WESTERN TRAILS SCENIC BYWAY Pioneers would have come across the same towering formations and pine-shaded bluffs on this route as visitors encounter today. Get out of your “wagon” and explore: Storied sites, picturesque trails and sparkling lakes await your discovery. SMALL-TOWN STOP WILDCAT HILLS STATE RECREATION AREA, GERING GERING Near a spoil of outdoor activities and pioneering sites, Gering welcomes adventurers and history buffs alike. Visit in mid-July to experience Oregon Trail Days. DO Catch a game at Oregon Trail Park Stadium , home of the Expedition League’s Western Nebraska Pioneers. DO Catch a summer concert or movie under the stars at Five Rocks Amphitheater . EAT Offering breakfast, lunch and made-from-scratch pastries, The Mixing Bowl is sure to give you your fill—from breakfast burgers to soft pretzels. SHOP After a fun-filled day of exploring the Nature Center, stop by the Wildcat Hills Nature Center gift shop to pick up a souvenir. 4 WAYS TO DO THE WEST 1. Hike or mountain bike Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area and Nature Center in Gering. The views—of rocky bluffs, evergreen-studded canyons and the North Platte River Valley—are epic. 2. Scotts Bluff National Monument protects 3,000 acres of historic overland trail remnants, mixed grass prairie, rugged badlands and towering bluffs. After you’ve navigated the corkscrew roadway to the summit, take an 800-foot-high panorama above the Platte Valley. 3. Chimney Rock National Historic Site in Bayard protects a rock formation so perfectly pointy, it appears to be “Towering to the Heavens.” Stop by the newly renovated visitor center for hands-on exhibits on the great migration west. shootout and show at Crystal Palace Saloon , resurrecting the days when Ogallala was a rough-and-tumble town full of cowhands, cattle barons and drifters. FRONT STREET STEAKHOUSE & CRYSTAL PALACE SALOON, OGALLALA 2 Scottsbluff 3 Nort h 26 Platt e Riv er 27 385 92 1 4 Ogallala South Platte River 80 46 Find out more at VisitNebraska.com Photos courtesy of Nebraska Tourism 4. You’re in for an Old West 71 Miles 144 The Route U.S. 26 and State 92 from the Wyoming border to Ogallala
Nebraska Official State Travel Guide The Official 2021 Not-At-All What You Thought State Travel Guide: Page 46
