One of the most important shorebird migration stopover points in the Western Hemisphere, Cheyenne Bottoms is the largest interior marsh in the United States. Here, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl rest and refuel on their migration journeys. From atop the bluffs, you get a bird’s eye view of the impressive extent of this natural banquet hall. 

• Motion and Change. The huge basin of Cheyenne Bottoms was formed 8 million years ago, and the geology of the wetland continues to shape the bottoms today. Weather is motion and change personified. Two out of every three years, the bottoms are dry because of lack of rainfall. In that third wet year, it is the largest natural body of water between the Rockies and the Appalachians.   

• Migration Basin. Cheyenne Bottoms consists of 41,000 acres of lowland marshy basins that host hundreds of thousands of foraging birds during seasonal migrations. Along with a quarter million waterfowl, nearly one half of all North American shorebirds visit the Bottoms each year, making this the top migration staging area in the contiguous United States.
  

• Kansas Wetlands Education Center. From inside the center you can watch Great Blue Herons stalking their prey or Mallards tending to their young. Submerge yourself in the wetlands experience by walking out to the observation deck. Naturalists will be on hand to enhance your visit and answer your questions. 

• Birding Stop. Enjoy a birding stop along one of Cheyenne Bottoms' unpaved roads. Because Cheyenne Bottoms is such a diverse, large, and unique marsh, bird watching is one of the most popular activities on the Bottoms. Spring and Autumn migrations offer the best viewing opportunities.

For current water conditions, please call 620-786-7456 or visit the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Web page for Cheyenne Bottoms.