Fort Leavenworth's Champion Trees

Submitted by Neil Bass, Fort Leavenworth Natural Resources Specialist

Fort Leavenworth has an U.S. Army history dating back to July 1, 1804, when Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery traveled past the location of the present-day fort. The Army set up permanent residence on the site in 1827. Many of the unique natural resources on the fort can be tied directly to this long time Army presence.

The fort has approximately 1,500 acres of Missouri River floodplain forest. This is the largest contiguous tract of floodplain forest left along the Missouri River. A portion, approximately 150 acres, of this forest is old growth, some trees possibly predating the Lewis and Clark expedition. An additional 1,000 acres of oak-hickory forest along the bluffs of the Missouri River are also present. These two forests and climate allow the fort to have nine trees considered the largest of their species, also known as state champion trees.

This Missouri River forest complex makes the area a great birding spot, especially for Kansas. There have been 233 species of birds documented at Fort Leavenworth. The highest single day bird species count in Kansas, of 77 species, was from Fort Leavenworth. There are approximately 30 bird species that each have their highest counts also from the Fort.  Good habitat and flyway location make for some birding Big Days.

The natural resources of Fort Leavenworth, in compliance with the Sikes Act, are managed for the military mission of the Army and for the enjoyment of the American people. There are over 38 miles of trails, most multi-use, on Fort Leavenworth that provide access to the above mentioned natural resources and the Missouri River. The trail system is maintained by volunteers and some Army labor but there is no dedicated funding nor staff for trail upkeep.