Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1955, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge offers a unique combination of salt marsh and sand prairie habitats in central Kansas. Created to protect migratory waterfowl in the Central Flyway, the more-than-22,000-acre park is visited by more than 340 bird species, including whooping cranes and bald eagles, and is home to scads of other wetland mammals, snakes and amphibians, insects and flora.

Quivira’s unusually high concentrations of salt just beneath the ground provide nourishment for inland salt grass, seepweed and other plants not commonly seen in the central United States.

Each season within the park offers special appeal. The 15-mile Auto Tour Route is the best way to navigate, and includes a 5-mile Wildlife Drive where visitors can marvel at the Big Salt Marsh wetlands. Several hiking trails are available for those who prefer to explore on foot, and observation platforms, brochures and guided expeditions cater to budding wildlife photographers.