Author: Cecilia

Great Bend

City of Great Bend 
Here is a brochure about Great Bend outdoor opportunities and here is their website.   Phones  620-792-2750 or 877-427-9299
Wheelchair Accessible?  There is a seven mile paved levee road along the Arkansas River at Great Bend.  The site doesn’t mention accessibility, but since it is flat and paved it ought to be pretty easy.  Call first to be sure it is accessible.

Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area

Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area is the largest marsh in the interior US at about 60 square miles lying north of the Arkansas River in the center of Kansas.  “The area is considered the most important shorebird migration point in the western hemisphere. ”   “Although known primarily for birds, the area also contains raccoons, deer, beavers, muskrats, and mink as well as a variety of reptiles.”   Try 620-793-3066 or Fort Hays State University’s Kansas Wetlands Eduction Center in Great Bend:  phone 620-566-1456 or toll free 1-877-243-9268. Here is their website.  The Nature Conservancy owns 7,500 acres immediately northwest of the state property.  Here is the Conservancy website.  See the post under Private.
“Visitors can drive or walk on approximately 15 miles of gravel roads within the area.”

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Tallgrass Perserve is a partnership between the National Park Service and Nature Conservancy.   These 10,894 acres represent a small portion of the once vast tallgrass prairie.   Before the arrival of settlers and ranchers, it was the traditional land of the Kaw, Osage, Wichita, and Pawnee.  Here is their website.
Accessibility    Map & Brochure   Phone 620-273-8494
Wheelchair AccessibleBottomland Nature Trail accessible loops of 0.5 or 0.75 mile.

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge  –
This wildlife refuge in mid Kansas consists of 22,135 acres, one third of which are wetlands.  It is a wonderful place for birding.   Here is their website.  Phone is 620-486-2393.
Wheelchair AccessibleMigrant’s Mile Nature Trail: There are two long boardwalks through cattail wetlands.
HikerwithcaneBirdhouse Boulevard Nature Trail: A 0.2 mile loop just west of the visitors center.

Pine Lake State Park

Pine Lake State Park
Pine Lake, west of Waterloo, has a 2.6 mile paved bike trail, but they don’t indicate on their website if it is accessible for wheelchairs.  There is a self-guided nature trail which may or may not be accessible.  Call 641-858-5832.  Here is the DNR website.  There is more information in the Iowa Parks’s website.
Wheelchair Accessible?  “Multi-purpose” paved trails 2.5 miles.  Call to find out how difficult these trails are.
?  The 2.6 mile paved bike trail connects the Cabins and Campground to the beach on Lower Pine Lake, and to fishing access on both Upper and Lower Pine Lakes. Other trails circle Lower Pine Lake, or wind through bottomland forest along the Iowa River.

Lake Manawa State Park

Lake Manawa State Park
Lake Manawa State Park, Council Bluffs has paved bike trails which may be accessible, but are not described so on the websites.   Call 712-366-0220 for more information.   Here is the DNR’s website  and Iowa Parks’ website.
?  There are 7 miles of paved trails, but difficulty is not given.

Wheelchair AccessibleThe Nature Trail is paved and accessible.  Length not given on the website.

Lake Macbride State Park

Lake Macbride State Park
Lake Macbride State Park at Solon has 2,180 acres offering “Multi-use trails”, birding, swimming, boating, picnicking, camping, and fishing.  Call 319-624-2200 for more information about accessibility.  You can download a map and brochure from their website.
Wheelchair Accessible?   –  “A five-mile crushed limestone multi-use trail is located on the north side of the lake and connects the park to the community of Solon. While a majority of this trail runs along the shoreline of Lake Macbride, several portions pass through oak/hickory forest or alongside restored Iowa prairie. More than seven miles of additional hiking trails await your visit, including one especially scenic crushed limestone trail that extends 1.25 miles between the beach and Lake Macbride’s dam.”