You thought Nebraska was flat? Think again.
Wild fossils. Wind-carved buttes.
This isn’t the Nebraska you know.
From fossil beds to moonscape hikes. Your roadtrip begins now.
Explore Nebraska’s Wild Edge
Nebraska’s northwest corner feels other-worldly. Bluffs guide the gaze. Grasslands whisper. Badlands hide stories older than memory.
Wander this loop of four national public lands. Each stop offers freedom to explore at your own pace.
Map Your Route
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Walk gentle hills that hold a 20 million year fossil record. Look for the spiral “devil’s corkscrew” burrows on the trail and meet the beardogs in the museum. The James H. Cook collection reflects the long friendship between rancher James Cook and Chief Red Cloud.
Walk Through Time
Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed
Step inside an active dig shelter and look down on hundreds of 10,000 year old Bison antiquus bones. Guided summer tours share the theories behind the die-off.
Meet Ancient BisonScotts Bluff National Monument
Sandstone towers 800 feet over the North Platte River. Drive the historic tunnel road or climb the Saddle Rock Trail, and stand where wagon trains once camped. Wagon ruts are still visible below the overlooks.
Summit Views
Toadstool Geologic Park
Badland hoodoos balance like giant toadstools. Follow the one mile loop through clay ridges and fossil tracks. Sunrise turns the rock layers pink, and the dark evening sky opens up to the stars.
Wander the BadlandsMap Your Route
Open the road trip mapGear up for the Panhandle
Black Hills Parks & Forests Association runs the park stores at Scotts Bluff and Agate Fossil Beds and supports the public lands across the Nebraska Panhandle. Maps, guides, and gifts from our stores fund education and conservation here.