Big Basin Prairie Preserve, Protected prairie in Clark County, Kansas, US
Big Basin Prairie Preserve is a protected natural area in Clark County featuring a circular basin depression roughly 100 feet (30 meters) deep and about one mile (1.6 kilometers) wide. The surrounding landscape includes rolling hills, small canyons, and a permanent pond at the center of the depression.
The area served as a campground for Northern Cheyenne people during their exodus of 1878, when they traveled through the region during a crucial period in their history. This event remains an important chapter in the broader story of the Great Plains.
The basin and its central pond held deep significance for nearby communities, who passed down stories and beliefs about the land across generations. Local people saw this place as more than just landscape, viewing it as part of their own identity.
The entrance has information materials and parking available, with interpretive signs placed along State Highway 160 to guide visitors through the site. Plan to spend time walking slowly through the landscape to appreciate the different geological features and the central pond.
The circular depression formed through solution-subsidence, a geological process where water dissolved underground salt and mineral deposits, causing the surface to sink. This rare natural process created a striking landform that stands out dramatically against the flat prairie landscape.
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