Welcome

Great Bend is located in the middle of the Central Flyway and is bordered by two wetlands of international importance: Cheyenne Bottoms to the north and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge to the South. Great Bend is a birding and wildlife paradise where enthusiasts will find just what they’re looking for here in the heartland.

Both refuges have been accorded international recognition, not only because of their significance as feeding sites for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, but also for the large nesting populations of water birds they harbor. Related to their world-class status is both the number of species and the number of individual birds that nest or pause to refuel there. Positioned as it is, Great Bend is poised to serve as a gateway port, introducing north- and southbound travelers to the avian riches that may be viewed at these refuges.

The extraordinary value of these refuges lies in the fact that neither is simply a lake, a canal, a marsh, a flooded meadow, or a mudflat. Instead, each refuge is a mosaic of aquatic habitats –large, small, shallow, deep, salty, fresh, weedy, and open – combined into what is generally referred to as a wetland complex. This habitat diversity, its uniqueness compared to the surrounding farmland, the size, the variety and quality of species, and the ease with which birds and other animals may be seen by novices as well as accomplished naturalists are among the qualities that make it a truly exceptional experience.

For current water conditions, please call 620-793-7730 or go to the KDWP Cheyenne Bottoms website

Home | Top of Page
General Information | Visitor Information | Birding and Wildlife Viewing | Hunting

Site design and coding by Fermata Inc.