Last weekend we visited "Nine Mile Prairie." Nine-Mile Prairie is a 230-acre tallgrass prairie. It is owned by the University of Nebraska Foundation and is located in on the northwest edge of Lincoln. This beautiful piece of land is preserved for teaching, research, and for nature study.
Directions and Parking: Ordinarily, Nine Mile Prairie would not be difficult to get to but with the various constructions sites around town it can take a bit longer to find it than normal. It is off of NW 48th St. Follow directions from UNL's site and have a back-up way to get there in case your usual route is closed. There is a small parking lot at the end of the road.
Area: This land is off the beaten path and incredibly peaceful. We were the only people out there on a warm Saturday morning. Wide trails have been cut in the grasses and you can easily push a jogging stroller down the path. We did about a two mile loop but you could certainly walk for less or more. We saw white tail deer, tons of birds, heard frogs and enjoyed a lovely picnic on the trail. Nine Mile Prairie is home to several species of bird, insect and plants.
Cost: FREE and open every day
Pets: Dogs are allowed as long as they are leashed.
Cons: The only downside to Nine Mile Prairie is the ticks. There are lot of them. At the end of our spring walk we thoroughly checked our children and ourselves for ticks. We thought we didn't have any on us but the next day we found ticks on two of us and a few more in our car. I would suggest long pants, socks, close-toed shoes, bug spray and doing a couple tick-checks when you get home.
Overall: This is a gorgeous place with lots of wildlife. We will go back when we aren't at the height of tick season.
