- Website: Scotts Bluff National Monument
- Cost: $5.00 per car
- Visitor center and Summit Road hours vary seasonally. Check website for details.
- Summit Road scenic drive. Shuttle available.
- Hiking trails.
- Exceptional museum and visitor center.
- Accommodations and restaurants in the city of Scottsbluff.
First things first… Please note that we have not misspelled the name of the monument or the name of the city where it is located. Scotts Bluff (two words) is correct for the name of the national monument. Scottsbluff (one word) is correct for the name of the city. Now that we have that cleared up, let’s go to Scotts Bluff National Monument!
Scotts Bluff National Monument is: 96 miles from Cheyenne, Wyoming — 195 miles from Denver, Colorado — 200 miles from Rapid City, South Dakota
Cheyenne has a regional airport that is served by several national carriers, so our trip is going to start in the capital city of Wyoming.
*Recommended hotel in Cheyenne: Holiday Inn Express.
Travel tip: we recommend a stop at the Cheyenne Depot Museum. Learn how this historic depot was instrumental in the development of Cheyenne as well as its importance during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Here’s a link: Cheyenne Depot.
Getting There
⇒From Cheyenne take I-80 east via Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. At Kimball, Nebraska, take Highway 71 north to Scottsbluff. Drive time between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Scottsbluff, Nebraska: 1.75 hours.
*Recommended hotel in Scottsbluff: Hampton Inn.
Destination: Scotts Bluff National Monument
The first stop upon arriving at the monument should be the Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center. Learn about the significance of the bluff as a landmark for pioneers who were traveling west on the Oregon Trail. This outstanding museum also holds the world’s largest collection of artwork by the renowned artist and photographer, William Henry Jackson. Plan to spend some time here before taking Summit Road to to the top of the bluff.
Drive your own vehicle to the top of the bluff or take the park’s shuttle. There is a trail at the top with excellent views of the features of the monument, the city of Scottsbluff and surrounding communities, as well as the North Platte River. We spent over an hour walking the trail and taking advantage of the great photo ops.
Travel tip: Some vehicles will not be able to navigate the sharp turns and tunnels on Summit Road. For those who have large vehicles or RVs, check with the park before attempting this drive.
The Oregon National Historic Trail passes through Scotts Bluff National Monument at Mitchell Pass, which lies between Eagle Rock and Sentinel Rock. Wagon wheel ruts can still be seen in Mitchell Pass today.
Now we going to take a short jaunt to another important landmark on the Oregon Trail.
⇒Side trip: Chimney Rock National Historical Site. From Scottsbluff, take Highway 92 east approximately 21 miles, and follow the signs to the visitor center. Chimney Rock is the iconic symbol of Nebraska and was an extremely important landmark to the pioneers traveling the Oregon trail. Learn all about it at the Nebraska Historical Society/Abbott Visitor Center.
Thank you for joining us on our virtual trip to Scotts Bluff National Monument. Please let us know if you have questions about this trip or any of our trips. Leave us a message/comment below and tell us about your own trips. We love hearing from you. Until the next trip…
Travel save, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
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