure to bring your camera!All things considered, it was a pleasant experience, but I would not travel far for it.

There is a wonderful visitor center and museum dedicated to prairie education that is free of charge. The gift shop is fabulous with an awesome collection of wildlife, botanical, and natural history books. The drive in to the museum is a beautifully winding, blacktop road through miles of restored prairie. There are maintained hiking trails through the prairie and savanna and a butterfly garden of native plants at the entrance to the museum (great photography spot). To top it all off, there is an enclosed acreage with free roaming buffalo and elk herds that you can drive through. If you time it right, you could find your vehicle surrounded by buffalo crossing the road. We’ve found that the buffalo seem to cross the road just about dusk , so you can increase your chances of a close encounter visiting about that time. Visiting in the spring when there are new baby buffalo and elk is a special treat. Please keep in mind that these are wild animals and that you must not get out of the car or feed the animals! The most important thing is to plan to eat before or after your visit or bring a packed lunch. The nearest food establishment is in Prairie City, about a 20 minute drive six miles to the north. You can learn more about this site, browse pictures, and watch video on the following website: https://sites.google.com/site/midwestwildernessconnections/home/natural-areas/iowa-natural-areas/natural-areas---central-iowa/usfws-neil-smith-national-fish-and-wildlife-refuge