Nebraska National Forest, Bessey District

The Bessey Ranger District is the eastern part of the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, in Nebraska's Sandhills. The Forest Service describes it as the largest human-planted forest in the United States. It began in 1902 as an experiment in raising trees in a nursery and planting them nearby. The Charles E. Bessey Tree Nursery was founded the same year as part of the Dismal River Forest Reserve and is considered one of the oldest seedling nurseries run by the US Department of Agriculture. The district covers more than 90,000 acres (about 36,000 ha).

In October 2022 the Bovee Fire burned about 5,000 acres of the forest; the nursery was spared. The Scott Lookout Tower was damaged, and press reports even speak of its destruction. According to the Forest Service it is being renovated and can be viewed but not entered (check the current status in advance), so older descriptions of a view from the tower no longer apply.

There are several campgrounds: the Bessey Recreation Complex with RV sites, the quieter Natick Campground and the Whitetail Campground on the Dismal River. There are also motorized and non-motorized trails, horseback riding and the accessible Discovery Loup Trail. Check access and closures with the Forest Service in advance.