Sand Hills, Nebraska


Gentle rivers meander along pine-studded canyons, towering waterfalls and a veritable ocean of prairie grasses alongside America's largest man-made forest, a wildlife refuge of gigantic proportions and cattle ranches that are better comprehended from the air than the ground. It's a wide-open landscape. A landscape that inspired Mari Sandoz to produce some of this country's finest fiction. A landscape you'll enjoy exploring by car or canoe.
Explore Sand Hills
Cowboy Trail
By the late 1800s, the United States saw railroad tracks stretched, like a giant web, across its entirety, carrying cargo and travelers towards settlement in the West. Long silenced, abandoned, and almost forgotten, a hundred years later the rails are beginning to see travelers once again. They'
Valentine, NE RecreationCentennial Hall and Museum
The bond issue to build the Valentine Public School was approved in February 1897. It was designed by Omaha architect Charles F. Beindorff, and construction was completed in 1898. The two-story brick structure
Valentine, NE MuseumsCowboy Trail
By the late 1800s, the United States saw railroad tracks stretched, like a giant web, across its entirety, carrying cargo and travelers towards settlement in the West. Long silenced, abandoned, and almost forgotten, a hundred years later the rails are beginning to see travelers once again. They'
Ainsworth, NE RecreationMiller Hotel - NHR
The Miller Hotel in Long Pine was originally built as a two-story frame house in 1895. It was converted to a hotel in 1914 when a ten-room wing was added. The hotel is historically significant for its association with the
Ainsworth, NE National RegisterDiscover Llamas
An outing to Rainbow Llamas owned by the Dickman's of Thedford, Nebraska, is educational as well as enjoyable, and the Dickmans are outstanding hosts and can answer all questions about llamas and their care.
Thedford, NE One Of A Kinds
Keller Park Camping
An ideal get-away-from-it-all spot for campers, as well, camping enthusiasts
, NE CampingNebraska National Forest
The Nebraska National Forest, located one mile west of Halsey and twenty minutes from Thedford along Highway 2 offers some of the most fabulous scenery in the state. It's been called a forest planted in the desert -- a ponderosa pine wilderness in the middle of the sandhills.
It'
Thedford, NE National ForestsJohnstown
In 1991, the village of Johnstown was the site of filming for the CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "O Pioneers!" Viewing the old fashioned main street with board sidewalk is a trip down memory lane with a unique "Old West" appearance.
Johnstown was established in 1882
Ainsworth, NE Historic TownsPost Office Mural - NHR
The former Valentine United States Post Office, constructed in 1936-37, is a one-story, brick and limestone Modernistic style building. While the building retains a high degree of integrity, its national historical significance derives
Valentine, NE National RegisterKeya Paha Historical Society Museum
The Keya Paha Historical Society welcomes you to experience 100 years of County history come to life, by beginning your visit at this unique museum in Springview. Here, inquire about guided tours, lectures, and historical events of the county.
The building, listed on the
Springview, NE MuseumsKeya Paha County Courthouse
This building has supported the official business of Keya Paha County since is construction in 1914
Springview, NE Historic Courthouses