Sowbelly with Coffee – Special Names for a Special Place

October 9, 2023 Justin Haag

The scenery alone is worth a trip to this spot in the Pine Ridge. Don’t forget the fishing rod, though.

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An aerial view of Coffee Park in Sowbelly Canyon in the Pine Ridge area of Sioux County in northwestern Nebraska.

Photo by Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine

Story and photos by Justin Haag

Without knowing better, the name might lead some to assume Sowbelly Creek is a stream of manure oozing from a pig farm. Far from it.

The clear, babbling brook between rugged sandstone buttes in Sioux County represents the best attributes of northwestern Nebraska’s Pine Ridge. If it were not located in one of the state’s most sparsely populated regions, visitors would surely overrun it. As it is, though, the locals and few others who venture to this spot 3½ miles northeast of Harrison bask in the quiet serenity of a site rich with aesthetics and history.

The cool water of Sowbelly Creek, originating from springs not far away, flows over a small waterfall while autumn colors dominate the scene. Photo by Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine.

Sowbelly creek, canyon and road were named for a supposed incident involving Fort Robinson back when it was an important base for the U.S. cavalry and not the bustling state park of today. Legend has it that Fort Robinson military scouts of the late 1800s hid for days in the creek’s vicinity while being pursued by Native Americans. When united with a rescue party, the hungry scouts were provided salty bacon, often referred to then as “sowbelly.” Quality aside, a meal is surely notable if a creek is later named for it.

A cottonwood log, harvested from downed timber on site, is among the habitat and erosion control features added to Sowbelly Creek in 2022. Photo by Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine.

Visitors can access about a half-mile of the creek at the 160-acre Coffee Park. Contrary to any insinuations of the name, a barista is not serving up hot drinks there. Coffee Park is named for a prominent ranch family instrumental in settling the region: specifically Guy H. “Chick” and Ila Coffee, the property’s previous owners. Ila donated the property to the village of Harrison in 1972, the year Chick died. The property was developed in the next four years with money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and donations. The village owns and maintains the park, which features playground equipment, vault toilets and picnic shelters accented with stone harvested nearby.

The clear, spring-fed coldwater stream has naturally reproducing brown trout and is occasionally stocked with other species. It has long been attractive to anglers, but even more so since the Game and Parks Commission completed a $40,000 aquatic habitat project there in 2022 with a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

A brown trout is returned to the cool water of Sowbelly Creek. Brooks and rainbows also have been stocked in the creek, and cutthroats are being considered. Photo by Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine.

Where before the stream flowed just a few inches deep, it now moves over rock riffles and into pools up to 5 feet deep. At bends in the stream, anglers now find logs, rocks and other structures that not only prevent erosion but also attract fish.

Three new walk-through Y-gates allow anglers access to the entire public portion of stream without having to cross the barbed-wire fence. Signage has been added at the property boundaries to deter park visitors from trespassing on adjacent private land.

After the creek descends through the Pine Ridge, it flows into the grasslands to the north before eventually joining Warbonnet Creek — another northwestern Nebraska attraction with rich history and a distinctive name. That’s a whole other story.

A bumblebee visits a great blue lobelia flower at Coffee Park. Photo by Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine.

People can access Coffee Park by turning east onto Sowbelly Road from Monroe Canyon Road one-half mile north of Harrison. Another scenic way, there is Pants Butte Road that intersects U.S. Highway 20 4 miles east of Harrison. The route provides incredible views as it winds down the ridge and intersects with Sowbelly Road to the left at the bottom.

The roads are dirt and people are wise to visit when they are dry. No one wants to be stuck in this country, with or without an ample supply of sowbelly and coffee.

To learn more about Sowbelly Creek and Coffee Park, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov.

The post Sowbelly with Coffee – Special Names for a Special Place appeared first on Nebraskaland Magazine.

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