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Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve

Steve Mulligan
Cheyenne Bottoms
© Kevin Sink

Why You Should Visit
Nearly one-half of all North American shorebirds migrating east of the Rocky Mountains and  up to one-quarter million waterfowl stop at Cheyenne Bottoms to rest and feed during seasonal migrations. The shallow marshes-averaging less than one foot deep-are ideal habitats for wading shorebirds.

Size
Nearly 8,000 acres

Location
North of Great Bend, Kansas and south and east of Hoisington, Kansas

 

What to Expect
A visit to Cheyenne Bottoms can be interesting any time of the year. As long as there is water in the marshes, many birds can be seen at the Bottoms. Migrating ducks and cranes reach peak numbers in late March and early April; and migrating shorebird numbers peak in late April to late May (although some start arriving in late March.) Some of the waterfowl and shorebirds stay at the Bottoms throughout the summer. The autumn migration is less dramatic, because it is not as concentrated in time or route.

 

Directions

  • From Great Bend: Begin at the intersection of U.S. Highways 56 and 281. Travel 8 miles north on U.S. 281. An information kiosk is located at the intersection of Highway 281 and NE 80 Road.
  • From Hoisington: Drive 2 miles east on Kansas Highway 4. Stop at the information kiosk on your way into the preserve.
     
     
     
                                                                                                        Immature White-Faced Ibis
                                                                                                                              © Dave Bryan

 Restrictions

  • Please stay on the public roads. Off-road hiking is prohibited.                                   
    No dogs or other pets are allowed outside of your vehicle.
  • Hunting is prohibited on the Conservancy's property.
© Stephen Kraseman
Snowy Egrets
© Dave Bryan

What to See: Birds
Geography and tradition lead migrating birds to this spot. Some fly thousands of miles without rest, fueled by a few tablespoons of body fat. When the fat reserves burn low, the birds stop to feed and rest at the marshy basins that have fed and sheltered their kind for thousands of generations.

  • More bird species are seen at the here than anywhere else in the state. Of the 470 bird species known to Kansas, 330 species have been observed at Cheyenne Bottoms.
  • Tens of thousands of common shorebirds like sandpipers, plovers, phalaropes, avocets, godwits and dowitchers stop at the Bottoms to feed on the mud flats.
  • Waterfowl can be seen throughout the year. During migration, numbers can climb to 250,000 ducks and geese.

Why the Conservancy Selected this Site
Between 1955 and 1978, about 40 percent of the wetlands in Kansas disappeared. Wetland losses throughout the nation, and internationally, have caused populations of some shorebird species - starved for water, food, and nesting sites - to shrink by 60 to 80 percent. Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve is a step toward reversing these trends by safeguarding and enhancing wetland habitat.

What the Conservancy is Doing
The Nature Conservancy's goal at Cheyenne Bottoms is to protect waterfowl and shorebirds alike by restoring and protecting the natural marshes, mud flats and adjoining grasslands.