Scotts Bluff National Monument, located west of Gering contains 3,003 acres of prairie and bluff habitat. The glorious Bluff rises 800 feet above the North Platte River and became a landmark and resting place for Native Americans, fur traders/trappers and pioneers on their way to Oregon and California.
Come and enjoy the National Monuments four miles of hiking trails that also include portions of the original Oregon Trail which allow you to walk in the footsteps of the emigrants. Visitors to Scotts Bluff National Monument can drive to the summit of the Bluff and take in the breathtaking panoramic views of the North Platte River Valley, Chimney Rock and Laramie Peak (90 miles distance).
The Visitor Center at Scotts Bluff National Monument contains the Oregon Trail Museum that highlights Native American, fur trade, frontier military, Pony Express and emigrant history as well as the geology and paleontology of the area. On display are the paintings and photographs of artist and photographer William Henry Jackson who had travelled the trail in his youth and then circumnavigated the world in a photographic expedition later in life.
The Visitor Center houses the Oregon Trail Museum Association book store which sells a number of exciting western history publications and items for all ages.
