Traveling the Nebraska Sandhills Byway
Located in the north-central part of the state, the Nebraska Sandhills National Natural Landmark is a globally unique region covering nearly a quarter of Nebraska. As part of the Great Plains, this area offers a distinctive blend of natural beauty, ecological richness, and cultural heritage. Approximately 20,000 square miles of sandy dunes and flat-topped hills make up the Sandhills, stretching from southeastern Montana to northeastern Kansas, with the core of the region found in Cherry, Keya Paha, Brown, and Rock counties, Nebraska.
Geologically, the Sandhills are composed of sandy deposits originating from the ancient glaciers of the last ice age. As glacial meltwaters carried large amounts of sand into the region, they eventually became the fine-grain sandy dunes characteristic of the area. Furthermore, extensive wet meadows occupy the lower-lying interdunal areas and provide habitats for numerous plant and animal species, showcasing a diverse array of native grasses, prairie flowers, and animal life. Approximately 500,000 people live within the broader Sandhills ecosystem, many of whom engage in agriculture, livestock production, or local tourism.
The diverse wildlife of the Nebraska Sandhills is equally remarkable, featuring high populations of white-tailed deer, mule deer, coyote, and prairie chickens, all which can be commonly spotted by avid naturalists and enthusiasts visiting the region. Major wetlands including Cottonwood Lake and Crescent Lake, along with the North Platte and Niobrara rivers, serve as critical stopover points and habitats for numerous migratory bird species and offer fascinating opportunities for birdwatching. With rich wildlife resources available, hiking and backcountry birding opportunities abound in this incredible national natural landmark.
The Sandhills Byway is more than 272 miles long and offers an ideal way to experience the Nebraska Sandhills National Natural Landmark in all its glory. Established in 1991, it traverses an assortment of local roads, wide open vistas, isolated ranchlands, beautiful lakes and rivers, forest in the north part of the Sandhills, and vast sand dunes, ultimately uniting travelers with a distinctive regional culture as well as captivating vistas. Moreover, byway users are highly encouraged to adapt to sparsely populated areas and small, isolated rural towns they may pass through.
Despite the isolated nature of this region, unique opportunities are present for archaeological enthusiasts and students of indigenous cultures. Historical settlement patterns, earth-lodges and archaeological remains provide valuable evidence of interactions by Paleoindian, Early Archaic, and other later populations that dwelled in this complex sandland and lake system. Ancient artifacts including projectile points and ceramics shed crucial insights into a previously unknown segment of the larger tapestry of the American past.
It is due to this cultural richness combined with an outstanding ecological legacy that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have joined hands with the private Sandhills Landscapes Initiative in protecting this nationally significant area. Protecting the enormous hydrological resources by safeguarding interdunal wetlands and grasslands in an increasingly variable climate stands as the key goal.
The region continues to play host to an array of archaeological research activities and serves as a renowned training site for college-level anthropology as well as natural history professionals. As ongoing conservation practices work in tandem with research to provide sustainable use of the ecosystem's hydrological resources, efforts are underway to put effective measures in place for improving land health, enhance habitat value for wildlife, and work in harmony with both windstorms as well as long drought events.
Within this dynamic Great Plains setting, several distinct National and regional natural landmark classification systems strive to offer protection to the intricate Nebraska Sandhills wetland/dune system, but their presence remains in peril as ecological threats escalate. Thus, widespread interaction by scientists, stakeholders, local landowners, and environmentally-minded citizens for preserving its unique components, making this valuable national treasure intact and unspoiled for future generations.
Geologically, the Sandhills are composed of sandy deposits originating from the ancient glaciers of the last ice age. As glacial meltwaters carried large amounts of sand into the region, they eventually became the fine-grain sandy dunes characteristic of the area. Furthermore, extensive wet meadows occupy the lower-lying interdunal areas and provide habitats for numerous plant and animal species, showcasing a diverse array of native grasses, prairie flowers, and animal life. Approximately 500,000 people live within the broader Sandhills ecosystem, many of whom engage in agriculture, livestock production, or local tourism.
The diverse wildlife of the Nebraska Sandhills is equally remarkable, featuring high populations of white-tailed deer, mule deer, coyote, and prairie chickens, all which can be commonly spotted by avid naturalists and enthusiasts visiting the region. Major wetlands including Cottonwood Lake and Crescent Lake, along with the North Platte and Niobrara rivers, serve as critical stopover points and habitats for numerous migratory bird species and offer fascinating opportunities for birdwatching. With rich wildlife resources available, hiking and backcountry birding opportunities abound in this incredible national natural landmark.
The Sandhills Byway is more than 272 miles long and offers an ideal way to experience the Nebraska Sandhills National Natural Landmark in all its glory. Established in 1991, it traverses an assortment of local roads, wide open vistas, isolated ranchlands, beautiful lakes and rivers, forest in the north part of the Sandhills, and vast sand dunes, ultimately uniting travelers with a distinctive regional culture as well as captivating vistas. Moreover, byway users are highly encouraged to adapt to sparsely populated areas and small, isolated rural towns they may pass through.
Despite the isolated nature of this region, unique opportunities are present for archaeological enthusiasts and students of indigenous cultures. Historical settlement patterns, earth-lodges and archaeological remains provide valuable evidence of interactions by Paleoindian, Early Archaic, and other later populations that dwelled in this complex sandland and lake system. Ancient artifacts including projectile points and ceramics shed crucial insights into a previously unknown segment of the larger tapestry of the American past.
It is due to this cultural richness combined with an outstanding ecological legacy that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have joined hands with the private Sandhills Landscapes Initiative in protecting this nationally significant area. Protecting the enormous hydrological resources by safeguarding interdunal wetlands and grasslands in an increasingly variable climate stands as the key goal.
The region continues to play host to an array of archaeological research activities and serves as a renowned training site for college-level anthropology as well as natural history professionals. As ongoing conservation practices work in tandem with research to provide sustainable use of the ecosystem's hydrological resources, efforts are underway to put effective measures in place for improving land health, enhance habitat value for wildlife, and work in harmony with both windstorms as well as long drought events.
Within this dynamic Great Plains setting, several distinct National and regional natural landmark classification systems strive to offer protection to the intricate Nebraska Sandhills wetland/dune system, but their presence remains in peril as ecological threats escalate. Thus, widespread interaction by scientists, stakeholders, local landowners, and environmentally-minded citizens for preserving its unique components, making this valuable national treasure intact and unspoiled for future generations.
