Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Ellsworth)
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located approximately 28 miles north of Oshkosh, Nebraska, was established in 1931 as a waterfowl production and maintenance Refuge. It is located at the eastern edge of the Nebraska Panhandle in Garden County, on the southwestern edge of the 20, 000 square mile Nebraska Sandhills. The sandhills are characterized by continuous grass and forb-covered dunes and swales and are considered to be the largest body of sand in the world, which is not a desert.
Virginia Smith Reservoir (Burwell)
Virginia Smith Dam (formerly called Calamus Dam) and Reservoir, North Loup Division, P-SMBP, are on the Calamus River in Nebraska. Recreation at the site is managed for the Bureau of Reclamation by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Reservoir open 24 hours. Good access roads. Fishing season is year round. Available species include walleye, wiper, white bass, northern pike, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and crappie. Irrigation supply reservoir experiencing moderate fluctuations.
Harry Strunk Reservoir (Cambridge)
Harry Strunk Reservoir, Frenchman Cambridge Division, PSMBP, is managed for the Bureau of Reclamation by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Formed by Medicine Creek Dam located on Medicine Creek, irrigation releases are made to the streams for diversion into downstream canal systems. Reservoir open 24 hours. Fair access roads. Available species include walleye, crappie, white bass, channel catfish, and wipers. Irrigation supply reservoir experiencing fluctuations.
Lake Minatare State Recreation Area (Minatare)
Lake Minatare is a feature of the North Platte Project. Managed as a State recreation area by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Lake Minatare, with a surface area of 2, 158 acres and about 12 miles of shoreline is a part of the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge. Available species include channel catfish, crappie, small mouth bass, white bass, walleye (15 inch minimum), wipers, and yellow perch. Walleye, channel catfish, and gizzard shad are stocked in the reservoir annually.
Sherman Reservoir (Loup City)
Sherman Dam, Farwell Unit, P-SMBP, lies across Oak Creek, about 5 miles northeast of Loup City. Reservoir open 24 hours. Good access roads. Available species include walleye, crappie, white bass, northern pike, and channel and flathead catfish. Irrigation supply reservoir experiencing extreme fluctuations. Reservoir peaks at 2, 870 surface acres. Fishing season year-round.3, 160 acres are open to public hunting for deer, waterfowl, and upland game.
Winters Creek Lake (Scottsbluff)
Winters Creek Lake is a feature of the North Platte Project. Most of the lake lies within the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge. The Northeast side features an undisturbed bird sanctuary. The lake has a surface area of 379 acres and approximately 4 miles of shoreline. Available species include bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass, walleye (15 inch minimum), and yellow perch. Walleye are stocked in the reservoir annually. Channel catfish stocked when available. Non-powered boats only.
Harlan County Lake (Republican Cty)
Located in southcentral Nebraska, this is the second largest lake in the state. It is well known for its excellent walleye, catfish and white bass fishing.
Wehrspann Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. (Papio-Missouri River NRD, 8901 South 154th Street, Omaha, NE 68138-3621 402-444-6222). The surface area of the lake is 239 acres. Visitors at this day-use only facility can enjoy biking, hiking, and jogging trails, nature trails, an arboretum, native prairie grasses, and a bird-watching/waterfowl observation platform.
Olive Creek Lake (OMAHA)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. This is a small 175-acre lake with two campgrounds offering only primitive camping. Visit their web page, or contact them at; Nebraska Game and Parks, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641.
Wagontrain Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. The 1, 060-acre recreation area includes a 315-acre lake and a dog training area. Visit the Wagontrain Lake web site, or contact Nebraska Game and Parks, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641, for more information.
Yankee Hill Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. A Saltcreek tributary, the lake has a surface area of 210 acres. Visit the Yankee Hill Lake web page or contact Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641, for more information.
Twin Lakes (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. The lakes have a combined surface area of 255 acres. Visit the Twin Lakes web page or contact the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641, for more information.
Pawnee Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. The lake has a surface area of 737 acres. Visit the Pawnee Lake web page or contact the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641, for more information.
Branched Oak Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. The lake has a surface area of 1780 acres and is the largest of the Salt Valley Lakes. Visit the Branch Oak Lake web page, or contact the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641, for more information.
Zorinsky Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the City of Omaha. (Department of Parks, Recreation & Public Property, 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 402-444-5900). The surface area of the lake is 253 acres. Visitors at this day-use only facility can enjoy a variety of activities including fishing, no-wake boating, hiking, cycling, nature study, baseball, soccer, football and winter sports.
Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District (Kearney)
The Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District (WMD) staff manages 61 tracts of wetland, totaling 23, 059 acres, scattered more than 14 counties in southeastern Nebraska. The 61 areas, known as Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs), are located in a geographic area known as the Rainwater Basin. Its name originates from the geologic formation of large, wind-blown shallow depressions, which become flooded after rain and snow melt. Historically, approximately 4, 000 such wetlands existed.
Valentine National Wildlife Refuge (Valentine)
Valentine National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is 71, 516 acres in size and located 20 miles south of Valentine, Nebraska along Highway 83 in north-central Nebraska. The Refuge was established in 1935 to protect a portion of the Sandhills and the area wildlife. This region is the largest remaining tract of mid- and tall grass prairie in North America. In 1976, the unique nature of the Sandhills prairie was recognized when the Refuge was designated as a National Natural Landmark.
Lake Winters Creek (Minatare)
Lake Winters Creek is one of the four Inland Lakes in Nebraska. It is located immediately northwest of Lake Minatare. It has surface area of 379 acres and approximately 4 miles of shoreline. It is located almost entirely within the North Platte Wildlife Refuge, and the northeast side of the lake features an undisturbed bird sanctuary. Like Lake Alice and Lake Minatare, recreation at the lake is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Nebraska and Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests and National Grasslands (Chadron)
Located from central Nebraska west to the northern Panhandle, into southwestern South Dakota, and on east to the state's center, lies the Nebraska National Forest. Representing a cross section of the northern Great Plains ecosystems are three National Grasslands, the Buffalo Gap, and Fort Pierre (pronounced "peer"), in South Dakota, and the Oglala, which along with two National Forests, the Nebraska and Samuel R. McKelvie, are in Nebraska.
Chimney Rock National Historic Site (Bayard)
Chimney Rock has become one of the most famous landmarks in the American West. This unique formation--the most noted on the Oregon Trail--has come to symbolize the greatest voluntary migration in the history of mankind. The site is adminstered by the Nebraska State Historical Society which operates the Ethel and Christopher J. Abbot Visitor Center at the Chimney Rock National Historic Site.
Homestead National Monument of America (Beatrice)
The cry was FREE LAND!! The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a chance to live the American dream. Visit the park and gain understanding on how the Act changed the lives of all Americans and the land.
Box Butte Reservoir (Alliance)
Box Butte Dam and reservoir are features of the Mirage Flats Project. Recreation is managed for the Bureau of Reclamation by the Nebraska Game and Parks. Water is stored in Box Butte Reservoir, Mirage Flats Project, on the Niobrara River about 10 miles north of Hemingford, Nebraska. The reservoir lies in the arid western Niobrara River Valley in the northwestern section of the Nebraska Panhandle. The reservoir is surrounded by dense cottonwood and willow trees.
Davis Creek Reservoir (Ord)
Davis Creek Dam and Reservoir are features of the North Loup Division, Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. Reservoir open 24 hours. Fair access roads. Available species include largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, and bullhead. Irrigation supply reservoir experiencing extreme fluctuations. Reservoir peaks at 1, 140 surface acres. Fishing season is year-round.Hunting is available to the public for deer, waterfowl, and upland game.
Enders Reservoir (Enders)
Enders Dam and reservoir, Frenchman Cambridge Division, PSMBP, is managed for the Bureau of Reclamation by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The reservoir is open 24 hours. Good access roads. Fishing season is year-round. Available species include walleye, crappie, white bass, channel catfish, and wipers. Irrigation supply reservoir experiencing minor fluctuations. Reservoir peaks at 1, 705 surface acres. A portion of the area is dedicated as a wildlife refuge in the fall and winter.
Hugh Butler Reservoir (Red Willow Dam and Medicine Creek Da (McCook)
Recreation at Hugh Butler Reservoir, Frenchman Cambridge Division, in southwestern Nebraska, is managed for the Bureau of Reclamation by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and extends from Palisade southeast along Frenchman River and from Trenton east along the Republican River. Water storage facilities consist of the Enders Reservoir and Swanson, Red Willow Dam (Hugh Butler Reservoir), and Harry Strunk Lakes.
Lake Alice (Scottsbluff)
The North Platte Project extends 111 miles along the river valley from Guernsey, Wyoming to below Bridgeport, Nebraska. The city of Scottsbluff is near the center of the development. Lake Alice reservoir is formed by two Lake Alice Dams; the upper dam Lake Alice #1 at the west end of Lake Alice and the lower dam Lake Alice #2 at the east end.Lake Alice, with a surface area of 752 acres and nearly 6 miles of shoreline, lies almost entirely within the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge.
Merritt Reservoir (Valentine)
Merritt Dam, a feature of the Ainsworth Unit, Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, is on the Snake River 14 miles upstream from the confluence of the Snake and Niobrara Rivers. Recreation is managed by Nebraska Game and Parks. Reservoir open 24 hours. Good access roads. Available species include walleye, muskie, largemouth bass, crappie, and yellow perch. Irrigation supply reservoir experiencing moderate fluctuations. Reservoir peaks at 2, 905 surface acres. Fishing season is year-round.
Swanson Reservoir (Trenton Dam) (Stratton)
Swanson Reservoir, Frenchman Cambridge Division, P-SMBP, was formed by the construction in 1953 of Trenton Dam on the Republican River 2.5 miles west of Trenton, Nebraska. Reservoir open 24 hours. Good access roads. Fishing season is year-round. Available species include walleye, crappie, white bass, black bass, northern pike, channel catfish, and wipers. Irrigation supply reservoir experiencing minor fluctuations. Reservoir peaks a 4, 975 surface acres.
Standing Bear Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the City of Omaha. (Department of Parks, Recreation & Public Property, 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 402-444-5900). The surface area of the lake is 137 acres. Visitors at this day-use only facility can enjoy fishing, non-motorized boating, hiking, cycling, nature study, and winter sports.
Bluestem Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. The 742-acre area offers a variety of recreation opportunities including an archery range. Visit the Bluestem Lake web page or contact them at: Nebraska Game and Parks, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641, for more information.
Stagecoach Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. The lake has a surface area of 196 acres. Visit the Stagecoach web page, or contact Nebraska Game and Parks, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370, 402-471-0641, for more information.
Conestoga Lake (Omaha)
Conestoga Lake, NE is a State Recreation Area located 3 miles south and 1/2 mile west of Emerald. The 230-acre lake provides plenty of opportunity for boating and fishing. Facilities include primitive camping, two picnic areas, a playground, a fish cleaning station, a boat ramp, a dump station, vault toilets, and fire pits. This Corps area is leased to the State of Nebraska. Visit the Conestoga Lake web page or contact Nebraska Game and Parks, 2200 N. 33rd Street, P.O.
Holmes Lake (Omaha)
Holmes Lake, NE is a 112-acre lake located on Antelope Creek within the city of Lincoln, NE. Recreational opportunities at Holmes include fishing, hiking, biking, picnicking, and golfing. This park is managed by the City of Lincoln, NE, Department of Parks and Recreation, 2740 A Street, Lincoln, NE 68502 402-441-7847.
Glenn Cunningham Lake (Omaha)
This Corps area is leased to the City of Omaha. (Department of Parks, Recreation & Public Property, 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 402-444-5900). The surface area of the lake is 377 acres with more than 1, 050 acres of surrounding park land. Visitors can enjoy picnicking, no-wake boating, hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. This area is along the Lewis and Clark route.
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (Valentine)
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is 19, 131 acres in size and located 4 miles east of Valentine along the Niobrara River in north-central Nebraska. Fort Niobrara NWR was established by Executive Order in January 1912 as a "preserve and breeding ground for native birds." Its purpose was expanded later that same year to include the preservation of bison and elk herds representative of those that once roamed the Great Plains.
Niobrara National Scenic River (O'Neill)
This 76-mile reach of the Niobrara River in northcentral Nebraska was added to the nation's Wild and Scenic River System in 1991. The river is swift and shallow over much of its length, cutting through bedrock forming riffles, rapids and waterfalls. The Scenic River preserves a superb example of a Great Plains river and protects a unique ecological crossroads where six distinct ecosystems and their associated flora and fauna mix, some at or beyond their normal geographic limit.
North Platte National Wildlife Refuge (Scottsbluff)
North Platte National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located eight miles northeast of Scottsbluff in the Nebraska Panhandle. Superimposed over Bureau of Reclamation irrigation projects, the four refuge units consist of: Winters Creek, Lake Alice, portions of Lake Minatare, and Stateline Island (located south of Henry, Nebraska). The North Platte NWR was established by Executive Order under President Wilson on August 21, 1916, as "a preserve and breeding ground for native birds.
Pine Ridge National Recreation Area (Chadron)
6600 acres of Ponderosa pine mountains, providing primitive and semi-primitive recreation. Non-motorized, but many miles of popular mountain biking and horseback riding in an undiscovered part of Nebraska. Roberts Tract Trailhead provides fully accessible rider ramp, nice vault toilet, water, and picnic tables. Fees only for camping at trailhead, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Outside of summer season, pack-in, pack-out, and water not provided.
Scotts Bluff National Monument (Gering)
A prominent natural landmark for emigrants on the Oregon Trail, Scotts Bluff, Mitchell Pass and the adjacent prairie lands are set aside in a 3, 000 acre national monument. This site preserves the memory of the historic Oregon, California and Mormon Trails. The monument museum contains exhibits about the human and natural history of the area and also holds a unique collection of watercolor paintings by the frontier photographer and artist William Henry Jackson.
John W. and Louise Seier National Wildlife Refuge (Rose)
John W. & Louise Seier National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is 2, 400 acres in size and is located 25 miles south of Bassett along Highway 183 in north-central Nebraska. The Refuge was established in 1999 to preserve, restore, and enhance the ecological diversity and abundance of migratory and resident wildlife. The Refuge lies among the Sandhills of Nebraska, which is the largest remaining tract of mid- and tall-grass prairie in North America.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge (Ft. Calhoun)
In the centuries before European settlement in this area, the Missouri River maintained multiple, braided channels. During times of flooding, the river would change course suddenly and unpredictably across its wide floodplain. Between 1820 and 1937, natural meandering of the river moved it 3 miles eastward from the Fort Calhoun bluffs (site of historic Fort Atkinson) to its present location.
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (Harrison)
Agate is an internationally recognized fossil site. However, as a place, Agate is so much more. The landscape surrounding the fossil beds has been a site of change for millions of years. The relationship between land, weather, ecology and mammals in the Agate area has been a stage of continual change over time. Agate has also been a home to people like James Cook and his wife, Kate; great leaders of great nations like Red Cloud and American Horse.
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (Omaha)
In 1804, Meriwether Lewis & William Clark began a voyage of discovery with 45 men, a keelboat, two pirogues, and a dog. They departed from Camp Wood located in what was to become Illinois. President Jefferson had long dreamed of what lay to the west of the young United States ? what animals, plants, minerals, what route for eastern trade would his expedition reveal? The President had privately requested Congress to fund the expedition shortly before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
Missouri National Recreational River (O'Neill)
There was a time there was just the river. Then people came. People and the river have been connected ever since. And now it's your turn. Missouri National Recreational River offers natural beauty: the forested buff-colored chalkstone bluffs to gently rolling range bottomland; the brilliant white of migrating pelicans to the rich blues of prairie asters; the soaring majesty of resident bald eagles to fleeting glimpses of the wily red fox.
Arcadia Diversion Dam (Farwell)
Arcadia Diversion Dam is on the Middle Loup River about 8.5 miles upstream from Arcadia, Nebraska. The project is part of the Farwell Unit, Middle Loup Division of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. The area is managed by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, 402-471-0641, for a wildlife management area. The site includes 777 land acres and 109 water acres and is home to pheasant, waterfowl, deer, dove, and squirrel.