Southwest Kansas

What we call "Wild West Country" is one of the Midwest's hidden treasures. We are 22 counties in Southwest Kansas, with wide-open spaces, magnificent sunrises and sunsets, and diverse, sometimes rugged, landscapes.

Once you step into one of our small town cafes for a piece of homemade pie, stand out on the sand-sage prairie and wonder what the settlers of this great land experienced more than 125 years ago, or visit one of our world-class museums, we believe you will put Southwest Kansas people and places on the top of your list to visit.

We welcome you and want to help you find our treasures. Please contact us for trip ideas and for any help we can give you to enhance your enjoyment of "Wild West Country."

Explore Greeley County

Greeley County was named for the pioneering editor Horace Greeley, after his famous quote: "Go West Young Man." Visitors to modern day Greeley County will find that pioneer, can-do attitude alive and well in its residents and community. For visitors driving through or week-long vacationers, Greeley County offers a wealth of interesting destinations. Here are just a few ideas for things to do when visiting Greeley County.

Discover Ness County

Ness County is the northeast county of "Wild West County", it is home to farming, ranching and the oil industry. Ness County is a prime spot for the avid hunter or fishing enthusiast. Ness City is the county seat, downtown is located at the junction of Highway K 96 and US 283.

Hodgeman County

Organized in 1879. County seat Jetmore. Named in honor of Amos Hodgman, Captain of Company H, Seventh Kansas Cavalry. He died on October 16, 1863, near Oxford, Miss., of wounds received in an action at Wyatt, Miss., October 10,1863. The name should be spelled Hodgman without the e--it was so spelled in the original statute of 1868 which created the county, but by accident--probably--in the statute which defined its boundaries in 1873, the e was inserted. Of course it is legally Hodgeman, and must remain orthographically incorrect until changed by legislative enactment.

GrantCounty

SOMEHOW

Western Kansas kind of gets you
You leave its paths behind;
Only to find you, somehow,
Can't get it from your mind;
The shadows of the summer's eve
The columns in the snow
Seem to keep calling, somehow,
No matter where you go.

Your steps seem to travel
The old familiar gait;
And like old friends the buildings
And the lowing cattle wait -
Almost before you know it
Your feet will take the track
And like a homesick pilgrim
You'll come roaming back.

By Judge Herbert Rhoades, Omaha, Nebraska
CountyAttorney, GrantCounty, 1908-1913

Ford. Dodge City

It gives us great pleasure to invite you to Dodge City and Relive a Legend! When you make your "get away" to Dodge City, you'll find everything you need to ensure a memorable time. Dodge City offers the perfect retreat, plenty of peace and quiet for a productive meeting, and when your business is done, the charm and excitement of the old west are close at hand! You'll feel at home in Dodge City, just as the cowboys did in the 1870s.

Morton County

Small parks within the communities have their own enhancements. Depending on the park, one may find cooking facilities, picnic areas, playground equipment or tennis and basketball courts. The newest city park, Whistle Stop Park, runs parallel to the railroad tracks of Elkhart and covers 23.5 acres. Visitors will find a trail suitable for walking, roller blading, bicycling, or relaxing on benches next to the trail.

The Cimarron National Grassland, north of Elkhart, is the largest parcel of public land in the State of Kansas. Trails allow visitors to see first hand the native flora and fauna indigenous to the area. Wild turkeys, Prairie Chickens booming, rattlesnakes, elk and antelope can be spotted among the wildlife of the grasses. Also included in the 108,000 acres of National Grassland, are bird watching, fishing ponds and picnic areas. The Atwood Ponds, also known as the Cimmaron Recreation Area, has been improved, it has a campground, drinkable (potable) water, rest room facilities, a dock accessible for persons with disabilities and a designated group area that can be rented. USDA Forest Service office, located on U.S. Highway 56 in Elkhart, offers information about auto tours, hunting and fishing.

Welcome to Seward County

Five lakes and several rivers lure thousands of visitors to the Mountain Lakes each year.

The famous Gauley River takes several forms, attracting different kinds of outdoor lovers in different seasons. Impounded behind one of the world's largest earthen dams, it becomes Summersville Lake, the biggest reservoir in the region. Its broad expanses are perfect for water skiing, windsurfing and sailing. Sheer sandstone cliffs rise above the water for scenic splendor.

Clark County

The county's historical significance begins with the Plains Indians and their dependence on the buffalo, the exploration of Coronado and his search for Quivera, the conflicts between the pioneers and the Indians in the Indian Wars, and the eventual pioneer settlements. In the 1500's Coronado and his conquistadors were the first Europeans to travel through the county to the Arkansas River and northeast in their quest for gold. After the Civil War the Homestead Act encouraged many from the East to search for land in Kansas. This area was consequently the site of some violent clashes between Indians and soldiers sent to protect the pioneers. Clark County was also home to millions of buffalo until the early 1800's when the buffalo hunters' slaughter for hides eventually wiped out these massive animals and the Indians' important source of food and warmth. The dusty Western Cattle Trail of the early 1800's passed through the county as cowboys herded their cattle from Texas to the railroads of Dodge City. During this time St. Jacob's well in the Big Basin was an important watering hole for the pioneers and Indians as well as for the cowboys traveling north with their herds. Several towns sprang up around this era, but the successful ones in the county, Ashland, Minneola, and Englewood, survived because of the railroads, and Ashland was chosen as the county seat. The Clark County Historical Society was established in 1939 to preserve the early history of the county and its pioneers, and today these volumes of Kansas history are kept in the Pioneer-Krier Museum of Ashland.