"In restoring the prairie grasslands the ultimate aim is to approach as near the original as possible. How near the original we can come is not known. But it would seem desirable to make an effort early in the program to restore some of the more prominent spring, summer and fall flowers to show a part of Nature which no doubt gave some cheer to the first settlers."
--Adolph Murie, 1940
Sunset on a trail at Homestead
The natural areas at Homestead National Historical Park offer a window to the past, a place for exploration and reflection, and a valuable arena for scientific research. Escape into nature and hike, picnic, birdwatch, and more. The rare presence of tallgrass prairie, woodland, and creek ecosystems presents an opportunity to learn about a diverse range of habitats and species.
Homesteading exploded among African Americans following the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which changed the legal status of millions of African Americans to free. Since 2019, Homestead National Historical Park has partnered with the University of Nebraska’s Center for Great Plain Studies to bring both the hopes and tragedies of these families’ stories—in Black homesteaders’ own voices—to the public forefront. Learn about a volunteer project to transcribe records.
The Homestead National Historical Park cultural landscape conveys the influence of the Homestead Act of 1862 and legacy of Daniel Freeman. It also represents homesteads across America. Homesteading provided a way of life for many Americans and contributed to westward expansion in the developing nation.
On April 22, 2016, Homestead National Historical Park conducted the first prescribed fire in the National Park Service (NPS) using a small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) for interior ignition. Twenty six acres of restored tallgrass prairie were successfully burned according to management objectives through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Interior National Park Service and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).
In this episode of Outside Science (inside parks), 8th graders from Beatrice Middle School help resource managers at Homestead National Historical Park test for water quality in the park.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Amistad National Recreation Area, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Big Bend National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Big Thicket National Preserve, Cape Cod National Seashore, Capitol Reef National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Colorado National Monument, Congaree National Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Death Valley National Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Denali National Park & Preserve, Everglades National Park, Gateway National Recreation Area, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Teton National Park, Great Basin National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Homestead National Historical Park, Hot Springs National Park, Indiana Dunes National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, Redwood National and State Parks, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rock Creek Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, San Juan Island National Historical Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Shenandoah National Park, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Voyageurs National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Zion National Parkmore »
Offices:Air Resources Division, National Natural Landmarks Program, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Wild and Scenic Rivers Program
Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on how dragonfly mercury studies uncover unexpected atmospheric delivery pathways: Janssen, S.E., C.J. Kotalik, J.J. Willacker, M.T. Tate, C. Flanagan Pritz, S.J. Nelson, D.P. Krabbenhoft, D. Walters, and C. Eagles-Smith. 2024. Geographic Drivers of Mercury Entry into Aquatic Foods Webs Revealed by Mercury Stable Isotopes in Dragonfly Larvae. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02436
Locations:Acadia National Park, Arches National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument, Channel Islands National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Homestead National Historical Park, Indiana Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, Pinnacles National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Tonto National Monument, Weir Farm National Historical Park, Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Parkmore »
Citizen science volunteers collect massive amounts of crucial scientific information. They gather it from sources as varied as oceans, mountainsides, and historic archives. Smart new tools are making their contributions even more powerful.
Locations:Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Cabrillo National Monument, Congaree National Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Denali National Park & Preserve, Dinosaur National Monument, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Gauley River National Recreation Area, Gettysburg National Military Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Homestead National Historical Park, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, John Muir National Historic Site, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Manzanar National Historic Site, Morristown National Historical Park, Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Point Reyes National Seashore, Redwood National and State Parks, Shiloh National Military Park, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Voyageurs National Park, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Wupatki National Monumentmore »
First in a series of three "In Focus" articles that share insights into the near-universal and far-reaching effects of soils on the ecology, management, and enjoyment of our national parks.
The one-room Freeman Schoolhouse, built in 1871, represents the history and role of American public education in relation to the westward expansion of the United States during the 1800s and early 1900s. The school is also significant for its role in the Nebraska Supreme Court decision that religious instruction during school hours violated the separation of church and state. The schoolhouse provided the residents of Gage County with a versatile social space until 1967.
