Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge
Lots of waterfowl here! Located in the Smoky Hills, U-shaped Kirwin Reservoir is formed by Bow Creek and the North Fork of the Solomon River.
Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1954, is the first National Wildlife Refuge authorized in Kansas. The refuge of nearly 11,000 acres is in the Central Flyway and one of the last major feeding stops for waterfowl migrating between wintering areas to the south and their northern breeding grounds. It includes the lake, riparian woodlands, nearly 4,000 acres of mixed grass prairie, and about 2,000 acres of cultivated land, which provides nearly 20,000 bushels of corn and milo every year to migrating birds and other wildlife. Management practices also include green winter wheat browse for wintering geese, controlled burning, and short-term intensive grazing to maintain the grasslands.
Stop by the Visitor Center (red star on map below) for information and a look at the interpretive exhibits. The Visitor Center is open 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Monday-Friday, except holidays.
A colony of black-tailed prairie dogs is on the south side of lake (B on map below). Use one of the benches available to observe these fascinating members of the rodent family. While there, also look for thirteen-lined ground squirrels, black-tailed jackrabbits, mule deer, burrowing owls, horned larks, kingbirds, meadowlarks, kestrels, and red-tailed hawks. Double-crested cormorants and great blue herons nest on the lake. Yellow-headed blackbirds frequent marsh areas, and black-billed magpies forage in the open woodlands. Walk quietly on the nature trail and you may see wild turkey, white-tailed deer and, in summer, a variety of butterflies visiting the diverse array of wildflowers. Any time of year drive slowly in the evenings and early mornings along the roads north of the lake and you will see an amazing number of deer. Migrations bring thousands of shorebirds, wading birds, geese, ducks, white pelicans, and Franklin's gulls to the lake. Winter brings rough-legged hawks, golden and bald eagles, and thousands of mallards and Canada geese.
Camping not allowed.
1/2 mile hard-surfaced nature trail in the Crappie Point area (A on map below)
The entity responsible for management of Kirwin NWR is below.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (785) 543-6673; 10,778 acres
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