America's badlands received their ominous
name when early settlers found it impossible to safely roll a
wagon through the cracked lunar landscape in the Upper Midwest.
Our most famous badlands are preserved in national parks in the
Dakotas - and off limits to canine hikers.
To give your dog a chance to explore these unique lands of sculpted
rock, head south from the Dakotas to the lesser-known badlands
of the Nebraska panhandle. Here in the Gala National Grasslands
you will find Toadstool Geologic Park where the relentless tag-team
of water and wind have carved fanciful rock formations into the
stark hills.
The "toadstools" form when underlying soft clay stone
erodes faster than the hard sandstone that caps it. A marked,
mile-long interpretive loop leads you on an educational adventure
through these badlands. Your dog is welcome on the hard rock
trail but you can also explore off the path for close-up looks
in the gullies at fossil bone fragments that lace the rocks and
30-million year-old footprints preserved in the stone.
There are some rocks to be scaled along the route but this ramble
under banded cliffs of clay and ash is suitable for any level
of canine hiker. There is only sporadic shade and seasonal streams
in this ancient riverbed so bring plenty of water for your dog,
especially in the summer months. Take a break at the end of the
hike in the small fenced yard of the reproduced sod house beside
the parking lot.
For extended hikes, Toadstool Park connects to the world-renowned
Hudson-Meng Bison Boneyard via a three-mile trail. This archeological
site seeks to unravel the mystery of how over 600 bison died
nearly 10,000 years ago in an area about the size of a football
stadium. Human predation is the leading suspect.
Toadstool Geologic Park is located
19 miles NW of Crawford, Nebraska on US Forest Route 904 off
State highway 2/71. The trail begins at the back of the six-unit
campground.
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