Steele Prairie State Preserve

T.H. Steele Prairie consists of 200 acres of native tallgrass prairie in two tracts, both of which are located northwest of Larrabee, Iowa. This undeveloped land is owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which purchased the site with assistance from The Nature Conservancy in 1986. The land is managed by the Cherokee County Conservation Board. Hunting is permitted. Vegetation ranges from upland mesic prairie to wet prairie communities. Steele Prairie is classified as a biological and geological state preserve due to the diversity of tallgrass prairie plants and wildlife present, as well as the undisturbed nature of its rolling terrain, shaped by glaciers 20,000 to 30,000 years ago. Iowa’s tallgrass prairie is considered by many as one of the most endangered ecosystems on the planet. Others feel that due to its current fragmented nature, the tallgrass prairie is truly extinct. A visit to Steele Prairie is a step into history!