Wildcat Hills facts for kids
The Wildcat Hills are a cool area with steep cliffs and ridges in western Nebraska. They are found between the North Platte River and Pumpkin Creek. This special place is in Banner, Morrill, and Scotts Bluff counties.
The land here is high and has been shaped by wind and water over many years. It has become a region of forests, tall hills called buttes, and deep valleys called canyons. These hills rise about 150 to 300 meters (500 to 1,000 feet) above the land around them.
Some famous rock formations like Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff, and Courthouse and Jail Rocks are found along the northern and western edges of the Wildcat Hills.
Plants and Animals of Wildcat Hills
The plants and animals in the Wildcat Hills are quite special for Nebraska. The nature here is more like the Laramie Mountains, which are about 60 miles (97 km) to the west.
The main tree you will see is the ponderosa pine. Many animals live in these hills, including Bighorn sheep, pronghorn, elk, mule deer, and wild turkeys.
Cougars, also known as mountain lions, used to live here but disappeared around 1900. However, they started coming back in the early 1990s! The Wildcat Hills, along with the Pine Ridge, are now the only places in Nebraska where cougars live all the time.
A Journey Through Time
Long ago, the Emigrant Trail passed through the northern Wildcat Hills. This was a path used by pioneers traveling west. They went through places like Robidoux Pass and, after 1851, Mitchell Pass. Many travelers wrote about the amazing rock formations in their journals and letters.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission started buying land for the Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area between 1929 and 1980. This area is now a protected space for nature. In 1995, the Wildcat Hills Nature Center opened. It has a boardwalk trail that is about half a mile long.
Today, the Wildcat Hills are a popular spot for hiking and watching wildlife. It's a great place to explore nature!
