Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ONHT_Scotts-Bluff.jpg
Author: NPS Photographer


Scotts Bluff National Monument is a protected site of cultural as well as natural significance, located in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. It protects the pioneering trails of the 19th century, such as the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trail, and at the same time, preserves Scotts Bluff, the massive rock formation within the area.

Scotts Bluff rises 830 feet (330 m) from the surrounding plain. It comprises a group of five rock formations namely Crown Rock, Dome Rock, Eagle Rock, Saddle Rock and Sentinel Rock.

Saddle Rock, Scotts Bluff National Monument
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DSCN5182_viewalongscottsbluff_e.jpg
Author: Matthew Trump


The earliest documentation of the rocks by Europeans was in 1812 when fur traders of the Astorian Expedition first saw them when they traveled along the North Platte River. The discovery was lost due to the War of 1812, and it was only in 1823 that the route was rediscovered. Scotts Bluff was named after Hiram Scott, a fur trader who died near the bluff in 1828.

Scotts Bluff was proclaimed a national monument on 12 December, 1919. The site includes several nearby bluffs of equal significance. The monument was placed under the care of the National Park Service which was created three years earlier. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 15 October, 1966.

Visiting Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

The site is located in the town of Scotts Bluff, most easily accessed via Interstate 80. From the highway, turn off at Exit 20 at Kimball, and head north of State Highway 71, passing through Kimball and continuing north until Gering, where you turn off at State Route 92 (Co Rd K) and head west till you arrive at the site.

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips