About the Forest
I didn't know there were forests in Nebraska.
The Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands encompass nearly 1.1 million acres of the Great Plains of Nebraska South Dakota.
- Nebraska National Forest is split between the pine ridge near Chadron and the hand-planted forest near Halsey.
- Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest has some hand-planted forest but remains mostly mixed-grass prairie.
- Oglala National Grassland is in Nebraska's panhandle.
- Buffalo Gap National Grassland is in southwestern South Dakota.
- Fort Pierre National Grassland is in central South Dakota.
What's to see there?
- Bessey Tree Nursery, the oldest federal tree nursery and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Toadstool Geological Park, one of the few areas in the world exposing fossil trackways of the Oligocene Epoch.
- Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center, internationally known for its bison bone beds.
- National Grasslands Visitor Center, which represents the nation's 21 national grasslands, has displays on wildlife, Great Plains history, grazing, human artifacts, grassland ecosystems and more. For visitors looking to get a taste of a grassland ecosystem, stop by the unique Living Landscape that showcases native prairie grasses, shrubs, and wildflowers.