 on dirt roads and walking along dikes and interpretive nature trails, accompanied only by the trill of meadowlarks and the mutter of ducks. Many species make Kirwin their year-round home, including the greater prairie chicken and songbirds like Bell’s Vireo, Dickcissel and a variety of warblers. Overlooks and observation platforms with binocular stands provide good viewing opportunities. The best way to experience the beauty of this remnant prairie land is as the birds do—down among the waving grasses and wooded riverbanks.
- Kuhrt Ranch
The rumble of your car down a rural gravel road is enough to flush pheasants in northwestern Kansas, a region rich with the ringneck beauties. And, Kuhrt Ranch (20 miles northeast of Goodland) puts hunters right in the middle of the action. The four-generations-old working ranch covers 4,000 contiguous acres of prime bird habitat, a mix of pastures, creek bottoms, woodlands and fallow farm land. Pheasants, turkey and quail begin roaming the fields in the pre-dawn darkness. So do hunters. With ranch owner Brent Flanders as their guide and a good bird dog at their side, they seek out the birds’ favorite hiding places, hoping to flush them from cover to the broad and brightening skies above. Successful hunts end with a fine feast, gathered around the table at the ranch’s stately hand-quarried limestone “Prairie Castle” house or the casual apartment-style lodge next door.
- Gypsum Hills
Ride the outback
The subtle beauty of the Gypsum Hills really resonates from the seat of a bicycle. Surrounded by red-rock buttes and deep canyons, it’s easy to hear the cluck of a wild turkey, catch whiffs of honeysuckle and spot the occasional glare of a prairie falcon perched on a fencepost in this region known as the “Kansas Outback.” West of Medicine Lodge (75 miles southwest of Wichita), backcountry trails strike off into red-rock country: buttes, rocky spires and canyons thick with cedars that resemble the set for an old western.
Cyclists also can ride along the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway, which winds through the hills for about 40 miles on US-160, extending from Medicine Lodge west to Coldwater. Startling scenery awaits around every turn on this route. Along some sections of the road, it’s more common to meet an armadillo or a Hereford than another rider or a car.
- Lake Scott
Lake Scott recreation
Giggles carry across the waters of Lake Scott (15 miles north of Scott City), echoing off bluffs of limestone that rise from the water and evaporating into the skies above. Two teenage girls zigzag their canoe toward a sandy crescent. They beach their craft and explore the shore.
Boating on Lake Scott, and the state’s many other recreational lakes, is an easygoing, unfussy affair. Take your pick at The Beach House, which rents canoes and paddleboats. Then, you can cruise along the cattails and spy on sunning turtles, cast a line for hungry bass, or set out on a scenic ride along a shoreline of shady cottonwoods. The 100-acre lake, with lots of coves and high canyon walls, provides easy-to-navigate protected waters perfect for a relaxing outing.
The Bridle and Mountain Bike Trail—ideal for horseback riding, hiking or mountain biking—has easy to moderately difficult terrain on a seven-mile path that circles the lake. A horse-camp area provides amenities for equestrian visitors.
- Keith Sebelius Lake
Fishing lakes are Kansas’ hidden gems, sparkling oases tucked in the folds and creases of prairie. Clark State Fishing Lake (70 miles southeast of Garden City) hides at the base of a golden limestone canyon. With a curvaceous shoreline that provides plenty of coves and shady cover, the protected waters harbor healthy populations of white and largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish and panfish. And, waterfront campsites mean you can fish from dawn until dusk.
Smaller lakes like Clark are just the beginning of angling opportunities in Western Kansas. The 2,300-acre Keith Sebelius Lake (five miles west of Norton) is known for crappie, walleye and wiper, a feisty striped bass hybrid. Wiper and white bass also thrive