Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary is a 3,000 acre nature sanctuary located along the Platte River in south-central Nebraska. Our mission is to protect the Platte River ecosystem and the birds that rely on it through habitat management and restoration, education programs, community outreach, and promoting crane viewing experiences in riverside blinds during the spring migration. 

The Iain Nicolson Audubon Center and west trail are currently closed due to ongoing construction. Scroll down for more information about our renovation project! Parking is located to the north of the Morton building near the main entrance. Our trails are open daily from dawn-dusk- look for signage to indicate the trailhead location. Pets on a leash are only allowed in the parking lot and in a designated pet exercise are east of the parking lot. No pets are allowed on the trails. Porta-potties are located on-site.

If you have questions or need assistance please contact us by phone at 308-468-5282 or via email at rowesanctuary@audubon.org

Audubon Center Renovations 

At Rowe Sanctuary, we are: 

• Building an educational addition to the west wing to improve river and bird viewing for visitors and expand educational opportunities 
• Building an east addition that will include a conference room and multipurpose space 
• Renovating the Great Hall to create a larger, more open space for gathering, educating, and river-viewing 
• Adding an industrial-grade kitchen for catering 
• Reconfiguring the building’s east office wing to maximize space for a growing staff and 
  volunteer program 
• Installing new interpretive and interactive exhibits that guide guests to the outdoors 
• Creating an accessible entry to the center 
• Building a new overlook deck and boardwalk segments, with guardrails, along the Platte River
• Relocating the parking lot to shield birds roosting on the river from headlights, improving accessibility, and creating an immediate stunning river view as visitors approach the center 
• Creating native plant landscaping; energy-efficient, wildlife-friendly lighting; and adding interpretative and educational signs 

We continually seek to increase these centers’ accessibility to the public, because we know that people first must learn more about their environment before they are motivated to care for it. These investments will touch everything—from education to habitat conservation, from science-based programming to operations—that Audubon Nebraska does and can achieve at our centers and beyond. 

Click here for more information on the Elevate Nebraska campaign.

We are able to protect this important landscape and provide education programs through generous donations from people like you! If you would like to make a contribution, click on the orange “Donate Now” button on the top of this page. Thank you so much for your support!