Scotts Bluff National Monument

It was quickly realized, that we are not at 8000+ feet anymore, once we exited the air conditioned truck after two hours of driving through Cheyenne, WY and into Nebraska. The heat and humidity was quick to slap us awake to the reality of summer in the Midwest USA. It was my first time setting foot in Nebraska since a 1993 road trip to Iowa and it was exclusively to visit two National Monuments not too deep into the state. The first, Scotts Bluff National Monument, served as an important landmark for travelers on the Oregon Trail from 1841 to 1869. The bluff stands 800 feet above the plains and the Platte River below and is easily spotted from many miles out.

After dropping the trailer at a local RV park where we would overnight, we stopped into the Visitor’s Center, picked up another lapel pin for my growing collection, and started up the road to the top of the bluff. Fully expecting a few hours in the park to explore, I was quite surprised to come to the end of the road within just a few short minutes of driving. Sure, there are two short trails up at the top, but we decided not to take on either as an afternoon thunderstorm decided too go on those very hikes moments before we arrived. It poured rain – and hail – for 10 minutes turning the trails to mud and the air extremely muggy.

We came back down the bluff and stopped in to walk the half-mile or so of trail along the historic Oregon Trail. Here we ran into a wagon caravan and  an oxen team on our way out to the end of the trail where we were expecting to see a historic camp, but instead we found only a plaque which explained “this is where the came was”… 150+ years ago! We pondered the whole concept of why the National Park service would create and maintain a trail that leads to nowhere and nothing, then turned around and walked back to the truck.

This is now my 74th National Park visited.