Pioneers Park is Lincoln's largest park — 668 acres of prairie, woodland, and wetland in the southwestern part of the city, preserving a significant patch of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem that once covered this part of the Great Plains. The park contains a nature center, miles of walking and cycling trails, and a small herd of bison and elk that graze in enclosed natural habitat. Seeing bison within city limits is something that surprises most visitors.
The park is managed for ecological value as well as recreation. The prairie sections are home to native grasses and wildflowers that are increasingly rare in a landscape dominated by corn and soy, and the wildlife observation is better here than anywhere else in the city. The nature center is free and provides good context for understanding Nebraska's grassland ecology. The park is about four miles from downtown — you need a car to get there.