Day 78 (July 31). Sand Hills, Nebraska

From: Alliance, NE

To: Grand Island, NE

Miles today: 278

Total miles: 15900

Many years ago on one transcontinental flight or another, l looked out the window and saw a vast array of what appeared to be sand dunes.  In the middle of the US!  Later I researched the subject, and determined that what I saw was the Sand Hills region of Nebraska.  That image has always stuck with me, and I vowed that if I were ever in western Nebraska, I would go and see what this place looked like at eye level.  My opportunity has arrived!

Sand Hills of Nebraska. Left: from space (Google Maps).  Right: View from Route NE 2.

The Sand Hills region of Nebraska is recognized as a separate ecological region within the Great Plains.  It is essentially a region of large sand dunes that have been locked in place by the same types of grasses that grow in the surrounding regions.  This freezing of the dunes seems to be a recent development; as recently as 1000 years ago (during the Medieval Warm Period, according to Wikipedia), these dunes were “active,” meaning they moved around and buried anything that got in their way.  I examined the terrain up close, and even dug into it a little.  Yep, this is sand, loose sand, just like on the beach. If the plants go away, the dunes become active again. 

The Sand Hills are just that -- dunes with grass.

In addition to the dunes themselves, there are lots of small ponds in low-lying areas. This is because the Sand Hills sit atop the much larger Ogallala Aquifer, so instead of sinking into the depths of the earth, much of the water can stay at the surface.  In return, these ponds apparently recharge the aquifer, which provides drinking water for many of the residents that sit over it.  The sandy nature of the soil has always made it unsuitable for agriculture (although as grassland it supports cattle fairly well).  As a result, most of this land has never been plowed, making it almost unique in its “pristine-ness” in the Midwest. Not a lot of people live out here, but Route NE 2 runs right through the middle of it.  I am glad I took the opportunity to see it.

Left: Map of the Sand Hills.  Right: Map of the Ogallala Aquifer. 

Ponds are common in the Sand Hills, as are cattle (and trains!)

Somewhere near the town of Broken Bow, the Sand Hills peter out and we are back to the Great Plains.  Corn and cattle, and a lot of both.   Amidst the rising of some gigantic thunderheads, I pulled into the town of Grand Island.  (The name comes from an island in the Platte River, but the “town” moved to the north shore when the railroad came through.)  Before hitting the motel, I took an hour or so and toured some of the Stuhr Museum of Pioneer History, which is one of the more famous museums in Nebraska. 

The Stuhr Museum sits on a large chunk of land on the south end of town.  The main building is beautiful, but mostly empty; many of the actual exhibits are a small number of donated items, including clothes and weapons of the period, as well as a replica of a Conestoga wagon.  Around the central building are a number of sites where volunteers in period costume show you what it was like at various times.  Only some of these times are associated with the pioneer age, however; there is a lot of emphasis on the coming of the railroads.  What I figured out is the land itself is the most important thing about the place. There are wagon ruts on the grounds from the pioneer days, as thousands of people moved west along the Platte River on the Oregon Trail and other routes.  That was pretty cool.

The Stuhr Museum.  Left: the main building - beautiful architecture outside and in, but limited gallery space.  Right: ruts left by  Conestoga wagons over a century ago.