Fontenelle Forest's November calendar fills its mornings with preschool, homeschool and birding programs. Most of the programs open to everyone come later in the day. Between November 6 and November 21, the Bellevue sites host a sunset hike, two Owl Prowls, a night hike at the Wetlands, a full moon hike and an evening wreath workshop. Every one of them starts at 5 p.m. or later.
Every one of them requires preregistration, and several build daily admission into the price. In late fall, the forest's best hours are evening hours, and they are booked ahead. Anyone who knows the forest mainly as a place for October leaves will find the calendar changes after the leaves come down.
The evening calendar, in order
These are the evening programs at Fontenelle's Bellevue sites for November and December 2026, taken from the forest's November and December calendars:
- Friday, Nov. 6, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Sunset Hike from the Nature Center at 1111 Bellevue Blvd N. It follows gravel and dirt trails near the Nature Center, then the Boardwalk's third loop for sunset views over the Missouri River.
- Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14, 6 to 8 p.m. Owl Prowl at the Nature Center.
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 5 to 7 p.m. Twilight Trekking at The Wetlands, 103 Camp Gifford Road.
- Friday, Nov. 20, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Full Moon Hike: Beaver Moon at the Nature Center. It opens with a talk on nocturnal animals and full-moon lore and ends with a seasonal snack. The forest files it under family-friendly programs.
- Saturday, Nov. 21, 6 to 8 p.m. Twigs & Twine, a wreath-making night at the Nature Center using natural and other materials.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 5 to 7 p.m. Twilight Trekking again, this time starting from the Nature Center.
- Sunday, Dec. 20, 4 to 6 p.m. Winter Solstice Celebration at Camp Brewster, 1313 Bellevue Blvd N.
The November calendar also lists a Leonids Meteor Shower Viewing on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. That one is at Neale Woods Nature Reserve, 14323 Edith Marie Ave in Omaha, which is Fontenelle's other property. It is not in Bellevue.
In mid-October, none of these evening programs was marked sold out. On the same calendar, every Acorn Academy session from November 3 through mid-December already was. The morning children's series filled up first, so the evening dates are where the open spots are.
The Owl Prowl closes out the refuge's anniversary year
The two Owl Prowl nights carry the most weight of anything on the list. Fontenelle's registration page calls the program the final installment of its three-part Raptor Chronicles series. Guests hear a presentation on owls and meet some of the forest's owl ambassadors. Then they head out on guided hikes after dark to look and listen for owls in the trees. Hot chocolate and s'mores are on offer, fire bans permitting.
The timing matters this year. In 2026 the Raptor Woodland Refuge marks its 10th anniversary. Fontenelle celebrated at its Feather Our Nest event on September 13, where it honored Betsy and Doug Finch for their work on raptor conservation at the forest and around the state. Two months later, the Owl Prowl ends the Raptor Chronicles series during that same anniversary year.
On a normal day from September through May, the refuge is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Owl Prowl starts an hour after the refuge's daytime hours end. It is the one time this month the forest's raptor work and its night trails meet in a single program.
What the evening programs cost compared with a regular visit
Evening programs are priced on their own, so they are worth comparing with an ordinary daytime visit. Regular admission at the Bellevue forest is $15 for adults, $13 for ages 62 and up, $9 for ages 2 to 17, and free for members and children under 2, plus tax.
| Program | Members | Nonmembers | Daily admission included? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Hike, Nov. 6 | $10 | $25 | Yes |
| Owl Prowl, Nov. 13 or 14 | $15 | $25 | Not stated |
| Twilight Trekking, Nov. 14 or Dec. 12 | $10 | $25 | Not stated |
| Full Moon Hike, Nov. 20 | $15 | $25 | Not stated |
| Twigs & Twine, Nov. 21 | $20 | $35 | Yes |
| Winter Solstice, Dec. 20 | $15 | $25 | Yes |
For a nonmember adult, a $25 evening hike costs $10 more than the $15 gate fee. For members, who already get in free, the evening programs run $10 to $20. Fontenelle's membership page lists one adult at $55, two adults in one household at $70, and two adults with children or grandchildren under 18 at $80. Two nonmember adults at one Owl Prowl pay $50. The same two adults as members pay $30. The gap is $20 per couple at the Owl Prowl, Full Moon Hike and Winter Solstice, and $30 at the Sunset Hike, Twilight Trekking and Twigs & Twine.
Twilight Trekking is the one that changes the address
Most of the evening calendar starts from the Nature Center. The November Twilight Trekking does not. It meets at The Wetlands, 103 Camp Gifford Road. It is also the most demanding program of the season: at least two miles of night hiking over moderate-to-difficult terrain, for intermediate-to-experienced hikers ages 16 and up. The December 12 trek keeps the same distance and age rules but starts from the forest side at 1111 Bellevue Blvd N.
The solstice program uses a third address. Camp Brewster at 1313 Bellevue Blvd N hosts a short guided hike looking for signs of the changing season. Afterward, everyone warms up indoors with hot chocolate and a family craft, and the night ends with a bonfire and s'mores. The forest asks guests to check the weather and dress for it. The Nature Center, the Wetlands and Camp Brewster are three different starting points in one season, so check which address your program uses before you leave the house.
The Bellevue property has 17 miles of trails, according to Fontenelle's visitor page. It also has the one-mile Riverview Boardwalk, which is accessible for mobility aids and strollers. Since March, there has also been a physical 3-D topographic map of the Bellevue grounds, which KETV reported when it was installed. It is a useful thing to look over before a night hike on trails you have only seen in daylight.
Daylight keeps a few fixtures
The mornings have not emptied out, but the daytime programs are mostly for specific groups:
- November Birding Walk, Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 to 10:30 a.m.
- SUN: Seniors Understanding Nature, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 10 to 11 a.m., at the Nature Center. The talk is for adults 55 and up and covers Nebraska native fish. It is free with membership or daily admission, and no registration is needed. Another SUN session is set for December 8.
- Christmas Bird Count, Saturday, Dec. 19, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the Nature Center. Volunteers count birds on the nearby trails and boardwalk or watch the feeders from inside. It is free for members and nonmembers, but you must preregister, and registration does not include general admission.
Just south of the forest's calendar, Bellevue Berry Farm's festival page lists a Day of the Dead weekend for Saturday, Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The listing does not print a year next to those dates, so check with the farm before you plan around it.
The days the gate stays shut
From September through May, the Nature Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and the trails generally run sunrise to sunset. Plan around these dates this season:
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: The Nature Center closes from 1 to 5 p.m. for an all-staff meeting. Member gate fobs will still work.
- Thursday, Nov. 26, Thanksgiving: The Nature Center is closed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and member gate fob access will not be available.
- Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25: The Nature Center is closed, again with no fob access.
The forest's general FAQ says members with fobs can get in on holidays. The 2026 closure notices for Thanksgiving and Christmas say they can't, so go by the notices this year. Winter Break Camp starts December 28, which is the next item on the calendar after the holiday closures.
Our team keeps track of Bellevue's seasons, from Fontenelle's owl nights to the changes in Olde Towne we covered in our summer look at Bellevue. If you'd like to talk through what's happening around town or in your corner of Bellevue, Avid Realty is glad to help. Schedule a Consultation, and bring your Owl Prowl stories with you.
