Nebraska Map of Prairies

These 18 areas represent the region's native grasslands before the middle 1800's. The Sandhills and portions of the Panhandle are still mostly grassland, but the eastern tall grass prairie is nearly gone. Patches of tallgrass remain as "wild hay" meadows, along railroads, in pioneer cemeteries, and on public lands. These remnant grasslands provide a glimpse of what explorers and settlers found when they came west.

It is hard to realize that the settlement of the prairie and Great Plains by European Americans took place in only a couple of human generations. By 1900, most of the blank spots in the map had been filled in, railroads crisscrossed the region, and other irreversible changes had taken place.

The word "prairie" conveys many things to different people. To some it is a reminder of a childhood hideaway, to others an image of the never-never land of "Little House" and "Gunsmoke". Still others may equate prairie with Iowa corn or Kansas wheat.

We hope that you can form your own impression of the prairie by getting acquainted with the real thing. Sandhills, tallgrass, mixed prairie, and shortgrass country are all waiting for you.

	Area Name	Location	Acreage		Notes
1.	Oglala National Grasslands (U.S. Forest Service)	Northern Sioux and northwestern Dawes Counties		94,300	Shortgrass prairie; badlands topography; Toadstool Park Geological site.
2.	Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (National Park Service)	Approx. 30 miles south of Harrison on N-29		3,150	Sandhills prairie; Niobrara River.
3.	Scotts Bluff National Monument (National Park Service)	Near Scottsbluff-Gering		3,100	Shortgrass prairie; ponderosa pine woodlands; badlands; interpretive center.
4.	Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)	Approx. 30 miles south of Lakeside or 30 miles north of Oshkosh		45,800	Sandhills prairie; marshes; alkaline lakes; one of the best shorebird areas in the Great Plains.
5.	Ash Hollow State Historical Park (Nebr. Game and Parks)	Approx. 4 miles south of Lewellen on U.S. Hwy. 26		1,000	Mixed prairie; geological features; Interpretive center.
6.	Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest (U.S. Forest Service)	Approx. 20 miles south of Nenzel on N-97; access on east from Merritt Reservoir road		115,700	Sandhills prairie; shallow wetlands and meadows on Steer Creek; pine plantings.
7.	Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)	5 miles northeast of Valentine on N-12		19,100	Sandhills prairie; ponderosa pine – mixed deciduous woodland, Niobrara River riparian habitat. Interpretive center and display pastures.
8.	Valentine National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)	Approx. 30 miles south of Valentine on U.S. Hwy 83		71,500	Sandhills prairie; wet meadows; marshes and open-water lakes.
9.	Nebraska National Forest-Bessey Division (U.S. Forest Service)	2 miles west of Halsey on N-2		90,450	Sandhills prairie; pine plantings; marked hiking trail.
10.	Pressey Wildlife Management Area (Nebr. Game and Parks)	Approx. 4 miles northeast of Oconto on N-21		1,500	Mixed prairie; about 2.5 miles of South Loup River; riparian woodland and wetlands.
11.	Willa Cather Memorial Prairie (The Nature Conservancy)	5 miles south of Red Cloud on U.S. Hwy. 281		610	Mixed prairie, sparsely wooded draws; described by some range ecologists as “Kansas Prairie”
12.	Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area (Nebr. Game and Parks)	2 miles north of Royal		1,500	Sandhills prairie; bur oak woodlands; “go-back land”.
13.	Twin Lakes Wildlife Management Area (Nebr. Game and Parks)	1 mile north of I–80, Pleasant Dale interchange county road		1,370	Tallgrass prairie remnants; reseeded warm-season grassland.
14.	Rock Creek Station State Historical Park (Nebr. Game and Parks)	Approx. 3 miles northwest of Endicott		350	Tall grass prairie; riparian woods; spring-fed stream. Interpretive center; Oregon Trail ruts still readily visible.
15.	Homestead National Monument (National Park Service)	Approx. 3 miles west of Beatrice on N-4		160	Tallgrass prairie remnants; warm-season grass mixture reseeding has also been done; interpretive center.
16.	Burchard Lake Wildlife Management Area (Nebr. Game and Parks)	3 miles east and 1 mile north of Burchard		560	Tallgrass prairie; management practices include prescribed burning and rotation mowing. Prairie chickens in spring “booming ground” displays may be observed from a permanent blind.
17.	Pawnee Prairie Wildlife Management Area (Nebr. Game and Parks)	7 miles south and 1 mile east of Burchard		1,100	Tallgrass prairie; “go-back” land; riparian woodland. Prescribed burning has been done since early 1970’s. Resident flock of greater prairie chickens.
18.	Cuming City Cemetery (Dana College Study Area)	Approx. 3 miles northwest of Blair, off U.S. Hwy. 73		20	Tallgrass prairie and woodland shrub edge; variety of wildflowers.