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Play: Nature
  “Magic birds were dancing in the mystic marsh. The grass swayed with them, and the shallow waters and the earth fluttered under them. The earth was dancing with the crane, and the low sun, and the wind and sky.”
- Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Nature blessed Great Bend in a curious (and unexpected) way. She gave us an ocean in the midst of a sea of grass. A spectacular array of wildlife is attracted to our marshes and waters, offering nature lovers an unobstructed view into the wonders of the natural world. We make this guarantee. Spend a few days with us in the lush “Bottoms,” and we promise that you will leave the rumor of “flat and dry” Kansas behind.
Great Bend is bordered by two great marshes complexes – Cheyenne Bottoms to the north and Quivira NWR to the south. Millions of ducks, geese, shorebirds, and other water birds swarm these world-famous marshes each year. One of America’s rarest birds, the whooping crane, stops by during its annual migratory flight between Canada and the central Texas coast.
Bald eagles winter here, and are easy to see as they sit exposed on the frozen marsh ice.
Like to hunt? Duck hunting in the Cheyenne Bottoms marshes is world renowned. Rather take pictures? Grab that long lens and drive one of the wildlife loops at Quivira NWR. Or perhaps you would prefer a relaxing evening watching the endless streams of migratory birds flowing into the marshes for the evening. Whatever your preferred path to nature, we have your connection.
To this end, Great Bend, Barton County (Great Bend is the county seat), and a number of the surrounding communities have banded together to create a scenic byway to ease your travel - the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway. This byway connects Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira NWR, and area communities in a glorious celebration of the nature, culture, and history that defines the great bend of the Arkansas River.
Stop by the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau for a trail guide and CD.
Why not also join us in the spring for our annual Wings & Wetlands nature festival? You may not be able to tell a mallard from a mud hen, but for one weekend each spring we gather with people who can.
Great Bend is a birder's paradise
With Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Preserve to the north and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge to the south, Great Bend is surrounded by wetlands that attract millions of birds each year. Great Bend is located on the Central Flyway, a major travel corridor for hundreds of species of migratory birds. The wetlands around Great Bend offer a critical rest stop along this migration route. How critical? Over half of all shorebirds that migrate east of the Rockies pass through this these wetlands, including 90 percent of North America’s population of Wilson’s phalarope, long-billed dowitcher, white-rumped sandpiper, Baird’s sandpiper, and stilt sandpiper.
More than 330 bird species visit local natural areas, from whooping crane and bald eagle to scissor-tailed flycatcher and lark bunting. More than 100 species nest here, and 63 species live here year round. Here in the Heartland, you have the rare opportunity to see “sibling species” (like eastern and western meadowlarks, eastern and western kingbirds, and Baltimore and Bullock’s orioles) shoulder-to-shoulder in the wilds.
Though birds often take center stage at local natural areas, Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge are home to many other wildlife species as well, including 23 species of mammals, 19 species of reptiles, and nine species of amphibians. So be sure to bring your binoculars and get to know some of the wild inhabitants of this region.
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Wildlife watching:
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Connecting with nature:
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Hunting:
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Nature tours:
For a full listing of downloads, click here.
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