| DISCOVER CHASE COUNTY!!
Chase County contains vast areas of unspoiled prairie, used and managed as grasslands since it was settled. In the spring, after the pastures have been burnt, some of the hills look like they are all rock without enough soil to support life, and it's easy to see where the name Flint Hills came from. Later, by the end of May, the harshness is buried in a thick carpet of wildflowers and lush bluestem grasses.
Sharp's Creek Drive is probably the prettiest drive in the county, if not the state. Head south and east from Bazaar and go at least a couple of miles beyond the Kansas Turnpike onto the open range to experience what the first settlers must have seen and felt. If you travel east from Matfield Green you can still ford the Verdigris river. The road west from Matfield Green through Wonsevu to Burns in Marion County provides a similar experience. Stop somewhere and savor the solitude and silence. If you can't visit, William Least Heat-Moon's 1991 book, Prairy Erth, captures the spirit of the land. Wagon train tours through the Flint Hills are another nice way to experience this area.
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