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The Great Plains

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Sculpture of three giant mule deer bucks outside Cabela's Store, Village West area.

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Overview

To best comprehend this vast and underappreciated region in the heart of the US, you need to split up the name. The first word, 'great,' is easy. Great scenery, great tornadoes, great people: all apply. The problem is with 'plains.' 'Humdrum' and 'flat' come to mind. Neither word applies. Amid the endless horizons are cosmopolitan oases like Kansas City, alpine wonders in the Black Hills, and soaring bluffs along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. There are also illuminating tales of comings and goings, from Okies fleeing the Dust Bowl along Route 66 to Lewis and Clark navigating the American frontier and the Five Civilized Tribes marching westward on a Trail of Tears.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Sunset at the exterior garden of Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

    Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum

    Oklahoma

    Image by Walter Bibikow / Getty RF

  • Downtown St Louis, MO with the Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch at sunrise; Shutterstock ID 373948018; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Content Asset; Full Product or Project name including edition: Guides Project Eastern USA

    Gateway Arch National Park

    St Louis

    As a symbol for St Louis, the Gateway Arch has soared above any expectations its backers could have had in 1965 when it opened. Now the centerpiece of its…

  • North Dakota Badlands at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

    Theodore Roosevelt National Park

    North Dakota

    A tortured region known as the 'badlands' whose colors seem to change with the moods of nature, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the state's natural…

  • The Bandstand in Forest Park in St. Louis.

    Forest Park

    St Louis

    New York City may have Central Park, but St Louis has the bigger (by 528 acres) Forest Park. The superb, 1371-acre spread was the setting of the 1904…

  • ROCHEPORT, MO, USA - AUGUST 1, 2015: Cyclists at Rocheport station on Katy Trail (237 mile bike trail stretching across most of the state of Missouri converted from abandoned railroad); Katy Trail State Park Shutterstock ID 353060654; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Katy Trail State Park

    Missouri

    America's longest rail-to-trail walking and biking route starts in Machens near St Louis and St Charles and ends in Clinton, 70 miles southwest of Kansas…

  • Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska.

    Riverfront

    Nebraska

    The riverfront along the Missouri River celebrates the waterway's past and present. Highlights include the architecturally stunning Bob Kerrey Pedestrian…

  • Fall colors surround the former home of US President Harry Truman in Independence, Missouri.

    Truman Home

    Missouri

    See the simple life Harry (1884–1972) and Bess (1885–1982) lived in this basic but charming wood house. It's furnished with their original belongings and…

  • A wild longhorn cow on the prairie in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

    Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

    Oklahoma

    The 59,020-acre Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge protects bison, elk, longhorn cattle and a frenetic prairie dog town. Wildlife is abundant; observant…

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