Scotts Bluff National Monument 

Contact Information:
Scotts Bluff National Monument  
PO Box 27
Gering, NE 69341
308-436-4340
http://www.nps.gov/scbl/

Size: 3,005 acres

Location: Scotts Bluff National Monument is located on the North Platte River, 3 miles west of Gering, Nebraska, and 5 miles southwest of the town of Scottsbluff. The visitor center is just off NE 92.

Description: Rising 800 feet above the valley floor, this massive promontory was a landmark on the Oregon Trail, associated with overland migration between 1843 and 1869 across the Great Plains. The monument museum contains exhibits about the human and natural history of the area and also holds a unique collection of watercolor paintings by the frontier photographer and artist William Henry Jackson. 

Activities: Visit the Oregon Trail Museum, which includes three rooms of historic, geological and William Henry Jackson exhibits. The park's Summit Road allows visitors to drive to the top of Scotts Bluff for a spectacular view of the valley. The 1.6-mile Saddle Rock Trail leads hikers from the visitor center to the summit, and the 0.5-mile Oregon Trail Pathway leads from the visitor center to the remnants of the Oregon Trail.

Operating Hours: Park is open daily except for Christmas and New Year's Day.

History: Proclaimed on December 12, 1919.

See other National Monuments
See other Nebraska National Parks