Parkhill Prairie Preserves a Relic of Collin County's Blackland Grassland

In the far northeast corner of Collin County, Parkhill Prairie protects a piece of the land that came before the suburbs. The 436-acre preserve wraps around a 52-acre relic of Blackland tall-grass prairie.

That deep-rooted grassland once stretched across much of the region. Around the prairie core, the county park has wide country views, covered pavilions with cook pits, and restrooms.

Parkhill explains what the highway hides. Collin County was prairie before rooftops and ring roads. The 52-acre relic is the main draw, especially in late spring and early summer when grasses and wildflowers are up.