A Week of Remote Byways and Backroads of the Nebraska Sandhills

[roverrocks]

Spent six days from May 31-June 5, 2013 exploring and photographing the beautiful ancient sand dune grasslands, lakes, streams, wetlands, livestock, wildlife, history, and ranches of the last and greatest remnant of the once vast midgrass/tallgrass American prairies. This remnant is the over 19,000 sq. miles of the Nebraska Sandhills in the north central and NW areas of the state. Sees few visitors as these Sandhills are remote and far-off-the-beaten-track from the yawning doldrums of I-80 travel across the state. Being born and raised to the west of these Sandshills on the shortgrass high plains near Scottsbluff, Nebraska, the Nebraska Sandhills have an almost mythical attraction to me. I had not spent much time in these ancient grass covered dunes and intervening water-filled valleys except for an occasional sharp-tail grouse hunting trip in my youth. I decided to devote a week of putting a dent in the many hundreds and hundreds of miles of remote one lane paved, sand, gravel, or two-track byways that are open to the public plus some that dead-ended at alluring ranchsteads where my DeLorme Nebraska atlas and Gazeteer was wrong. Living in western Colorado took me a full day of travel going and coming to reach the western boundary of the Sandhills. I traveled many hundreds of miles of these scenic byways trying to stay off of major two lane highways as much as possible. Next year I hope to go back and explore many more miles of the region. Took nearly 800 photos and here are a few of this remarkable region. Here's an internet overview of these Sandhills first:http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...H8wK9E0drJMHfm5bZkcDkjg&bvm=bv.47534661,d.aWc

 

[roverrocks]

More Nebraska Sandshills photos

More photos of this amazing area

 

[roverrocks]

More Nebraska Sandshills photos

More of the Sandhills.

 

[roverrocks]

More Nebraska Sandshills photos

More photos.

 

[Brian1]

Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing! I just got back from a road trip on I80 from the eastern border to Kearney and then dropping south on my way home from a family event in Illinois. I read about the sand hill region at a roadside rest area. After seeing your pictures that area is going on my 'to explore' list. I didn't quite know what to expect driving across Nebraska as I had never been through there before, the NW sand hill portion does look more interesting than what I saw but I still enjoyed it.

 

[roverrocks]

Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing! I just got back from a road trip on I80 from the eastern border to Kearney and then dropping south on my way home from a family event in Illinois. I read about the sand hill region at a roadside rest area. After seeing your pictures that area is going on my 'to explore' list. I didn't quite know what to expect driving across Nebraska as I had never been through there before, the NW sand hill portion does look more interesting than what I saw but I still enjoyed it.

The Nebraska Sandhills are a 1000% better than what you saw. Simply an incredible region. You have to explore it to understand. My pictures do little justice to what you will feel when you are there on a summer day looking, listening, and smelling the Sandhills prairie. Also even farther NW in Nebraska is the interesting Pine Ridge/Fort Robinson/Toadstool State Park region.

 

[fisher205]

Well you let the cat out of the bag with your pictures. I like to take HWY 2 as it cuts across Nebraska and through the sandhills. Also the Niobrara is beautiful river to float. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[conifers4]

That horse is roided out!!
Great pictures, beautiful country.

 

[Foy]

Totally jealous!

roverrocks,

I've been wanting to do that trip since 2010. All I could spare time for then was running out NE-2 from Grand Island to Alliance on the way to Montana, then Valentine to NE-2 to Grand Island on the return trip. Never got my tires off the pavement!

Nice pics. Do you have some description of where you went?

One of these days!

Foy

 

[roverrocks]

roverrocks,

I've been wanting to do that trip since 2010. All I could spare time for then was running out NE-2 from Grand Island to Alliance on the way to Montana, then Valentine to NE-2 to Grand Island on the return trip. Never got my tires off the pavement!

Nice pics. Do you have some description of where you went?

One of these days!

Foy

Here's an overview map in yellow of where I went and one more detailed of the area east of Alliance, NE. I started into the Sandhills on day 1 at a wide spot SW of Alliance, NE called Angora, NE and got as far east as Halsey, NE exploring N and S of Highway 2. Ended up at Alliance then Scottsbluff at the end of day 6. There are many different backtrails that show up on the individual pages of the Atlas in much greater detail. Some were loops and some I drove both ways on as things always look different going both ways. Several were dead ends that ended at ranchsteads where the map showed things going through. I don't use or have GPS.

 

[Foy]

Beautiful, and thanks

roverrocks,

In 2010, I went as far as acquiring county road maps for Cherry and some surrounding counties, as I knew neither my DeLorme nor GPS would distinguish between public roads and private ranch roads. I also phoned the Cherry County Supervisor of Roads, who chuckled about people getting lost, stuck, or broken down, with great regularity, and having to wait until somebody came by to provide assistance, from reliance solely on GPS. I don't use one, either.

I had a nice email exchange with the folks at the R&R Ranch north of Mullen. I was advised that most ranchers in the Sandhills would welcome a respectful visitor and would grant permission to cross their land in between public roads.

Thanks for the images. Again, GREAT report.

Foy

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

That's a great trip and great photos!

I did the smallest bit of that on the Ducati years ago...stayed at a renovated US Army officer's building...sheesh...Chadron??

No, Ft Robinson, that was it.

Need to get the 109 done and head back that way ASAP.

Thanks for the photos!


KAA

 

[roverrocks]

roverrocks,

In 2010, I went as far as acquiring county road maps for Cherry and some surrounding counties, as I knew neither my DeLorme nor GPS would distinguish between public roads and private ranch roads. I also phoned the Cherry County Supervisor of Roads, who chuckled about people getting lost, stuck, or broken down, with great regularity, and having to wait until somebody came by to provide assistance, from reliance solely on GPS. I don't use one, either.

I had a nice email exchange with the folks at the R&R Ranch north of Mullen. I was advised that most ranchers in the Sandhills would welcome a respectful visitor and would grant permission to cross their land in between public roads.

Thanks for the images. Again, GREAT report.

Foy

Thanks for the info on the ranchers and Cherry County.

 

[Foy]

Thanks for the info on the ranchers and Cherry County.

Glad I could contribute. By the way, I sourced the county road maps from the Nebraska Department of Roads. They're a little cumbersome, but I'd definitely want them on board while trying to stitch together a lengthy Sandhills traverse. They're an excellent complement to the DeLorme.

Foy

 

[Woodsman]

Magnificent ! Like a hidden gem. I've added it to "the list".