Trail Treks - A Guide to Hiking Western Nebraska's Historic Trails

Trail Treks

A Guide to Hiking Western Nebraska's Historic Trails

A Guide to Hiking Western Nebraska's Historic Trails

Trail Treks are truly wild lands, with little human influence on the natural landscapes. Access to public lands and recreational opportunities in Western Nebraska is an important natural amenity contributing to a high quality of life for residents, neighboring communities, the people of Nebraska and visitors from across the nation. Welcome to the trails of Western Nebraska.

SOUTH DAKOTA

RAPID CITY

WYOMING

CHEYENNE

SCOTTSBLUFF GERING GERING

NEBRASKA

OMAHA LINCOLN

DENVER COLORADO

KANSAS

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Table of Contents 1 2 3 5 9 11 13 15 19 21 22 23 25 27 28 29 31 33 34

Welcome to Trail Treks Table of Contents Territory Overview Scotts Bluff National Monument 1 Scotts Bluff National Monument Trails Monument Valley Pathways 2 Monument Valley Pathways Map Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area 3 Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area Trails Chimney Rock National Historic Site 4 Chimney Rock Map Agate Fossil Beds National Monument 5 Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Map Courthouse and Jail Rocks 6 Courthouse and Jail Rocks Map Additional Information Nebraska Wildlife Index Notes

The numbered orange shapes correspond to the locations pictured on the area overview map on pages 5-6.

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%5

State Hwy 71

State

Hwy

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State Hwy 71

Morrill

Lyman

Mitchell

US

Hw y

26

Hwy 92

Sc n

Scottsbluff

%1 % 2

Gering

Hw y

26

Minatare

Hw y

Melbeta

%3 State Hwy 71

State Hwy 88

Harrisburg

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State H

92 McGrew

US Hwy 26

Hw y 26

Hwy 29

Henry

Baya

%4 State Hwy 88

Scotts Bluff National Monument Monument Valley Pathways Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area Chimney Rock National Historic Site Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Courthouse And Jail Rocks

Hwy 62A (Link)

US

Hw y

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5

1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %

ard

State Hwy 92

Bridgeport

%6

Broadwater

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Scotts Bluff National Monument

How to get there: One mile west of Gering on Old Oregon Trail Road. About four miles of trails, including three main trails and additional overlook paths from the Summit Road parking area. For experienced hikers, hiking unmarked South Bluff is an option.

Oregon Trail Half-mile pathway. Trailhead west of Summit Road near Visitor Center at covered wagons. Asphalt with a gravel section, following historic Oregon/ California Trails through Mitchell Pass.

Gentle rise to the trail’s end. Rating: Easy.

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Amenities and attractions: Oregon Trail, California Trail and Pony Express history, including swales left by pioneer traffic. Visitor center and museum. Covered wagons and historic trail markers. Birds and deer.

Rules, signage and cautions: Open year-round, sunrise to sunset. National park rules apply. Pack out garbage.

No removal of plants, animals, rocks or artifacts or defacing of rocks with graffiti. No off-trail hiking. Pets must be leashed. Bring water. Watch for rattlesnakes. Abundant informational and cautionary signage. Benches along

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trails. Restrooms in visitor center and museum.

Saddle Rock Trail Asphalt trail 1.6 miles long. Trailheads north of visitor center parking lot and near Summit Road parking area.

Wheelchair-accessible for a few hundred yards from the visitor center, then a steep climb to the summit with steep sections and multiple switchbacks. Rating: Difficult.

Amenities and attractions: Tunnel through the bluff. Panoramic views of the North Platte Valley from

the summit. Benches. Abundant informational and cautionary signage, including rods that measure erosion over time. Birds and deer.

Rules, signage and cautions: Same as other trails. The rock along the trail is soft and crumbly with steep drop-

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offs; leaving the trail can be extremely dangerous.

Prairie View Trail

Pass. Birds, deer and prairie plants.

Rules, signage and cautions: Same as other trails.

Asphalt trail 1.2 miles long from the Visitor Center to the eastern boundary of Scotts Bluff National Monument, connecting with Monument Valley Pathway in Gering. Trailheads at Visitor Center parking area and at west end of U Street. Level but steep in places, with an elevation change of about 50 feet. Rating: Moderate.

Amenities and attractions: The only trail in Scotts Bluff National Monument that allows bicycling.

Panoramic views of the Monument’s “five rocks” – Dome, Crown, Sentinel, Eagle and Saddle – as well as Mitchell

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Scotts Bluff National Monument Trails

Oregon Trail -- .5 Miles

Office\Visitor Center

Saddle Rock -- 2 Miles

Parking Area Prairie View Trail -- 1.5 miles

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0.5 Miles TRAIL TREKS

Summit Road -- 2.3 Miles

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Monument Valley Pathways

How to get there: Multiple access points linking Scotts Bluff County’s three adjacent cities, Scottsbluff, Terrytown and Gering, through about 14 connected miles of paved trails, with future sections planned.

The pathway includes about seven miles of trail in Scottsbluff, more than three miles in Terrytown and more than three miles in Gering. Year-round access, sunrise to sunset. Parking in many areas. Most sections wheelchair accessible. Rating: Easy.

Amenities and attractions: Almost two miles of pathway along the North Platte River, with opportunities for fishing, wildlife photography and bird-watching. North of the river in

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Scottsbluff, the trail passes Scottsbluff Family YMCA, the YMCA’s Trails West camp, Riverside Park, Riverside Discovery Center zoo, baseball fields, Westmoor Park, Carpenter Park, two dog parks and Western Nebraska Community College. Pedestrian overpass over Highway 26.

South of the river, a highway bridge takes users to Terrytown, where more than three miles of pathway take users past Terry’s Lake and Terry Carpenter Park, the Carpenter Center and on to the Gering connection at Country Club Road. The seven-acre lake offers fishing, picnic sites, shelters and a playground.

Gering’s three miles of pathway gives

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users a close-up view of Scotts Bluff National Monument with access to the Monument’s trail system. Along U street, it passes the city’s dog park and Gering High School.

Exposure to vehicle traffic at road crossings. Steep ramps on pedestrian bridge. No swimming, boating, diving or walking on ice allowed in Terry’s lake.

Benches and informational signs common. Parks, playground equipment, shelters, picnic and outdoor cooking facilities.

Rules, signage and cautions: Bicycling, roller skates and roller blades, skateboards, wheelchairs and motorized wheelchairs are allowed.

Other motorized vehicles prohibited.

Alcohol use, firearms, fireworks and trespassing off-trail are prohibited.

Bicyclists should ride single file and announce their presence to walkers.

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Monument Valley Pathways Map

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Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area 3

How to get there: About 10 miles south of Gering on Highway 71. More than three miles of trails through canyons and rocky bluffs of the 1,094-acre park.

Five main trails form a connected web that includes several other shorter trails.

Northlook Trail A mile-long out-and-back trail with its trailhead near the Wildcat Hills Nature Center parking area. Groomed dirt path, level but rough in places.

Rating: Easy.

Amenities and attractions: Panoramic view of the North Platte Valley from a ridgetop. Access to one of the highest points in the park. Nature Center nearby with displays, programs and

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gifts, and a multi-sport shooting range on site. Picnic and camping areas available. Deer, bighorn sheep, turkeys and other birds.

Rules, signage and cautions: Recreation area is open year-round. A park entry permit is required and may be purchased at the Nature Center.

Motorized vehicles prohibited on trails.

Dogs must be leashed. Camping and campfires allowed only in designated areas. Fireworks and lit tering prohibited. Bring water and insect repellant. Watch for rattlesnakes.

Turkey Run Trail A 1.25-mile trail with two trailheads along the park road. Groomed dirt path with rugged terrain and steep sections.

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Descends and climbs out of a valley.

Rating: Moderate.

Amenities and attractions: Abundant timber offers shade in hot weather.

Picnic and camping areas available.

Historic shelters nearby. Access to Nature Center with displays, programs and gifts and a multi-sport shooting range on site. Deer, bighorn sheep, turkeys and other birds.

Rules, signage and cautions: Same as other trails.

Cedar Ridge Trail A .4-mile trail with its trailhead at the stone shelter at the end of the picnic area park road. Dirt path, rough in places with rugged terrain and steep sections. Follows a ridge and intersects with Turkey Run Trail.

Rating: Moderate.

Amenities and attractions: Historic stone shelter and stone steps placed

by Civilian Conservation Corps workers nearly a century ago. Ridgetop view of

central recreation area with views of North Platte Valley. Viewpoints. Picnic and camping areas near trailhead.

Deer, bighorn sheep, turkeys and other birds.

Rules, signage and cautions: Same as other trails.

Muley Trail A 1.25-mile trail, one of the longest in the recreation area. Two trailheads, both at intersections linking it to the Monument View and Turkey Run trails. The northernmost part of the park property also offers access from an unmarked parking area on Old Stagehill Road. Rough dirt path with rugged terrain and steep sections.

Descends and climbs out of a valley.

Rating: Difficult.

Amenities and attractions: Runs below Monument View Trail near one of the only creek drainages in the park. The most primitive trail through the park’s least-visited areas. Deer, bighorn sheep, turkeys and other birds.

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Rules, signage and cautions: Same as other trails.

Rules, signage and cautions: Same as other trails.

Monument View Trail Almost a mile long, with its lone trailhead at the end of the main road on the park’s eastern border, near the Old Stagehill Road gate. Groomed dirt path, fairly level but rough in places.

Rating: Easy.

Amenities and attractions: Selfie station for photos. Access to one of the highest points in the park.

Ridgetop view of recreation area and North Platte Valley. Picnic and camping areas available. Deer, bighorn sheep, turkeys and other birds.

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Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area Trails

Monument View -- 1 Mile

Office\Visitor Center

Northlook Trail -- 1 Mile

Parking Area

Muley Trail -- 1.2 Miles

Cedar Ridge Trail -- .5 Mile

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Turkey Run Trail -- 2 Miles

0.5 Miles TRAIL TREKS

• • •• • • •• ••• • • • •• • • • • • • • • •••• • • •• •• • •• • • • •• •• • •• •••••• • • • • ••••• • ••• ••••• • • • • • ••• •••••• • • • ••• • •• •• ••• • • •• • • • • •• • •• ••••••••••• •• • •••• • • • ••• • • ••• • • • ••• • • ••• • • • • • •

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Chimney Rock National Historic Site 4

How to get there: About 20 miles southeast of Gering on Highway 92.

Accessible from Morrill County Road 75, then west on Chimney Rock Road.

One path on public land designated as a National Historic Site in 1956.

Chimney Rock Trail A .6-mile trail with unmarked trailhead at western edge of Chimney Rock Pioneer Cemetery parking lot. Short but rough, ungroomed dirt trail with steep sections, leading to a marker at the foot of the rock. Rating: Moderate.

Amenities and attractions: Visitor Center and museum nearby on County Road 75. Historic cemetery nearby with some pioneer graves. Views of

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North Platte Valley. Chimney Rock’s significance to America’s western history, including the Oregon Trail, California Trail and Pony Express.

Geologic remnant of erosion of bluffs in North Platte Valley, rising 325 feet from conical base. Dating from sediments in Oligocene Age more than 23 million years ago, it towers 480 feet above the valley floor.

Rules, signage and cautions: Parking area but no signage. Monument to property donor Roszel Frank Durnal at trail’s end. Bring water and insect repellant. Watch for rattlesnakes.

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Office\Visitor Center

Chimney Rock Trail

Parking Area

••

0.5 Miles

Bureau of Land Management, Nebrask

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Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

How to get there: About 47 miles from Scottsbluff. Travel west to Mitchell and turn north on Highway 29 for 37 miles to the Monument entrance at the Niobrara River. The visitor center is about three miles east of the highway. The Monument has more than three miles of trail, including an unpaved path. Improved trails include the Deamonelix Trail and the Fossil Hills Trail. An unpaved one-mile path off the Fossil Hills Trail leads west to a restored homestead, “Bone Cabin,” used after 1914 as the temporary residence for scientists who worked nearby fossil quarries. Paper trail guides are available in the visitor center.

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Daemonelix Trail The mile-long Daemonelix Trail, located near the Monument entrance, features an on-site fossil exhibits of the spiral corkscrew fossil of the Paleocastor, an ancient land beaver that lived in the area. The groomed gravel trail includes a gentle climb to the exhibits.

Rating: Easy.

Amenities and attractions: Displays of burrows. Views of the Niobrara Valley.

Rules, signage and cautions: Open year-round, sunrise to sunset. National park rules apply. Pack out garbage.

No removal of plants, animals, rock or artifacts or defacing of rocks with graffiti. Pets must be leashed.

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Bring water. Watch for rattlesnakes.

Abundant informational and cautionary signage. Benches along trails.

Restrooms in visitor center. Cellphone coverage limited. Free WiFi at visitor center. Nearest services, including fuel, are more than 30 miles from the Monument.

Fossil Hills Trail The 2.8-mile Fossil Hills Trail leads from the visitor center to historic fossil quarry sites, studied by the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh almost 20 years after rancher James Cook discovered fossilized bones in the mid-1880s.

Fossils of 14 animals, some 20 million years old, were found during the

studies. Gentle rise of about 250 feet elevation from the parking area.

Rating: Easy.

Ameni ties and attrac tions: Interpretive signs with photos featuring paleontology history. Bridge over river. Visitor center with displays of fossils and Native American artifacts from collection composed of gifts from friends of Cook. Niobrara River wetlands. Deer, sandhill cranes and other prairie birds and plants. Link to mile-long Bone Cabin path.

Rules, signage and cautions: Same as other trails.

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Parking Area

Fossil Hi

Office\Visitor Center

John Co

Daemonelix Trail --1 mile Fossil Hills Bone Cabin Loop -- 1 mile 0.5 Miles

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ills Trail -- 1.4 Miles

ook's Grave Trail

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Courthouse and Jail Rocks

How to get there: About 36 miles southeast of Gering on Highway 92, then five miles south on Highway 88.

Accessible from a short drive west on Morrill County Road 81, just past a historical marker on the highway.

Public land on National Register of Historic Places. Short but rough, ungroomed dirt trails with steep sections. Rating: Easy.

Amenities and attractions: Two rocks rising more than 240 feet above nearby Pumpkin Creek form the easternmost features of the Wildcat Hills formation.

Recognized and named by pioneer travelers. Significant to the histories of the Oregon Trail and California Trail, Pony Express, Mormon Trail, Sidney-

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Deadwood gold rush, stagecoach and military trail, as well as Native American lore. Archaeological site and ruins of Pony Express Station.

Rules, signage and cautions: Open year-round, sunrise to sunset. National park rules apply. Pack out garbage.

No removal of plants, animals, rock or artifacts or defacing of rocks with graffiti. Benches but no other signage or services on-site.

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Parking Area

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0.5 Miles Sources: Esri, HERE 28 TRAIL TREKS

Additional Information Trail Etiquette: Most hikers enjoy their fair share of peace and solitude on the trail; odds are you’ll eventually end up sharing the trail with others. But don’t worry, whether you’re sharing the outdoors with mountain bikers, equestrians or fellow hikers, there are a few unwritten rules that can help make your time on the trails more pleasant. Some commonly observed practices are: • Hike quietly. Speak in low voices and turn your cell phone down, if not off. Enjoy the sounds of nature and let others do the same.

• If taking a break, move off the trail to allow others to pass by unobstructed.

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• Don’t toss your trash – not even biodegradable items. If you packed it in, pack it back out.

• Hikers going downhill yield to those hiking uphill.

• When bringing a pet on a hike, be sure to keep it on a leash and under control. Don’t forget to pack out pet waste as well.

• Don’t feed the wildlife. While many animals stay hidden, others are not so shy. Giving these creatures food only disrupts their natural foraging habits.

• Leave what you find. The only souvenirs a hiker should come with are photographs and happy memories. (And maybe an improved fitness level!)

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• Help preserve the trail by staying on the trail. Widening a trail by going around puddles, etc., is bad for trail sustainability.

• If hiking in a group, don’t take up the whole width of the trail; allow others to pass.

Trails are a shared public space. Safety and courtesy make for a positive trail experience for everyone, so please respect your fellow trail users.

What to Bring Hiking: The exact items that you bring can be tailored to the trip you’re taking. When deciding what to bring, consider factors like weather, difficulty, duration, and distance from help. These items should be on your essentials hiking checklist: • Hiking backpack • Weather-appropriate clothing (think moisture-wicking and layers) and extra clothes

• Hiking boots or shoes • Plenty of food; beyond the minimum expectation • Plenty of water; beyond the minimum expectation • Navigation tools; maps, compass, altimeter, GPS device, personal locator beacon • First aid kit; including foot care and insect repellent • Sun protection; sunglasses, sunprotective clothes and sunscreen • Knife or multi-tool; gear repair kit • Flashlight; headlamp and extra batteries • Fire; matches, lighter, tinder • Shelter; tent, rain gear • Binoculars • Camera • Notepad and writing utensil

Notes:

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Nebraska Wildlife Western Nebraska is home to a plethora of amazing wildlife, including native animals and migrating birds.

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Bald Eagle

Beaver

Belted Kingfisher

Canada Goose

Muskrat

Bighorn Sheep

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Wild Turkey

Great Blue Heron

Immature Bald Eagle

Mule Deer

Osprey

Painted Turtle

Gray Squirrel

Whitetail Deer

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Credits

Photos and Content: • Steve Frederick Maps: • North Platte NRD • City of Scottsbluff • City of Gering • ESRI • USGS • NASA • FEMA

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Trail Treks Partners: • Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau • Gering Visitors Bureau • Nebraska Tourism Commission • City of Gering • City of Scottsbluff • Tri-Cities Active Living Council

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Notes

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VISITSCOTTSBLUFF.COM

VISITGERING.COM