Exploring the Nebraska Sand Hills
The Nebraska Sand Hills are something few people ever notice. I have seen them on the map and often wondered about them. It has never been a place I have had a chance to visit in the past. That changed this year.
The Pandemic changed all of my travel plans this year. I found myself in August and having basically been home all year. I wanted to travel. In normal times I would take a week and go to someplace I knew would be scenic like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or similar. Some of the parks can be busy but as someone usually plans I was able to work around the worst of the crowds. Covid has changed that. Parks like Yellowstone, Zion and Grand Canyon are setting new attendance records each month. There are news stories of overcrowding, and two hour waits in line to start a hike.
I did not want to be part of that kind of a crowd.
So I made a trip to explore lesser visited areas. I would still visit a couple of national parks but hopefully ones less crowded. My destination was to drive up the Great Plains to North Dakota and Montana.
In planning it the first major stop on my list was the Nebraska Sand Hills. First it's over 800 miles from Cowtown to the Sand Hills. I don't like doing super long days behind the wheel anymore and I broke up the drive in 400 mile days. That meant two days driving through the farm and ranch heartland of America. Many people would be bored with that. I loved it!
I followed US 83 north out of Texas. It is a good drive on a good road. Driving north across the Great Plains is a great thing to do. All the towns are small and are a throwback to a simpler America.
Something about crossing rivers and roads to tell distance. Red, Canadian, Arkansas, Platte, etc. The rivers recall the past. Reminds me of Lonesome Dove as they travel north.
Or crossing I-40 or 70 or 80 or 90. Even US 50 and US 6. Roads that remind you of the map and where they lead. You can stop and look across this vast landscape at the breadbasket of the world. It was September and the corn was being harvested. There was a lot of activity as the race for harvest was on.
Kansas and Nebraska find many farms until you cross the North Platte River, then you enter the Sand Hills which cover the northwest corner of the state. No more farms and the soil is thin and basically sand. The hills are neat a pretty to drive through but lack an epic photograph, at least on a cloudless afternoon. The hills are mostly grass but there are small clear running rivers with tree lined banks and marshes on the flat pans. I really enjoy the drive and view.
It is a subtle beauty. The roll of the land. The treeless hills. A clear stream in a valley or a small marshy pan. I see geese fly by.
I make my way to a lake at Merritt state park. In planning my route I had seen the Nebraska Star Party happens here because of the very dark skies. I set up camp where only two other campers are.
I get some great images of the Milky way while listening to coyotes howl.
Next morning is cloudless again ( it's cloudless most of the trip) but I manage to get a few images of the lake and area. On my drive I also see a bald eagle in a seasonal pond. Nice sighting.
I end up only spending a short time here but think it's a cool area to explore. If you ever drive this way I think it's worth spending a night. No, it is not Yosemite grand but like most of the plains has a subtle quality that makes it neat. And you can have it to yourself!!
In many ways it is not an easy place to photograph as there are no icons or obvious images. The scenery here is neat though and one worth driving when you have the time. That's really what I tried to do with this trip....make the time.
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