Pine Ridge (region) facts for kids
The Pine Ridge is a special natural area in northwestern Nebraska. A small part of it also reaches into South Dakota. It's like a big, steep hill or cliff (called an escarpment) that separates two rivers: the Niobrara River and the White River. This area has many forests, tall flat-topped hills called buttes, long ridges, and deep canyons.
Amazing Nature and Wildlife
The plants and animals in the Pine Ridge are quite different from most of Nebraska. The nature here is very similar to the Black Hills, which are about 50 miles (80 km) north.
The most common tree in the Pine Ridge is the ponderosa pine. You can also find trees that lose their leaves, like cottonwoods, especially at the bottom of the canyons.
The Pine Ridge is one of only two places in Nebraska where you can find bighorn sheep. Other animals like elk, river otters, mule deer, and wild turkeys are also common here.
A Look Back in History
The Pine Ridge region was important during the final parts of the American Indian Wars. This area was home to several groups of the Lakota people. Many small fights between the Lakota and the U.S. Army happened here in the 1860s and 1870s.
A famous Lakota leader named Crazy Horse was killed at Fort Robinson in 1877. In 1879, Chief Dull Knife led his people in what is known as the Cheyenne Outbreak from Fort Robinson.
Special Protected Places
A large part of the Pine Ridge is protected. It is owned or managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission or by different U.S. Government groups. These areas are kept safe for nature and for people to visit and enjoy.
Some of these special places include:
- Chadron State Park
- Fort Robinson
- Metcalf Wildlife Management Area
- Nebraska National Forest
- Pine Ridge National Recreation Area
- Soldier Creek Wilderness
- Oglala National Grassland
- Peterson Wildlife Management Area
- Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area
