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Located between Grand Island and Kearney, Nebraska, The Nature Conservancy's Platte River Prairies are a chain of grasslands and wetlands that are managed for biological diversity. The Conservancy owns ten tracts of land totaling 4,981 acres along the Platte River, and has four easements on 2,816 more. We've restored about 1,500 acres of cropland to high-diversity prairie in an effort to enlarge and reconnect fragments of native prairie - and now we manage them with a combination of prescribed fire and grazing.
The stretch of the Platte River known as the Big Bend Reach is the most important migratory bird area along the United States portion of the Central Flyway of North America. The Platte and its adjacent wet meadows in the Big Bend region provide habitat for millions of migratory birds including some 500,000 Sandhill cranes and millions of ducks and geese. It is an important stopover location for migrating whooping cranes during the spring and fall migration. The area is also very important for threatened and endangered species such as the bald eagle, interior least tern, piping plover and many grassland bird species.




- "This was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. I have traveled to all seven continents and all 50 states. The birds and the shared experiences during this Naturalist Journeys trip brought joy to my heart in a new and special way. I am grateful to Kent and Randy Skaggs and to my lovely travel companions for their knowledge, sweet spirits, and delightful ways." — 2023 Traveler
- "Unexpectedly amazing! I couldn't believe the amount of birds, specifically cranes, we saw. I learned a lot about them and about that area. Everything, from hotels to food to companionship, was great." — Lillian LaFrance, 2023 Traveler
- "I'm probably not a birder but I loved this experience, my fellow travelers were delightful, and the cranes were astonishing! I can't stop telling people about this trip!" — Anne McIntosh, 2023 Traveler
- "Amazing, adventurous, a bit challenging, and so full of joy to see the cranes. Superb guides, great group, exquisite country. Not to be missed in your life." — Marcia Pauly, 2023 Traveler
- "From a birder's perspective, it was a wonderful journey in terms of trip leaders, accommodations, food, and the interest the leaders showed in terms of taking us to all the places where we had maximum opportunity to view a variety of species." — Robert Davis
Tour Highlights
- Opt to visit Lauritzen Gardens or the famous Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha on arrival
- Visit Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, a world famous zoo with a strong conservation mission
- Immerse yourself at The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve, one of the largest TNC preserves in the country
- Experience hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Crane as they roost, feed, and sing along the Platte River
- Witness a “crane rise” at dawn as clouds of cranes awake with a cacophony of sound
- Enjoy the crane spectacle from The Conservancy’s private blinds, tucked on the edge of the Platte River




Trip Itinerary
Itineraries are guidelines; variations in itinerary may occur to account for weather, road conditions, closures, etc. and to maximize your experience.
Sun., Mar. 22 Arrivals in Omaha
Welcome to Nebraska! Arrive in Omaha today, no later than 5:00 PM. Those arriving early will have a chance to visit the local Lauritzen Gardens or the famous Joslyn Art Museum depending on weather and your interests. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner, followed by remarks by local TNC staff who update us on current work in Nebraska with wetland and prairie initiatives. Meet your fellow traveling companions, host, and expert naturalist guides.
Overnight at Courtyard by Marriot Downtown, Omaha (D)
Mon., Mar. 23 Omaha Zoo | Ord
This morning, experience Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, a world famous zoo with a strong conservation mission. From here, head west, passing through agricultural lands dotted by woodlands associated with the scenic North Loup River. Welcome to the matchless Sandhills region of Nebraska! Simple and comfortable, enjoy some rural American hospitality at the local Cobblestone Inn & Suites and dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Overnight at Cobblestone Inn, Ord (B,L,D)
Tues., Mar. 24 Valentine | Niobrara Valley Preserve
This morning we depart from Ord, heading northwest to Valentine, making our way to the Niobrara Valley. In Valentine, we enjoy lunch and check in to our hotel before heading to the Niobrara Valley Preserve for a presentation with local TNC staff to learn about the work done here.
The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve is one of the largest TNC preserves in the country, and a model for grassland management using bison, cattle and fire. We enjoy a presentation from staff that touches upon the Conservancy’s prescribed fire work, work on the Upper Elkhorn watershed, and Sandhills conservation efforts.
Weather permitting, we enjoy an optional hike. We end the day with a Bison burger cookout and sunset social to take in a plains sunset from a high point overlooking the Niobrara River and the Norden Chute.
Overnight in The Niobrara Lodge in Valentine, NE (B,L,D)
Wed., Mar. 25 Full Day at Niobrara
For the birders in the group, we have an optional early morning Sharp-tailed Grouse field trip to see these impressive birds displaying on lek.*
The morning kicks off with a presentation by the Niobrara Valley Preserve’s Stewardship manager about the Conservancy’s work with bison before we head out on a bison tour. We tour the preserve’s east bison pasture, over 12,000 acres of beautiful Sandhills prairie. The group gets up close with bison and explores the world’s largest and most intact temperate grassland.
We enjoy lunch at the preserve’s headquarters and learn about the Conservancy’s work with Indigenous partners, followed by a leisurely stroll along our hiking trails reaching some high point vistas.
Overnight in The Niobrara Lodge in Valentine, NE (B,L,D)
*Limited to 6 participants. Please let us know at sign up if you would like to participate.
Thurs., Mar. 26 Platte River Prairies
Breakfast is at the hotel, then we head south to Grand Island for lunch and an early check-in at the hotel. This leaves us time for a fabulous evening at the Derr House. Here we start with a tour of TNC’s Platte River Prairies operations, including a demonstration of how we process native seed for our high diversity prairie restoration efforts. TNC Nebraska’s Director of Science, Chris Helzer, will accompany us on a prairie walk and deliver remarks on the beauty and complexity of prairies. After the walk, warm up with tea and hot chocolate.
The Conservancy has three different crane viewing blinds we want you to experience. We enjoy an early catered dinner at the Derr House and a presentation about TNC’s Sandhill Crane conservation efforts. Afterwards, we walk to the Conservancy’s private blinds tucked on the edge of the Platte River. We will be in place before birds start to come in to roost, then watch as huge numbers pack into the river’s sand islands. Sunset colors illuminate the beauty of this epic wildlife spectacle.
Overnight at Candlewood, Grand Island, NE (B,L,D)
Fri., Mar. 27 Crane Rise | Platte River Prairies
In the early morning hours, we experience our first “Crane Rise” from a private viewing from blinds at TNC’s Platte River Prairies. Pre-dawn crane music turns into a crescendo of wake-up calls as the cranes awaken and leave their riverine roost sites. Witness the “gray sandbar islands” of the Platte River turn into clouds of Sandhill Cranes leaving their roost sites.The sight and sounds on any morning are something to behold. Return to the cozy ambiance of TNC’s Derr House on the preserve; over a catered brunch, learn more about the biology and conservation of Sandhill Cranes and other species along Nebraska’s Platte River system. This afternoon you can choose to relax, or to learn about the early settlers of the Great Plains at the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, one of Grand Island’s top attractions. Dinner is at a favorite local restaurant.
Our own early birds can enjoy an optional guided morning drive to watch behaviors and interactions of the cranes at their feeding sites.
Overnight at Candlewood, Grand Island, NE (B,L,D)
Sat., Mar. 28 Departures
After breakfast, we pack up our luggage and head back to Omaha, a two-and-a-half-hour drive. Please book your flights no earlier than 12pm. (B)
Cost of the Journey
Cost of the journey is $3990 DBL / $4870 SGL per person based on occupancy, from Omaha, Nebraska.
Cost includes: all accommodations; all meals as stated in the itinerary; group airport transfers; ground transportation; professional guide services; park, preserve, and other activity fees; and miscellaneous program expenses.
Tour price does not include: round trip airfare to and from Omaha, Nebraska, or items of a personal nature such as laundry, porterage, telephone charges, or alcoholic beverages. Gratuities for your guides and other staff are not included; these are at your discretion, but highly appreciated and recommended.
If you would like to participate in the Grouse Lek field trip on March 25, please let us know at time of deposit. This is limited to 6 participants.
Travel Details
Please plan to make air travel plans only after the minimum group size has been met. We will send you a confirmation email as soon as the trip has been confirmed.
Arrival & Departure Airport: Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA)
Arrival Details: Plan to arrive March 22, 2026, no later than 5:00 PM
Departure Details: Plan March 28, 2026 flights leaving after 12:00 PM from Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA)
Hotel Recommendations: If you are arrving early and want to stay in the same hotel as the tour the Downtown Courtyard is a great hotel.
Travel Tip:
Browse below for trip reports and species lists from past versions of this and other tours from this destination.
Nebraska
Platte River
- March 2012
- March 2014
- March 2019
- March 2020
- March 2022
- March 2023
- March 2024
- March 2024
- March 2025
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Rick Weiman
Rick lives in Oakland, NJ with his wife Patricia and two adult children, Jack and Annabel. Rick has led birding trips for a number of years as a volunteer for various local nonprofits, and for Oakland residents in his town's 40-acre Great Oak Park. For over 30 years he has counted birds on annual big days to raise dollars for endangered species recovery efforts in his home state. His passion for conservation started during his college years at Rutgers where he majored in Biology, and he has been a trustee of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ since 2000. His volunteer and fundraising efforts for The Raptor Trust, the largest wild bird rehabilitation center on the east coast, resulted in his addition to their board of trustees in 2018. One of his favorite areas to visit is Central America and he has hosted tours for Naturalist Journeys in Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, and Belize. In his spare time besides birding, Rick enjoys playing street hockey, fishing, and visiting the jersey shore, especially Cape May.
Photo credit: Hugh Simmons
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Dan Donaldson
Dan Donaldson is an accomplished naturalist-birder based in Northeastern Ohio and has been guiding for Naturalist Journeys for nearly 20 years. Dan has developed his skills while working as a naturalist for a local park district for 25 years as well as with his full-time job as director of the local soil and water conservation district. Acustomed to varied audiences from novices to experts, Dan incorporates much more than just identification in his tours and programs. Dan has led tours for The Nature Conservancy, National Parks Conservation, and other tour companies. While now an international guide, his specialization in birding locales ranges from the Great Lakes to coastal destinations ranging from the Maritime Provinces of Canada and Maine, to the Florida Keys.
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Useful Links +
Photo credits: Banners: Western Meadowlark (Hugh Simmons), Scenic (Kent Skaggs), Snow and Ross's Geese (Kent Skaggs), Sandhill Cranes (Kent Skaggs) Thumbnails: Northern Shoveler, Ross’s Goose, Belted Kingfisher, Greater Yellowlegs, Cooper’s Hawk, American Dipper, Great Horned owl, Snow Goose