6 | North Platte Travel Guide 2023
NATURE & WILDLIFE Outdoors DUSTY TRAILS Explore the Outdoors with
BY GEORGE HAWS george.haws@nptelegraph.com
option that takes floaters from Hershey Bridge to the campground. If there is not enough water in the river at North Platte, a ride from Paxton to Sarben is a good back- up, said Dusty Barner, owner-operator of Dusty Trails. Another way to see nature is by horse- back, and rides are available throughout the year. Dusty Trails also conducts riding academies each season for all skill levels, ages 6 through adult. In October, come to the ranch to enjoy games and other activities at Dusty’s Pumpkin Fest. Dusty Trails is big on birding, too. The Sandhill crane tours are very popular, said Barner, and “the prairie chicken tour is amazing!” Sandhill cranes stop and feed in the val- ley for several weeks in early spring on their
migratory path that extends from as far south as Mexico to as far north as Alaska. They forage in harvested corn fields during the day and roost along the river at night. Dusty Trails offers morning and evening blind tours, and a bus tour is also available. Prairie chickens are year-round residents of the Nebraska Sandhills, but the best time to see them is also in the spring. That’s when Dusty Trails takes adventurous folks by bus to see the males perform their mat- ing dances in their staging sites, called leks. The birds puff up their yellow “eyebrows” and inflate red pouches on the sides of their throats to create low humming sounds to attract females. They erect plumes on their necks that resemble long, pointed ears. They stomp their feet rapidly while bobbing their heads. The hums are broken up by clucks, whines and cackles. Boundary dis-
Dusty Trails is helping people connect with the great outdoors. Situated on the site of Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, they conduct birding tours, horseback rid- ing and instruction, and river floats. People love floating down the river, but the logistics can be difficult. That is where Dusty Trails comes in. People meet at the endpoint dock and leave their cars there. Dusty Trails shuttles them to the launch pad and picks up the watercraft when the leisurely journey ends. You can choose from a variety of water- craft — canoes, kayaks, livestock tanks, inner tubes — and last year paddleboards were added to the lineup. There’s a choice of a short excursion from Buffalo Bill Campground to Cody Park, and a longer
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