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Submission
Located south of Nenzel in Cherry County, this 116,000-acre national forest is a fantastic representation of the unique Nebraska Sandhills prairie ecosystem. Popular uses of the forest include hunting, fishing, horseback riding, camping and bird watching. There is one small campground located on the southwestern edge of the forest. Steer Creek Campground has 23 campsites, 8 horse corrals, potable water, and the 1-mile Blue Jay hiking trail. The Niobrara River Canoe Launch day use site on the Niobrara River for launching small water craft. Fishing is available in the nearby Merritt Reservoir. The Lord Lakes wetland complex has been recognized for its outstanding fishing.
We stayed at the Steer Creek campground, located a few miles from the reservoir. It's not a bad little campground. We were the only ones there, so it felt a little dodgy at night. Add to that the horrific screams of coyotes and the weird noises cows can make and you've got a fun horror flick in the making. The state park is nice. We caught a glimpse of some deer, a coyote, and an antelope (on the prairie). Don't be fooled when you first enter. It's all prairie with a smattering of trees in the beginning, but if you keep on keeping on you'll get to the forest part.
It's a beautiful area. The reservoir is nice. The campground was equipped with a firepit, grill, and two vaulted toilets. There is plenty of firewood. The hiking left something to be desired. The bugs were awful, but it's nature so... I would recommend this place for people who want to get away into nature, but don't mind cow noises. It's nice.
Being from Illinois it always amazes me that there is so much public land out west. Regulations are clearly posted but navigating some of the interior roads in Mckelvie can be challenging.
Great place for some off-roading fun! Make sure your vehicle is hearty though, the trail is mostly nonexistent. It's definitely more of a choose your own adventure kind of thing! What would have made it better was more signage telling you where you were going. Other than using a map supplied by the place we stayed, there was no way to know where we were going or what else was in the park since there's no reception out there.
Beautiful views from tops of hills. Massive. Definitely need 4 wheel drive if taking any of the service roads throughout.
