48 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2018
The Nebraska National Forest
experience is a mystery to most
Nebraskans. Many will say they have
driven past, some might have climbed
Scott Lookout Tower for a bird's-
eye view, but few truly know what is
beyond the entrance. Two categories of
recreationists know it well, however,
and divergent as they are, they have
one thing in common: horsepower.
It is counterintuitive that horses and
all-terrain vehicles could coexist in
one place. Their riders seek opposites:
sand-churning speed versus peaceful
exploration. But the Forest is large;
western regions are for equestrians
while all-terrain people stick to the
east. Loud engines are inaudible
miles away in the peaceful Natick
campground where horses munch hay
in individual pens.
Windmills brimming with water
are crucial to Forest riders; nearby
rivers are not accessible and the quick-
draining sand does not hold surface
water. Roger and Misty White of
Camped nearby, kids gaze over the Middle Loup River before sunset. Forest campgrounds come alive in the evenings.
Luke and Kayla Fries of Grand Island share a loving campsite moment with daughter
Rayan during their second family reunion in the Forest.
