March 2025 • Nebraskaland 21
L
ong before the Niobrara River carries the multitudes of tubers
and kayakers in north-central Nebraska, it entertains a variety of
outdoor enthusiasts at a recreational hot spot in the Panhandle.
This far west, where the river would be better described as a
creek, stands a dam that was constructed by the Works Progress
Administration in the 1940s to create what was first known as Lake
Felton. Visitors now know the reservoir north of Hemingford at the
western edge of the Sandhills as Box Butte Reservoir State Recreation
Area and Wildlife Management Area.
The 1,600-acre reservoir, with 587 acres of public land surrounding
it, is full of fun surprises for an array of outdoor pursuits, perhaps most
notably fishing and camping.
ABOVE: A tree swallow peers from its nest in Box Butte's
flooded timber of spring.
OPPOSITE: The Niobrara River flows into Box Butte Reservoir
on a crisp fall morning.
