Finney: Prairie, Wildlife and Culture

A distinctive natural highlight of your trip to Finney is the Sandsage Bison Range Wildlife Area. The protected area preserves native sand sage prairie that has not been converted into cultivated, irrigated farmland. It provides habitat for greater prairie-chickens, mule deer, quail, and western hognose snakes. The area is also home to the oldest publicly owned bison herd in Kansas.

Visitors who want to see bison can book a guided tour of the area by reservation. Self-guided tours are not currently available; confirm current operating information and your reservation before your trip. Limited fishing is available at the sand pit pond in the northern part of the area. It depends on water conditions and seasonal stocking.

Wildlife and Recreation

Visitors can drive through the Lee Richardson Zoo. The Finnup Center for Conservation Education features animal habitats and interactive exhibits. Admission to the zoo is free for pedestrians; check current visitor information before your visit.

Big Pool has five slides, a diving well, and a bulkhead that divides the pool into north and south halves. It operates seasonally. The facility also has a history connected to Garden City: city residents dug the pool by hand in 1921; it opened for its first season in 1922.

Trails and Activities in Garden City

Within the city of Garden City, Forest Park Lake is a 16-acre nature park and wildlife habitat. A paved loop trail there runs for one-third of a mile, with direct access to the Talley Trail via a walkway. The Talley Trail is considerably longer, at 3.7 miles. It crosses nearly all of Garden City from east to west, begins near Garden City Community College, and runs through commercial and residential areas as a bike-friendly trail. This makes it easy to distinguish a short loop around the lake from a longer route through the city.

Buffalo Dunes Golf Course has a driving range and short-game area and hosts the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am. Disc golf is also among the recreational offerings: the Garden City Parks and Recreation league plays weekly for six weeks in the city area at The Crater, and finishes with a tournament. Seasonal registration details may vary.

Museums, Art, and History

The Finney County Historical Museum has an exhibit on the Santa Fe Trail that explains its history and connections to Southwest Kansas. The William D. and Luticia Fulton House is located in the Lee Richardson Zoo, southwest of the museum. The Pleasant Valley One-Room Schoolhouse was built around 1890.

Garden City Arts features rotating exhibitions of work by local and regional artists. Gallery admission is free; the gift gallery showcases a wide selection of art by Kansas artisans. The Mercer Gallery at Garden City Community College presents exhibitions by regional, national, and international artists. Its program includes hands-on workshops and artist talks; individual events may vary.

Annual Events

Beef Empire Days includes more than a dozen events each year, including a family-friendly carnival. The Ranch Rodeo features roping, riding, and ranch-hand work. The annual Merck Live Show is for anyone interested in the cattle-feeding industry.

The Finney County Pioneer Awards Banquet takes place every April and is open to the public. Another late-spring event is Evening in the Past: on a Saturday evening in late May, the event combines dinner on the museum terrace with a historical reenactment. Tickets are available from the museum office; ticket details may vary.

Getting There

Flight schedule information for Garden City Regional Airport lists American Eagle and two daily departures to Dallas/Fort Worth; flight schedules may change. Since schedules can change, check your connection before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Garden City, Holcomb, Gove County, Phillips County, Saline County, Lane County, Wyandotte County, Montgomery.

For the main travel overview: Kansas.