Community Spotlight

Take a hike…View an exhibit…See an animal

Not many communities can lay claim to the fact that a bona fide forest sits in its backyard – but Bellevue can. High on the banks of the Missouri River at Bellevue’s eastern edge is the 1,300-acre Fontenelle Forest and on its campus, a new nature center. The forest is easily one of the most scenic locations in the Midwest. Towering oaks and maples provide a canopy of shade for hikers along the forest’s trails that wind up and over Loess Hills as well as through marshland and wetlands. An abundance of deer and other wildlife skirt in the and around the paths as if to drop in, if only for a moment, to say “hello.”

The Katherine and Fred Forest Learning Center is the first structure to greet visitors as they enter the forest. Opened in 2000, the center is a hub of educational offerings and exhibits year round.

About two miles from the forest’s visitor’s center is the Gilbert and Martha Hitchcock Wetlands Learning Center. The center provides two classrooms and visitor services and is adjacent to the Gifford Memorial Boardwalk which leads 3/8 miles to a two story observation tower on the edge of the Great Marsh.

Fontenelle Forest has a long and fascinating history. Archeological finds reveal that delivers Native American Cultures once flourished at the site. While the forest’s past is intriguing, the future for this land holds even more promise. The Fontenelle Forest Nature Association and community Fontenelle Forest calls home is dedicated to preserving this wondrous habitat for many generations. The forest’s nature center includes a Forest Discovery Room and gift shop.

Fontenelle Forest is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Located at 1111 North Bellevue Blvd. call 402.731.3140 for more information or visit www.fontenelleforest.org