Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest occupies 116,079 acres in the north-central Nebraska Sandhills, entirely within Cherry County, and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. Its roots reach back to 1902, when Theodore Roosevelt created the Niobrara Forest Reserve; in 1971, Richard Nixon redesignated the Niobrara Division to honor former governor Samuel R. McKelvie. The forest is notable for its unusual blend of prairie grasslands and scattered pine islands, much of the woodland having been hand-planted. It supports grazing leases, diverse wildlife, and modest recreation, with nearby Merritt Reservoir adding a well-known fishing destination.