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Special Places
Wilderness
One of our nation's greatest treasures is the National Wilderness Preservation System established by the Wilderness Act of 1964. Wildernesses are lands designated by Congress to be protected and preserved in their natural condition, without permanent improvements or habitation.
Soldier Creek Wilderness was created by an act of Congress in 1986 and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. It covers an area of 7,794 acres (31.54 km²) within the Pine Ridge section of the Nebraska National Forest.
National Grasslands Visitor Center
Discover the sublime beauty, ecological diversity, and sustainable productivity of America's 21 National Grasslands. Stop by to experience a 25-minute film, Junior Ranger program, gift shop, and special ranger-led events and activities. Explore the fantastic outdoor Living Landscape areas. Find out more about hours of operation, location, activities, and services provided at the National Grasslands Visitor Center.
Bessey Nursery
The Bessey Ranger District is well known for being the nation’s largest hand-planted forest. It started as an experiment in 1902 by Charles E. Bessey to investigate the feasibility of creating a forest in the Great Plains to be used as a national timber reserve. The original plantations were composed of Ponderosa Pine, Jack Pine and Eastern Red Cedar. Learn more about Bessey Nursery.
Hudson-Meng Education and Research Visitor Center
SUMMER 2024
OPEN Friday & Saturday's ONLY 9:00-4:30 am (Memorial to Labor Day Weekend)
Follow us on Facebook for updates! https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaForestsGrasslands
A visit to Hudson-Meng Bison Education & Research Visitor Center is a visit to a key partner of the Fossil Freeway. The site is located in the shadow of Nebraska's picturesque Pine Ridge, overlooking the Oglala and Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and north to the Black Hills of South Dakota. And it's only a few miles to the moonscape of Toadstool Geologic Park. * Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center is transitioning to a new reservation system on Recreation.gov.