The Hudson-Meng Visitor Center will remain closed for the 2021 summer season. The site is off-the-beaten path, but still well worth the experience to come visit and enjoy the outdoors. The scenic drive from Crawford, NE to Hudson-Meng is approximately 20 miles on paved and unpaved roads.
Even though the visitor center is closed, visitors can enjoy the one-third mile interpretive trail leading from the parking lot to the closed building. Interpretive signs along the way explain the site’s discovery and related scientific research. From the building, the three-mile (one way) Bison Trail connects Hudson-Meng to Toadstool Geologic Park. If you decide to go, please be prepared with adequate footwear, water, sun protection, and snacks.
Visitors can download the National Forest Explorer mobile app to learn more about Hudson-Meng and Oglala National Grassland. A free augmented reality gaming app, Agents of Discovery, is also available in your app store. It features missions from the Forest Service and is fun to play on the trails around Hudson-Meng. Download Agents of Discovery app and Hudson-Meng Mission from an internet connection before coming out and then it does not need cellular data service to play.
Vault toilets are open and available at Toadstool Geologic Park Campground and Day Use Area. There is no drinking water available at either Hudson-Meng or Toadstool.