Planning your trip
Where do I stay?
- Rowe Sanctuary is approximately 20 miles from the city of Kearney and
you can easily make it to our office in 20 - 25 minutes via Interstate 80.
Kearney has a good selection of
hotels/motels,
as well as
restaurants.
Kearney can be a very busy community during March with various activities,
so make sure to reserve your lodging as soon as possible. If lodging
is unavailable in Kearney for the time in which you would like to come,
check with the cities of Grand Island,
Hastings,
and Minden for
availability.
When do I want to be there?
- Depending on what you are hoping to see will determine when the best
time is to come. The largest concentration of sandhill cranes occurs
within the last two weeks of March and this is also when we have the
largest number of crane watchers. Early March will usually give a
person more of a mix of waterfowl and cranes on the river, along with bald
eagles which tend to follow the waterfowl migration. Early April is
often overlooked, but this time period can often provide some of the best
viewing as the birds are fat and happy and it's often apparent in their
behavior. Early to mid April is also the best time to try and catch
a glimpse of whooping cranes as they migrate through the state and is also
the peak time for prairie chicken activity on their booming grounds or
leks. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, especially
when it comes to the timing of your trip.
What do I bring? - The most important
thing is to make sure that you have enough warm clothing. March can
be rather mild in Nebraska, but it can get very cold too. So bring
clothing that you can layer and if you get too warm, you can always shed a
layer. Another important thing, but not absolutely necessary,
would be binoculars. You will have a great time regardless, but
having optics of some type will add to the experience. For more on
what to bring, see our Crane Viewing
information page.
What else can I do or see while I'm
there? - For bird watchers, waterfowl, eagles, and prairie chickens
draw the most attention besides the cranes, but there are other birds to
be seen as well (click here for a detailed list of species). Other
wildlife that can be seen include white-tailed deer, beavers, and prairie
dogs. Area attractions include
Cabela's,
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument,
Museum of Nebraska Art,
Pioneer Village,
Hastings Museum,
and Stuhr Museum.
