- Wildcat Hills
The Wildcat Hills are an
escarpment between theNorth Platte River andPumpkin Creek in the westernNebraska Panhandle. Located in Banner, Morrill, and Scotts Bluff counties, the high tableland between the streams has been eroded by wind and water into a region of forestedbutte s, ridges andcanyon s that rise 150 to 300 m (500 to 1000 ft.) above the surrounding landscape.Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff, and
Courthouse and Jail Rocks are outcrops along the northern and western edges of the Wildcat Hills.Ecology
The plant and animal life in the Wildcat Hills is atypical for Nebraska; the ecology resembles that of the
Laramie Mountains , 60 miles to the west. The dominant tree in the region is theponderosa pine .Bighorn sheep ,pronghorn ,elk ,mule deer , andwild turkey s live in and around the hills.Cougar s (mountain lion), which had been eradicated from the region around 1900, returned to the area in the early 1990s. The Wildcat Hills (along with the Pine Ridge), are the only areas in Nebraska with a permanent population. [cite web|url=http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/mountainlion.asp|title=Nebraska Wildlife Species: Mountain Lion|publisher=Nebraska Game and Parks Commission |date=2005-07-15 |accessdate=2007-02-28]History
The Oregon and
California Trail s passed just to the north of the Wildcat Hills; the rock formations were frequently mentioned in emigrant journals and letters. TheNebraska Game and Parks Commission acquired land for the Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area in stages between 1929 and 1980; the Wildcat Hills Nature Center, featuring a half-mileboardwalk trail, opened in 1995. Today, the Wildcat Hills are a popularhiking and wildlife viewing destination.References
External links
* [http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/parks/guides/parksearch/showpark.asp?Area_No=193 Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area]
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