Everyone In Nebraska Should Travel The Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway At Least Once

There’s nothing like hopping in your car, rolling the windows down, and cruising along the open road. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next road trip, you’ll love the rollings hills and windmills on this magnificent scenic byway in Nebraska.

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The Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway is one of the prettiest drives in the state. This 272-mile stretch of road extends through the majestic Sandhills between Grand Island to the railroad town of Alliance. It’s been named one of the ten most scenic drives in the country, and with good reason.

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The entire drive will take you about five hours of straight driving to complete. However, there are a thousands reasons to pull off course along the way.

If you start your journey in Grand Island, be sure to visit the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, where pioneer times come to life with the help of skilled interpreters in a living history museum setting. Next, savor a glass of wine in the beautiful South Loup River Valley at Cedar Hills Vineyard near Ravenna. Their blackberry sangria is absolutely unmissable.

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Once you’re back on the road, keep your eyes open for Sandhill cranes. They’re the region’s and road’s namesakes, and their annual spring migration is one of the natural wonders of the world. If you decide to spend the night somewhere along the way, remember to look up and admire the stars. This area has some of the clearest and brightest night skies in the country due to lower levels of light pollution.

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If you’re in the mood to stretch your legs, make a pit stop at the Nebraska National Forest near the town of Halsey. This 90,000-acre wilderness offers plenty of trails and winding paths, not to mention some pretty stunning picnic grounds. In fact, this is the largest hand-planted forest in the nation. As you approach the end of the scenic byway in Alliance, make sure to check out Carhenge – an exact replica of Stonehenge made entirely out of cars.

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The Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway makes for a wonderful way to spend a day or even a weekend exploring all the beauty that Nebraska has to offer. It’s perfect for families or for solo adventurers. Click here to find out more about this amazing route and how to experience it for yourself. For more of the most beautiful drives in the state, click here.