I’ve always preferred driving to and from Colorado on I80 through Nebraska. The road, at least to my liking, is a bit more scenic and the towns do have some history to explore if you take the time to really visit.
One of the reasons for the history is that the Platte River valley was a virtual highway for the westward expansion of the United States. Several major trails, notably the Oregon and Mormon, followed their path west along the Platte before they broke across the continental divide in the South Pass region of Wyoming. The route was also a major westward route for the Pony Express system.
The Scotts Bluff area is especially interesting because there are two major rock formations that provided early frontier travelers major visual milestones on their trek west. Both Scott’s Bluff and Chimney Rock, with their iconic shapes and size, provided the travelers evidence that they were closer to their goal of passing over the continental divide and entering the western frontier.
Scott’s Bluff National Monument gave us a chance to get another stamp in the National Park Passport as well as see the bluff exactly as early travelers would have seen it as they passed on the trails at its base.
Just east of Scott’s Bluff is the other icon that early westward travelers watched for: Chimney Rock, now a National Historic Site operated by the State of Nebraska. The roughly 300 foot tall spire juts from the plains and provides an easily identified trail marker.
Both of the park facilities had newer museums that provided an in-depth view of the early trails and the life of the early travelers as they made their way west in wagon trains. We also found several interesting trail markers commemorating those who made their way west on those early trails.
Overall, our side trip to the western edge of Nebraska was an interesting look back at our heritage of westward expansion.