Lake Winters Creek 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.
This site celebrates the heroic expedition of the Corps of Discovery, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Captain William Clark. Thirty three people traveled with them into unknown territory, starting near what is now known as Wood River, Illinois in 1804, reaching the Pacific Ocean in 1805 and returning in 1806. Today's trail follows their route as closely as possible given the changes over the years. It is approximately 3,700 miles long, beginning near Wood River, Illinois, and passes through portions of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The National Park Service does not own any portion of the trail. Various organizations and individuals are responsible for trail stewardship with oversite provided by the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail office.
Merritt Reservoir 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.
Missouri National Recreational River America's longest river, the "Big Muddy" is steeped in stories about American Indians, Lewis and Clark, fur traders, and steamboat captains. The river's role in the settlement of the Great Plains is celebrated in two free-flowing reaches along the Nebraska-South Dakota border--the Missouri National Recreational River. Between Gavins Point Dam and Ponca State Park, NE, it still exhibits its dynamic character with a variety of islands, bars, and chutes. Between Fort Randall Dam and Running Water, SD, it represents the natural landscape of pre-settlement days. These segments also provide habitat for several endangered and threatened bird and fish species.
Missouri NRR also offers such activities as boating, fishing, canoeing, camping, birdwatching, and touring of historic sites, thus providing opportunities to pursue outdoor activities within one of America's great historic settings.
Nebraska and Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests and Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre and Oglala National Grasslands 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.
Niobrara National Scenic River 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.
The western third of the Scenic River is home to over ninety waterfalls -- highest is Smith Falls that cascades seventy feet from a Sand Hills cliff.
Many locally-owned ranches are found along the river retaining the valley's rural flavor, yet much of its wild character is preserved. Wildlife abounds: animals such as white-tailed deer, coyote, beaver, mink, bull snakes, soft-shelled turtles, turkeys, herons, and sandpipers are commonly sighted.
Enjoyed by tens of thousands of canoeists yearly, the upper reach of the Niobrara is noted as one of the country's outstanding canoeing rivers. A portion flows through a federally designated wilderness.
