The Frontier Trails Region
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The Frontier Trails Region is extremely accessible to visitors, thanks to the four Nebraska Scenic Byways that pass through it: the Platte River Scenic Trails Byway near I-80, the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway, the Sandhills Journey, and Heritage Highway. Their existence speaks to the fact that this portion of Nebraska is well suited to transportation, which has long been an important part of the culture and economy here. In fact, the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, which spans Interstate 80 near Kearney, commemorates and chronicles the fascinating history of western expansion across Nebraska.
The Tri-Cities of Kearney, Hastings, and Grand Island, in the eastern part of the region, have many excellent museums. In Grand Island, the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer is a Living History Museum. The Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney has a collection of 175 years of Nebraska art and a children's gallery, while one of the best collections of antique Chevrolets is just a few miles west, in Elm Creek. South of Kearney in Minden, Harold Warp's Pioneer Village was born out of Mr. Warp's desire to preserve the one-room schoolhouse where he was educated as a boy. Since its inception, it has grown to include a general store, a sod-house, a Pony-Express station, and much more. For an altogether different slice of history, the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History depicts the origin of Kool-Aid - created in Hastings.
The town of Red Cloud, just north of Kansas, is home to the Willa Cather Foundation. In 1883, the Cather family traveled from Virginia to Webster County, Nebraska. The young Willa was deeply impressed by the open prairie and the diverse population of immigrants who made their homes there. Although she moved east in 1891 - never to return to life on the plains - she is considered one of the best chroniclers of pioneering life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cather's childhood home in Red Cloud, along with several other historical buildings in town, are maintained by the Willa Cather Foundation and open to visitation.
While history and culture abound in the Frontier Trails Region, the outdoors should not be overlooked. Each year, the annual Sandhill crane migration fills the skies with these magnificent birds. The Lillian Annette Rowe Bird Sanctuary near Gibbon protects habitat along the Platte River for Sandhill cranes, Whooping cranes, and other migratory birds; in Alda, the Crane Meadows Nature Center helps people experience the Platte River ecology through a large interpretive center, nature trails and a viewing tower.
The region boasts eight lakes (including Harlan County Reservoir, Nebraska's second largest) and 13 state wildlife and recreation areas. There are ample opportunities for hikers, bikers, boaters, fishermen, and hunters.
Cities within the Frontier Trails region:
