Western Nebraska?

[Finally_Time]

I have this gap in my states visited map. I'll be going north out of Colorado this summer. Is there any place I should visit in western Nebraska. I like sightseeing, historical places, and wildlife viewing.

[CharlesinGA]

Off Pavement wrote:
The only hand planted national forest is in Nebraska...

Nebraska National Forest

I know the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey is "hand planted" but I think the Nebraska National Forest at Chadron is natural growth, not sure about that however.

I spent the night after watching the eclipse near Alliance, in the Bessey Recreation Area of the Nat Forest at Halsey. I got very lucky, and got the last site with power in the campground. I had driven one loop and then stopped in the drive thru the day use parking area contemplating which other loop to drive next, when I looked to my left and spied site #2 (which is NOT on the campground site map) and this site is not on a loop. It had a lot of slope and I was, with all of my blocks under the front wheels, unable to level the camper, but it was across from the nicest shower house I have ever encountered.

This is a very nice campground and area, with trails, a walking bridge across the river, nice area to spend a day, which I could not as I was headed home. The fields where they erect the temporary greenhouses to start seedlings is near the entrance.

My entire Badlands, Blackhills, and Eclipse trip report is posted in the link, with some comments about Nebraska toward the end.

Charles

[RAS43]

CarnationSailor wrote:
Union Pacific Railroad Bailey Yard, North Platte
and
Cody Park Railroad Museum, North Platte

X2- And stay at Buffalo Bill's campground. It is quiet and outside the city.

[Finally_Time]

Thanks for all the tips. From all the recommendations, looks like I'll be scheduling 4 or 5 days in Nebraska.

[RGar974417]

In North Platter, there is the Lincoln County Museum,a railway museum and Buffalo Bill's ranch.In Minden,The Harold Warp Pioneer Museum which has everything. http://www.npcanteen.net/lchm.html

[Debbie]

You have to see Carhenge in Alliance,NE
Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska - Roadside America
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2606

[Off_Pavement]

The only hand planted national forest is in Nebraska...

Nebraska National Forest

Carhenge

Toadstool Geologic Park

Sand Hills Scenic Highway

[kohldad]

I'll also agree with Ft Robinson. We just happened to luck across it back in 2000. If you don't have a bad back, make sure to take the stage coach ride. It will make you really just how smooth your truck rides, just how smooth the roads are, and just how fake all the stagecoach rides in the western shows were. I'm just glad it's a short ride and not an all day affair.

My kids and I also loved the horse back ride up to the butte overlooking the fort grounds.

[ksbowman]

Stop and see the 80' waterfall near Valentine. Well worth the stop. There is a campground there also.

[SDcampowneroper]

TexasShadow wrote:
We like Chadron State park, just south of Chadron NE. From there you can drive over to Ft Robinson which is worth your time if you like old army forts..good museums and history film, etc. There is an archaeology dig out in the boondocks called the Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Bed....makes for a nice day drive, slowly, over gravel roads...look for the brochure at the state parks. and, in route, there is a restaurant that serves really good steaks etc. but stop on your way to the dig to tell them you will be back..if you want to try it. It isn't cheap, but it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, either. 🙂
Also, in Chadron is a Fur Trappers museum and a local museum..Dawes County Historical museum, that is FULL of old stuff.

TX Shadow, right on, Hudson Meng bone bed NHS is worth the time and drive . its still a paleontological mystery.

[CloudDriver]

X2 on the Bailey Yard - the largest rail yard in the world.

We like to drive route 26 between Ogallala and I25 in Wyoming. Follows the route of the Oregon trail. Route 26 Passes Ash Hollow State Historic Park. The immigrants lowered their wagons down Windlass Hill there. The trail ruts are still visible.


There is a small but nice Visitor Center at Chimney Rock.


Further along route 26 and into Wyoming is Fort Laramie.






Further on is the town of Guernsey with the nearby 4 ft deep ruts cut into the sandstone by the wagons and Oxen.


About 2 miles away is Register Cliff where the immigrants carved their names into the sandstone.


Just beyond Guernsey is Guernsey State Park.

[CharlesinGA]

Museum of the Fur Trade, on US 20 East of Chadron, built on the site of an old fur trader post. Nice museum with all kinds of artifacts, clothing, the largest collection of "trade guns" anywhere (a couple of hundred). I spent a couple or three hours in there, and could have stayed longer.

http://www.furtrade.org/

Founded in 1955, it is in a good sized building with lots of rooms with display cases of everything imaginable having to do with trading, trapping and indians.

If you like the wacky, on St Rt 87 north of Alliance is Carhinge, a Stone Hinge like setting using old automobiles.

I was in the area for the eclipse and was unable to visit Carhinge as it was a huge gathering spot for the eclipse viewers. I ended up a couple of miles north of there.

Camping can be found at Box Butte Reservoir north of Hemmingford off of US385 and also at the Nebraska National Forest on 385 south of Chardron. Chadron has a Wallmart Super Center and good fuel stations if you need anything in that area.

On US26 just north of the North Platte River is the town of Bayard, and there are three RV parking spaces with power pedestals on the east side of the town water tower on E. 11th Street, right across the street from the town park/pool/tennis courts/picnic shelter. Check with City Hall about using the sites, there is a sign posted with info, I seem to recall that one night was free and the next was $10 or the like, not sure now.

It is within sight of Chimney Rock.

Also near Chimney Rock and Bayard is Lake Minatare State Recreation Area with camping, and Scotts Bluff National Monument.

Somewhat southwest of the Fort Robinson State Park is the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, no camping there however.

Charles

http://www.cityofbayard.net/

http://carhenge.com/

http://outdoornebraska.gov/lakeminatare/

https://www.nps.gov/scbl/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/agfo/index.htm

[pianotuna]

There is a museum for Laura Ingalls Wilder in Nebraska--one of the homesteads she lived in.

[wlstroud]

Golden Spike Tower; Baily Yard if trains interest you; Buffalo Bill Ranch SP; and, Cody Park at North Platte.

[CarnationSailor]

Union Pacific Railroad Bailey Yard, North Platte
and
Cody Park Railroad Museum, North Platte