Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge

Coordinates: 38°13′30″N 94°39′00″W / 38.22500°N 94.65000°W / 38.22500; -94.65000
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Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Tallgrass prairie at Marais des Cygnes NWR
Map showing the location of Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge
Map of the United States
LocationLinn County, Kansas, United States
Nearest cityPleasanton, Kansas
Coordinates38°13′30″N 94°39′00″W / 38.22500°N 94.65000°W / 38.22500; -94.65000
Area7,500 acres (30 km2)
Established1992
Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WebsiteMarais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge

Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in

bottomland hardwood forest in the United States as well as the largest contiguous tract of bottomland hardwood forest in Kansas
.

Marais des Cygnes means "marsh of swans" in French.

High quality stands of bottomland hardwood forest, upland

Mead's milkweed
.

More than 30 species of warblers migrate through or nest on the refuge. The refuge also is known to harbor 30 species of mussels. Other interesting species are raccoons, badgers, minks, coyotes, skunks, beavers, muskrats, river otters, two species of fox, bobcats, paddlefish, crawfish frogs, scissor-tailed flycatchers, loggerhead shrike, and red-shouldered hawks. The refuge provides a rare opportunity to view high quality examples of a number of uncommon plant and animal communities all within a short distance of each other. Some of these communities are rare throughout North America, including bottomland hardwood forest, which has been reduced by 80% nationally, and tallgrass prairie, which has been reduced by 99% nationally.

Recreational opportunities

  • Boating
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Hunting

Directions

Marais des Cygnes NWR is located 39 miles (63 km) south of the Kansas City metropolitan area along U.S. Highway 69. At the intersection of

U.S. Highway 69
and Kansas Highway 52, travel east 114 mile (2 km). The refuge office is located on the south side of Kansas Highway 52.

External links

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.