Scotts Bluff National Monument
Towering 800 feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has served as a landmark for peoples from Native Americans to emigrants on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails to modern travelers. Rich with geological and paleontological history as well as human history, there is much to discover while exploring the 3,000 acres of Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Visitors traveling east-west on Interstate 80 can exit at Kimball, Nebraska and drive 45 miles north on Nebraska Highway 71. Follow National Park Service signs three miles west of Gering, Nebraska to Old Oregon Trail Road. Turn west onto Old Oregon Trail Road and follow it approximately 2 miles to the monument visitor center on the right. Visitors travelling along the North Platte River using US Highway 26 or Nebraska Highway 92, should follow the National Park Service signs.
- Arts and Culture
- Cultural Demonstrations
- Hiking
- Living History
- Forts
- Westward Expansion
- Animals
- Fossils and Paleontology
- Geology
- Grasslands
- Prairies
- River and Riparian
- Rock Landscapes and Features
- Scenic Views
- Trails
Eagle Rock with Conestoga Wagon
Thousands of covered wagons rolled by Eagle Rock in the mid nineteenth century.
Scotts Bluff from the North Platte RIver
Scotts Bluff as seen from the north side of the North Platte River
A Hot Air Balloon at the East Entrance to the Monument
A hot air balloon is seen at the east entrance to Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Mitchell Pass bathed in Morning Light
Early morning is a great time to explore Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Saddle Rock rises above the Clouds
An inversion creates the feeling of walking on the clouds at the summit of Scotts Bluff.