As we Nebraskans know, Nebraska is such an underrated state. It’s dismissed as a flyover state, but it would be a shame to fly over so much natural beauty. There’s one town in northwestern Nebraska that’s nestled right in the middle of some of the most breathtaking scenery in the entire state.
Crawford is a little town of a little less than 1000 residents, located in Dawes County in extreme northwest Nebraska.
By Ammodramus - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11358207
And this is one exceptionally beautiful place.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
While all of Nebraska is beautiful in different ways, this area is something unique and special.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
It’s the kind of powerful scenery that makes your throat catch in your breath the first time you catch a glimpse of the majestic buttes.
By Ammodramus - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11348366
Fort Robinson is here, and the park is so much more than just the old Army buildings.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
There are buttes and rolling hills, and even a resident bison herd.
flickr/Ben Schmitt
There are endless activities here with the incredible backdrop of this lovely landscape. The 22,000-acre park features areas of the ponderosa pines that are characteristic of this part of Nebraska.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
The region is known as the Pine Ridge, a long rocky ridge featuring powerful rock formations, forested areas, and lush canyons.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
Pine Ridge National Recreation Area is just outside of Crawford. It has been purposefully preserved as a semi-primitive area. No motorized vehicles are allowed here, and you can see wonders like Nebraska’s largest bighorn sheep herd.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
Oglala National Grassland also borders Crawford. It’s a wide, sweeping area of more than 94,000 acres that features some of the most diverse landscapes in the state.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
From carefully preserved pastures and prairies to impressive rock formations, the grassland is home to many of Nebraska’s most memorable attractions.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
This is where you’ll find the ancient wonders of the Hudson Meng Bison Bonebed, the site of several hundred bison skeletons.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
Although it’s a bit outside of Crawford (though, to be fair, everything is a bit spread out in the Panhandle), Hudson Meng is a naturally fascinating site that is well worth a visit. It’s a wonderful example of the rich geological, archeological, and paleontological wonders that abound out here.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
Toadstool Geologic Park also resides in the Oglala National Grassland, just a few miles away from Hudson-Meng.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
It’s the most unusual landscape in the entire state, with rock formations that you have to see in person to truly appreciate.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
It’s about an hour’s drive away, we couldn’t talk about the rock formations and fossils of the area without mentioning Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, an important fossil site with impressive views.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
Also about an hour outside of Crawford is Box Butte Reservoir, a stunning recreation area that offers fishing, boating swimming, camping, and more. It’s worth the drive for a day at the lake.
Nebraska Tourism Commission
The town of Crawford itself is also full of natural beauty. Its city park contains a walking path that connects directly to Fort Robinson, making the town feel almost like a natural extension of the state park. Crawford and its surrounding area feature some of the prettiest scenery you’ll find in Nebraska, and if you’ve never visited, this spring and summer would be the perfect time.
By Ammodramus - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11358207
Nebraska Tourism Commission
By Ammodramus - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11348366
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
flickr/Ben Schmitt
If you can’t get enough of Nebraska’s natural wonders, here are eight of them that everyone should see (including some of the places mentioned above!).
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