Top 3 Grassland Hikes, Backpacker, May 2006
Think of grass, and maybe you picture the fescue that you and the John Deere struggle to maintain out in the backyard. But spend a day in these three spots—where wild grasses undulate in a gentle wind, stretching to a velvety horizon—and gas-powered mowers will be the last thing on your mind.
WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, SD
Roam a wide-open prairie
The Hike
The swaths of rippling grasses that once blanketed America’s midsection from Canada to Texas were done in by farming, grazing and development. But at Wind Cave, where prairies cover three-quarters of the park’s 28,295 acres, you can still appreciate what 19th-century settlers saw. This 7.4-mile out-and-back rambles through never-cultivated grasses with uncluttered views of the Black Hills. Take Wind Cave Canyon Trail to East Bison Flats Trail, U-turning at Gobbler Pass. Tallgrass species like big bluestem thrive in wetter, low-lying areas, while shorter varieties such as needle-and-thread grass rise on drier hillsides. Western wallflower bejewels the plain in May, while prairie dogs, bison, and pronghorns populate East Bison Flats year-round. www.nps.gov/wica
Prairie Companion
The 87-degree spring water of Cascade Falls tumbles into a swimming hole off SD 71, 12 miles south of Hot Springs. (800) 325-6991
The Way
Take US 385 N from Hot Springs; park just past the visitor center’s south entrance.
MAX PATCH BALD, NC
Romp in a mountaintop meadow
The Hike
Appalachian balds boast spectacular views, none better than Max Patch, a 392-acre wildflower-covered expanse offering 360-degree panoramas of the rugged Smokies. The 6.2-mile point-to-point Appalachian Trail route from Lemon Gap to Max Patch—an easy, rolling stretch through forests and meadows—explodes with trillium in May. Take a snack break at the Roaring Fork Shelter and continue along an old railroad grade past clusters of yellow trout lilies. Then hike through a 500-foot rhododendron tunnel before emerging onto 4,629-foot Max Patch. Its short green grass seems like it was made for running with a kite. On a clear day, you’ll see 6,684-foot Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi. Follow the white blazes .8 mile down to NC 1182. (828) 622-3202
Prairie Companion
Hear live bluegrass at Paddler’s Pub, the lone saloon in Hot Springs. (828) 622-0001
The Way
From Hot Springs, take NC 209 to NC 1175, then 2 miles on NC 1181 to NC 1182; park shuttle at Lemon Gap.
POINT REYES, CA
Watch whales from seaside bluffs
The Hike
European annuals routed most of the native perennial grasses that originally bearded Bay Area hills, but remnants of original coastal prairie remain. The mostly flat, 4-mile round-trip to Great Beach along the Abbotts Lagoon Trail winds through pristine coastal scrub loaded with rare natives like Tidestrom’s lupine and Point Reyes bentgrass. The bluff grasses are silky-green in spring, with bright checkerbloom, Douglas iris, and California poppy bursting through. After 1.4 miles, the trail reaches the sandbar between the lagoon’s north and south branches, where osprey hunt and herons, loons, and grebes congregate. Trek another half-mile to spot grey whales. In early May, mothers and calves swim snapshot-close to the shoreline. www.nps.gov/pore
Prairie Companion
Shuck and slurp live Tomales Bay oysters at a waterside table at Hog Island Oyster Company in Marshall. (415) 663-9218
The Way
From Bear Valley Visitor Center, go 2 miles to Sir Frances Drake Blvd.; turn left. In 5 miles, turn right onto Pierce Point Road; trailhead is 3 miles later.
