Nine Mile Prairie in Nebraska is named for its location: five miles west and four miles north of downtown Lincoln. The site is a track of protected tall grass prairie that, with the exception of one small portion, was farmed as late as the 1950s. The area never has been plowed and has been grazed as late as the 1960s. Thus, it is one of the largest areas of virgin tall grass prairie in the states and has been listed in the National Registered of Historic Places since 1986. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln administers Nine Mill Prairie and uses it for research and recreation.