Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway
Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Kansas. Within Kansas it covers roughly 75 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
This central Kansas byway links two of the most important inland wetlands in North America — Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest interior marsh in the country, and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Together they form a critical stop on the Central Flyway, where hundreds of thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl pause in spring and fall. Vast flocks against the prairie sky are the draw.
- Cheyenne Bottoms marsh
- Quivira refuge
- Central Flyway migration
- shorebird flocks
- central Kansas
Designated for its natural qualities
Plan a drive on Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store
Places to stop along Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway
Kansas Wetlands Education Center
A nature center at the edge of Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest marsh in the interior U.S., with exhibits and viewing areas.
WebsiteCheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area
A huge marsh where hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop on migration, with drivable dikes for viewing.
Historic Wolf Hotel
An Ellinwood hotel offering tours of the underground tunnels and shops that once ran beneath the town.
Barton County Historical Museum
A museum and village of historic buildings south of Great Bend.
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
Salt marshes and sand prairie where whooping cranes sometimes stop among thousands of migrating geese and cranes.
Website
Where to Stay along Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway
No campgrounds are listed close to Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway yet, but there are rooms near the route.
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Photos of Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.