Stretching north and south along Interstate 80 from York to Ogallala Nebraska the Central Platte Valley ecoregion is home to array of landscapes including wetlands, sedge meadows, native grasslands and prairies, sandpit lakes, woodlands and bottomland timber, grassy uplands and several areas found on private lands allowing for diverse viewing opportunities. The area offers over 65 identified viewing areas which include state parks, public viewing areas, wildlife management areas, parks, prairies and smaller miscellaneous usage spots. This ecoregion also offers handicap crane viewing areas at the Alda Bridge near Alda and Grand Island.
South of the Platte River in the southeastern part of the ecoregion is the Rainwater Basin which encompasses a 4,200 square mile region of shallow lakes, marshes and other wetlands. Rainwater Basin wetlands are highly dynamic and dependent on precipitation run-off but serve as one of the most important wetland complexes in the Midcontinent of North America for migratory birds.
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about 310 miles long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over 1,050 miles. The Platte over most of its length is a muddy, broad, shallow, meandering stream with a swampy bottom and many islands.
| Title | Category | Address | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alda Bridge Crane Viewing Site | 40.773, -98.494 | This handicap-accessible viewing platform provides an excellent view of cranes and waterfowl roosting on both sides of the Platte's Alda Bridge at sunrise and sunset. | |
| Audubon: Lillian Annette Rowe Sanctuary & Iain Nicholson Audubon Center | 40.671, -98.888 | The sanctuary headquarters provides information and sells books and other bird-related materials. | |
 | Bader Memorial Park | 40.99, -98.151 | A stretch of Platte River wooded habitats and adjacent native prairie, with trails through all of the local habitat types. | |
| Bassway Strip Wildlife Management Area | 40.687, -98.926 | Four ponds and 7 miles of river frontage. Includes 90 acres of lakes and sandpits; mostly wooded. | |
| Birdwood Lake Wildlife Management Area | 41.116, -100.834 | Area 20 acres, upland, and 13 acre lake. | |
 | Bittern's Call Wildlife Management Area | 40.841, -99.846 | Consists of 80 acres of mixed upland and wetland habitat. | |
| Blue Hole Wildlife Management Area | 40.686, -99.381 | Area 539 acres, plus 30-acre pond and two miles of river frontage. Mostly riparian wooded habitats. | |
 | Box Elder Canyon Wildlife Management Area | 41.025, -100.572 | This 20-acre site consists of native grasslands and deciduous wooded habitats along the Tri-County Supply Canal. | |
 | Cameron Cemetery | 40.904, -98.65 | This country cemetery is surrounded by large evergreens and mature hardwoods. | |
 | Cornhusker Wildlife Management Area | 40.928, -98.472 | Habitat includes extensive shelterbelt and cover plantings as well as wildlife food plots. | |
 | Cottonmill Lake Public Use Area | 40.711, -99.149 | A hike-bike trail extends six miles from this area to the outskirts of Kearney. | |
| Cozad Wildlife Management Area | 40.837, -99.981 | Area 182 acres of upland, 16 acres wetland, 0.5 mile of river frontage. | |
 | Crystal Lake State Recreational Area | 40.456, -98.439 | Free Camping and primitive facilities. Picnic shelters and electrical hookups are available. | |
| Darr Strip Wildlife Management Area | 40.811, -99.905 | Area 976 acres, with 2.5 miles of river frontage. | |
| Dogwood Wildlife Management Area | 40.698, -99.625 | Area 402 acres with 10-acre lake, 1.5 miles of river frontage. | |
| Eagle Scout Park | 40.959, -98.362 | Eagle Scout Park has an 80 acre lake surrounded by a 1.2 mile paved hiking trail. | |
| East Cozad Wildlife Management Area | 40.831, -99.956 | Area 18 acres, all upland. | |
| East Hershey Wildlife Management Area | 41.126, -100.898 | Drive east on road, that parallels I-80. | |
| East Odessa Wildlife Management Area | 40.669, -99.166 | Area 71 acreas, and a seven acre pond. | |
| East Sutherland Wildlife Management Area | 41.141, -101.055 | Areas 35 acres. | |
| East Willow Island Wildlife Management Area | 40.863, -100.036 | Area 37 acres. | |
| Elm Creek Wildlife Management Area | 40.123, -98.446 | Area 120 acres. Located three miles south of Cowles in Webster County. Mostly wooded, with a creek and slough at one end. | |
| Gallagher Canyon State Recreation Area | 40.735, -99.981 | Area 400-acre reservoir, 24 acres upland. One of canyons in the loess hills, and an associated reservoir. Park entry permit required. | |
| Gibbon Bridge Crane Viewing Platform | 40.681, -98.848 | The decks provide a safe area to view cranes and other wildlife on the Platte River. | |
| Greenwood Cemetery | 40.869, -97.608 | Located on the outskirts of York in York County, it consistently produces good songbirds in the summer and a variety of northern species such as purple finches and red-breasted nuthatches in the winter. | |
| Griess Waterfowl Production Area | 40.584, -97.776 | Habitat includes 20 acres of wetlands and 20 acres of uplands. No trees and considerable use by snow geese. | |
 | Griffith Prairie and Farm | 41.01, -98.072 | Griffith Prairie is a scenic, hilly prairie situated in the bluffs along the Platte River. | |
| Hall County Park | 40.875, -98.372 | This county park allows free entry and offers wooded trails for birding along with camping facilities. | |
| Hannon Waterfowl Production Area | 40.752, -98.697 | Habitat includes wet meadows and surrounding grassy uplands with 105 acres of water. | |
| Harold W. Andersen Wildlife Management Area | 41.144, -98.504 | Consists of about 12 miles of Loup River frontage, with bottomland timber and a marshy oxbow. There are primitive trails through the woods to the Loup River. | |
| Heron Waterfowl Production Area | 40.976, -97.765 | Located in York County including 215 acres of wetland and 105 acres of upland. | |
| Hershey Wildlife Management Area | 41.135, -100.988 | Area 133 acres. From Hershey exit, located 0.2 mile south, 0.2 mile east. | |
| Jeffrey Canyon Wildlife Management Area | 40.952, -100.399 | Area 900-acre reservoir, 35 acres upland. | |
| Johnson Lake State Recreational Area | 40.687, -99.838 | Habitat includes a 2,000 acre reservoir and 68 acres of upland. | |
 | Lilley's Sand and Gravel | 40.746, -98.565 | Lilley's includes about 20 sandpit lakes surrounded by tall cottonwoods along the Platte River. | |
| Linder Waterfowl Production Area | 40.541, -99.534 | Area 160 acres. Located in Phelps County, 1 mile north and 5 miles east of Bertrand. | |
| Loch Linda Wildlife Management Area | 40.815, -98.427 | This is a 29 acre wet cattail marsh surrounded by 9 acres of pastureland and mature riparian forest adjoining the Platte River. | |
| Maloney Reservoir State Recreation Area | 41.046, -100.786 | 1,600-acre reservoir, and 1,732 acres of upland. | |
| Marie Ratzlaff Prairie | 40.735, -97.882 | This site has 30 acres of tallgrass prairie and a 10 acre prairie restoration which was planted in 2001. | |
| Martin's Reach Wildlife Management Area | 40.736, -98.64 | Includes 80 heavily wooded acres and 10 acres of pastureland with about 0.7 of a mile of river frontage on the Platte's main channel. | |
| Midway Lake Wildlife Management Area | 40.801, -100.08 | A reservoir near the Tri-County Canal. At its upper (southern) end is Midway Canyon, an eroded area of loess hills. | |
| Mormon Island Crane Meadows | 40.807, -98.386 | This 2,500 acre preserve contains an extensive area of sedge meadows along with native tall grass prairie surrounded by channels of the Platte River. | |
| Mormon Island State Recreational Area | 40.824, -98.37 | Habitat includes 3 lakes and their surrounding riparian woodlands. | |
| Muskrat Run Wildlife Management Area | 41.197, -100.895 | Area 224 acres. | |
| Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center | 40.796, -98.491 | The Center's grounds include 247 acres of tallgrass prairie and riparian woodland habitat bordering the Platte River which contains nearly 7 miles of hiking trails and a foot-bridge that crosses the Platte River. | |
| Nelson Waterfowl Production Area | 40.759, -97.937 | Habitat includes 143 acres of wetland and 17 acres of upland. | |
| North Platte Sewage Lagoons | 41.112, -100.71 | These lagoons attract many water birds during migration. There are several wetlands to the north of North Platte that support typical Sandhills marsh birds and waterfowl. | |
| North River Wildlife Management Area | 41.202, -100.984 | Area 681 acres, 2 miles of river frontage. There are woods along the river, and grassland beyond that is used by sandhill cranes. | |
| Oxbow Trail Reservoir Recreational Area | 41.078, -97.174 | Swimming, camping, hiking, restrooms, handicap facilities, and parking are available at the site. Opened in December of 1998, the spring-fed Oxbow Trail Reservoir continues to develop. | |
| Platte Wildlife Management Area | 41.098, -100.652 | Area 242 Acres. | |
| Plum Creek Wildlife Management Area | 40.696, -99.912 | Area is 152 acres. | |
| Prairie Lake Public Use Area | 40.536, -98.486 | Prairie Lake has a 36 acre lake with 124 acres of surrounding upland habitat. | |
| Prairie Wolf Wildlife Management Area | 41.416, -97.741 | Area 314 acres. Mainly bottomlands along the Loup River, with some open grasslands and marshes. | |
| Ravenna Lake State Recreation Area | 41.024, -98.893 | Area 53 acres. Situated along the South Loup River, with a small reservoir. State park entry permit required. | |
| Recharge Lake Recreational Area | 40.87, -97.628 | Recharge Lake recreation area contains a 50 acre reservoir. Developed for fishing, there are also hiking trails. | |
| Redtail Lake Wildlife Management Area | 41.09, -97 | Habitat includes a 26-acre lake with 320 acres of upland. | |
| Renquist Wildlife Management Area | 41.029, -97.699 | This site consists of 90 acres of marshland, 10 acres of upland pasture, and 7 acres of cropland. | |
| Sandy Channel State Recreation Area | 40.668, -99.375 | Area 133 acres. Contains 11 small lakes (old sand pits) and ponds, totaling 47 acres. Good for open-wooded habitats birds and water birds. State park entry permit required. | |
| Shoemaker Island Road | 40.771, -98.532 | The entire area is privately owned, so birding away from the road requires landowner permission. Cattle egrets, black-billed magpies and eastern bluebirds are common here. | |
| Sunny Hollow Wildlife Management Area | 41.377, -97.738 | Area 160 acres. Mostly grassy uplands, with two marshes and a dugout wetland. | |
| Taylor Ranch | 41.006, -98.468 | Taylor Ranch is a privately owned 7000 acre ranch with extensive Sandhills prairie and numerous small wetlands that are attractive to migrating ducks and shorebirds during wet years. | |
| Union Pacific State Recreation Area | 40.678, -99.253 | 26 acres and a 15 acre pond. State park permit required. 2 miles south of Odessa on Highway L10B. | |
| War Axe State Recreation Area | 40.724, -98.734 | Area nine acres. Plus a 12-acre pond. State park permit required. | |
| Wellfleet Wildlife Management Area | 40.759, -100.749 | Comprising only 65 acres along Medicine Creek, it provides a diversity of habitats that usually attracts a wide variety of small passerines and water birds. | |
| West Brady Wildlife Management Area | 41.017, -100.417 | Area 16 acres. Leave interstate at I-80 exit 199. North 1 mile, west 2 miles, cross over the interstate to the southside. | |
| Willow Island Wildlife Management Area | 40.876, -100.065 | 45 acres upland, 35 acre lake, and riparian woodland. 4 miles northwest of Cozad on State Highway 30 and 1 mile south. | |
| Windmill State Recreation Area | 40.707, -98.839 | Area 168 acres, with 5 ponds. State park entry permit required. Located at I-80 exit 285. | |
| Wood River West Wildlife Management Area | 40.755, -98.611 | Site includes a 23 acre lake and surrounding riparian area. |