Open only to foot traffic, the 3-mile trail winds between Ponderosa pines and red cedars to its high point, literally, at Scott Lookout Hill. There you'll find a 65-foot watchtower that offers weeping views of the surrounding countryside.
Hikers often see white-tailed deer, mule deer and wild turkeys.
Less frequent are sightings of porcupines and prairie rattlesnakes. In the northwest corner of the state, hard by the border with South Dakota, a different Nebraska comes into focus, one of rimrock, Ponderosa pine forests, deep canyons, and open grasslands. Mountain bikers fortunate enough to come here and many have yet to find it will find more than 100 miles of unspoiled singletrack and dirt roads winding through the hills. Fort Robinson and Chadron State Parks, in a coordinated effort with Nebraska National Forest, have marked trails and made the Pine Ridge area more accessible to visitors. A topographic map of the Pine Ridge, which lays claim to 170,000 acres of public land, is available and includes suggested routes complete with difficulty ratings.