The Sandhill Crane migration through North America is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world.
For countless generations, millions of Sand Hill cranes have stopped over in Nebraska each year, following the warmer winds north, and for a short time, us lucky Midwesterners get to see this amazing migration in action. Their dances and daily rituals are the stuff of legend, and thousands of people flock to central Nebraska each year to experience the mass migration event. If you’ve never seen it, get ready — it’s one of the most beautiful natural experiences you could ever have.
On this exciting trip, we'll get an up-close look at the migration as we wake with the cranes each morning and watch them return to sleep each night. We’ll visit local crane sanctuaries where we’ll learn about this fascinating migration and these legendary, ancient birds, and get to learn from experts who know all the fun crane facts. Plus, we’ll be staying in a cabin right on the Platte River, for maximum cozy and late winter vibes. Birders, we’ve designed this one specifically for you, so grab your binoculars and your best birding friends, and let’s hit the shores. This trip is a can't miss!
ACTIVITIES
We’re all about the birds! We’ll experience sunrise and sunset crane viewing each day at the cabin. Want to find other locations to see the cranes? We can point you to the best spots!
We’ll visit two crane sanctuaries to tour the properties and learn more about these majestic birds!
While we’ll be pretty busy nerding out over the birds, we’ll have plenty of time for relaxing and unwinding at the cabin with puzzles, books and more
Fire circles each night to reflect on the crane migration and what we can learn from these magnificent birds
ACCOMMODATIONS
We'll be staying at a private cabin home along the Platte River outside of Kearney, NE. This cabin offers optimal crane viewing, and is just a short walk away from the nesting sites of Sand Hill crane colonies! While the cabin offers all modern amenities (heat, electricity, full kitchen, multiple bathrooms), sleeping quarters will be tight and more campy than a regular home. We’ll get cozy and comfy as we watch our bird friends do their thing!
WHAT’S INCLUDED
This is an all-inclusive adventure! Your registration provides you:
Sleeping accommodations & parking
All meals, cooked for you by guides
A Wanderer swag bag full of goodies
Two Wander Women guides to help make the weekend as relaxing and fun as possible!
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Participants will be responsible for providing/paying for:
Transportation to/from Kearney (we always encourage carpooling and can connect you with other participants to ride with!)
INVESTMENT
Twin/Sofa bed/Trundle bed: $395
Queen bed: $425
PAYMENT PLAN
We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
Deposit for this trip: $190
-
Wander Women trips are designed to be restorative and relaxing, full of connection and knowledge building. Days are filled with activities ranging from skill-building workshops (like fire building or plant identification), hammock reading and card playing, to group hikes, impromptu yoga sessions and creek stomping. Nights are spent around the campfire sharing in storytelling, often digging deep into ourselves and our place in nature.
Please know that to us, there’s no right way to wander. We ask that you come as you are — you don’t need to have the gear, the knowledge or anyone else with you to make this trip great. We grant participants and ourselves the right to be imperfect or nervous, and encourage a “challenge by choice” mentality — letting you decide when you’ll step outside your comfort zone, knowing it’s often rewarding when you do. By the end of the weekend, we want you to feel confident in newfound skills, your place in the outdoors and your part in this community. That’s what these trips are all about!
-
Each Wander Women trip has an Adventure Rating attached to the trip to give Wanderers a better idea of the activity level and physical requirements of the trip. These ratings are based on general Wanderer ability. If you have specific questions about a trip’s difficulty or specific accessibility questions, please reach out to us at hello@wanderwomenmidwest.com!
Beginner: This trip is designed for the low-key adventurer. Hikes will be taken at a leisurely pace and include small elevation changes on easy to navigate trails (wide, free of roots and other obstacles). Plenty of down-time built into this trip for participants to relax and create time for themselves. No prior outdoor skills required.
Moderate: This trip is designed for the adventurer looking for a jam-packed weekend or in-depth, hands-on skill building. Hikes will be longer (6+ miles) and taken at a moderate pace. There may be other recreation activities (paddling, paddleboarding, fishing, etc.) that are beginner-friendly but require moderate physical strain. There will still be plenty of down-time built in for participants to relax and create time for themselves, but there may be optional additional adventures offered. No prior outdoor skills required, unless otherwise noted.
Challenging: Participants are expected to hike, backpack or paddle long mileage days, often with weight on their backs or in their boats. Terrain will be challenging and have elevation changes or tricky parts to navigate. Previous hiking and paddling experience is strongly recommended.
-
We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
All participants are subject to the Wander Women Trip Cancellation Policy.