|
Prairie Dog State Park and
Norton Wildlife Area
|
Photo by Mike Blair |
Prairie Dog State Park and Norton Wildlife Area are located around Keith
Sebelius Reservoir. The lake is an impoundment of Prairie Dog Creek, which flows through the
rolling mixed grass prairie of the High Plains. |
Drive south of the park office and over the railroad gorge to reach the sizable prairie
dog town. The black-tailed prairie dog, named for its black-tipped tail and dog-like bark,
uses mounds as sentinel stations from which to watch for predators such as coyotes,
prairie falcons, golden eagles, and badgers. When the burrows are no longer used by the
prairie dogs they are taken over by other animals including black widow spiders, ornate
box turtles, gopher snakes, and the comical burrowing owl.
If you drive along the lake roads during migrations you can expect to see a great
variety of waterfowl and shorebirds. On occasion, a migrant osprey can be spotted fishing
the waters. Ring-necked pheasants are abundant in the surrounding wildlife area, as are
deer and wild turkeys. In early summer, reptiles, including six-lined racerunners, western
hognose snakes, and plains garter snakes, can be found around the rocky ridges and open
grasslands of the range management area.
 | User fee, Water available, Restrooms, Boat Ramps, Swimming Beach,
Shelter houses, Showers, Cabins |
 58 utility
campsites. Primitive camping allowed.
4 Cabins
(make a reservation
online).
Discover what to see, eat and do in Kansas.
Plan your trip today, at TravelKS.com!
 Branded Cedar Horse Trail, 7.5 miles;
Prairie Dog Nature Trail, 1.4 miles.
Click the icon to find a birding list for Norton County.
Click the icon to locate nearby Geocaches
 Directions: From
Norton (75 miles NW of Hays) travel 4 miles west on U.S. 36, then 1 mile south. Pick up
your park permit, maps, and information on prairie dogs at the park office.
For a Google Map of this site,
click here.
Ownership:The
entities responsible for management of these areas are below.
Contact them if you have specific questions about use or management of the site.
U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation (Keith Sebelius Reservoir)
Click here to visit their web site.
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism (785) 877-2953; 7,850 acres
Click here to visit the
KDWPT web page for Prairie Dog State Park.
You may download the KDWPT brochures on Prairie Dog State Park and Norton
Wildlife Area or email the Park Manager from the links
at the top of that page.
|
Funded by the
Chickadee Checkoff Program
Click here for a brochure! |
The Natural
Kansas web site
© 2011
by
the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism.
Re-publication of site content in any form other than for personal use
requires written permission. If you are a Kansas resident, please
assist with this and other wildlife viewing and conservation programs
by contributing to the Chickadee Checkoff on your state tax form. |
Questions or comments about Natural Kansas may be directed to
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
|
