The high plains of northwest Kansas are made up of scenic prairie and fields of grain. This area was once the hunting grounds of Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians, and today northwest Kansas, with a population of 100,000, has many educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities to explore.

Wild West history is abundant in this region where "Wild Bill" Hickok was a lawman in Hays, and George Custer commanded his 7th cavalry from Ft. Hays. "Buffalo" Bill Cody hunted buffalo out of Oakley.

Fossils of large aquatic animals have been discovered here and are exhibited at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays and Oakley's Fick Fossil and History Museum.

For those who love the out-of-doors, there are beautiful camping areas and fishing in the several lakes in the area. And hunting, too. In fact, Kansas ranks as one of the top three states for pheasant hunting, and Norton is recognized as the "pheasant capital" of the world. To slow down and get back to life's basics, northwest Kansas is where it's at.

Northwest Kansas is home to 18 hospitals.