Toadstool Geologic Park is located in the
Oglala National Grassland in far northwestern
Nebraska. It is operated by the
United States Forest Service. It contains a
badlands landscape and a reconstructed
sod house
The sod house or soddy was an often used alternative to the log cabin during frontier settlement of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. Primarily used at first for animal shelters, corrals, and fences, ...
.
The park is named after its unusual rock formations, many of which resemble
toadstools.
About
Toadstool Geologic Park is said to be the "
badlands of Nebraska" or the "desert of the
Pine Ridge." The park is open 24 hours a day. Toadstool Park is north of
Crawford, Nebraska
Crawford is a city in Dawes County, in the northwestern part of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1886 and was named for the late Captain Emmet ...
; to get to the park, take
Nebraska Highway 2/
Nebraska Highway 71
Nebraska Highway 71 is a highway in western Nebraska. Its southern terminus is at the Colorado border south of Kimball, as a continuation of Colorado State Highway 71. Its northern terminus is at the South Dakota border northwest of Crawford, ...
to Toadstool Road. There is a 1-mile loop trail within the park. There are many
fossils along the trail; removing fossils is not allowed. Many fossils of large prehistoric animals such as
entelodonts and
hyaenodons have been found here. Camping is available and there are two toilets.
The Bison Trail to
Hudson-Meng Bison Kill is a 3-mile hike.
Nearby attractions
*
Fort Robinson
*
Hudson-Meng Bison Kill
*
Nebraska National Forest
*
Chadron State Park
*
Trailside Museum of Natural History at Fort Robinson State Park
References
External links
Toadstool Geological Park and Campground - US Forest Service Toadstool Geologic Park Photo & Links - Chadron State College
Federal lands in Nebraska
Geology of Nebraska
Protected areas of Dawes County, Nebraska
United States Forest Service protected areas
Landforms of Dawes County, Nebraska
Parks in Nebraska
Badlands of the United States
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