Scotts Bluff National Monument

Rising from the plains of western Nebraska are buttes and bluffs, often towering above the surrounding land, and acting as a marker to westward travelers that the Great Plains are coming to an end and the Rocky Mountains stand in front of you.

Scotts Bluff is one of the more prominent such landmarks, named for one of those westward travelers who did not make it. He died and was buried near here, his name immortalized in the bluff.

Fur traders were the first to pass through the area, followed by initial explorers and pioneers. Then the floodgates of settlers in wagon trains came through. The Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail all passed through this area, using the bluff as a guide into the gaps leading west. Businesses appeared to service the travelers, providing goods and exchanging mail. The Pony Express also used this as a stop.

The Visitor Center has a short video about the history of the area and some exhibits in a small museum area.

A road leads to a parking area atop Scotts Bluff, providing some fantastic views of the surrounding areas. Trails lead from the parking lot to additional viewpoints, but I had already overdone it in the morning while visiting Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, so I opted not to hike them. Sometimes I wish I could have made these park visits when I was younger, but then work got in the way!

The actual Oregon (et al) Trail passes right by the entrance to the park, with replica Conestoga wagons forming a small train along side of it. Looking at the wagons, the trail, and the landscape (and knowing what lies ahead), I’m much happier hopping in my car to continue my trip to the west