Geology of National Parks: Panoramic view of the open prairie in Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

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Scotts Bluff National Monument preserves a scenic prairie landscape with 800 foot-high bluffs of Tertiary sedimentary rocks.

The park area has a rich history, starting with the archeaology and cultural history of the Plains Native Americans. Then came the overwhelming tide of changes associated the westward migrations along the California and Oregon Trails. It is estimated that nearly 350,000 people migrated through this area associated with wagon trains between 1841 and  until 1869 (when the Transcontinental Railroad began operation).

The cliffs exposed in the park are part of the White River Group, consisting of siltstone, volcanic ash, and sandstone deposited between 31 and 22 million years ago on ancient floodplains of rivers draining from Laramide-age highlands to the west. In roughly the past 5 million years, regional uplift led to erosion that carved down the Platte River valley, leaving behind remnants of older rocks exposed in region including at Scotts Bluff. Learn more about Scotts Bluff's local geology at this NPS website:

NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska.
 Map showing the location of Scotts Bluff National Monument in northwestern Nebraska.
Map of Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska. (Click on map for a larger view.) Click here to go to the park's map website.

Below is a collection of images from the park area.
Figure 1 is a view of Scotts Bluff from nearby Gering, Nebraska.
Figure 2 shows the sign at the park boundary along Highway 92 (Old Oregon Trail Road).
Figures 3 through 8 were taken at an overlook near the park boundary/entrance sign on Highway 92 (Old Oregon Trail Road).
Figures 9 through 17 are views between the Overlooks parking area and South Overlook on top of Scotts Bluff (mesa).
Figure 18 is the sign at the entrance to Visitor Center on the road that leads to the top of Scotts Bluff.
Figure 19 is a 3D model of the Scotts Bluff (mesa) on display at the park Visitor Center.
Figure 20 and 21 are parts of the exhibits on display in the Visitor Center. Museum exhibits in the Visitor Center allow guests to explore the rich cultural and natural history of the park.
Figures 22 to 24 show models of wagons heading west along the historic California-Oregon Trails route through Mitchell Pass.
View looking west at Scotts Bluff from the outskirts of Gering, Nebraska, the nearby town.1. View from Gering, NB
2. Park boundary/entrance sign 		View of Dome Rock, a lone butte near the south end of the park.
3. Dome Rock 		View of Centinal Rock on the south side of Highway 92 taken from an overlook stop near the park entrance.4. Sentinal Rock
View of Eagle Rock on the north side of Mitchell Pass.
5. Eagle Rock 		Panoramic (wide angle) view of South Bluff from the overlook near the park entrance on Highway 92.
6. Mesa panoramic view		 Wide-angle view looking west toward Mitchell Pass taken from near the park entrance overlook on Highway 92.
7. Mitchell Pass 		Wide-angel view of Scotts Bluff taken from the the park entrance overlook.
8. Mesa panoramic view
View looking east from the top of Scotts Bluff from near the trailhead parking area.
9. North Overlook view		 View of the massive rock layers exposed along the Saddle Rock Trail.
10.  Saddle Rock Trail view 		View of a local, dense cedar forest on top of Scotts Bluff along the South Point Overlook Trail.
11. Cedar forest 		View of Saddle Rock Bluff from along the South Point Overlook Trail
12. Saddle Rock view
View of Sentinal Butte from South Overlook on Scotts Bluff
16.  Sentinal Butte 		View looking south at the valley near the Visitor Center in Scotts Bluff National Monument.
14. South Overlook View 		View of the valley near the Scotts Bluff Visitor Cenenter showing the park road that leads to the top of the bluff.
15. South Overlook View 		View of the cliffs and the park road from the South Overlook
13. South Overlook view
Zoomed-in view of the park road leading to the first of three tunnels on the road leading to the top of Scotts Bluff.
17. Park Road to tunnel		 Sign near the entrance station near the Visitor Center.
18. Sign at Visitor Center. 		A 3D model of Scotts Bluff on display in the Visitor Center.
19. Visitor Center model 		Hyracodon skull (a rhinocerus-like creature) on display in the visitor center.
20. Hyracodon (rhino) fossil
An old 6 gun artifact, one of many on display in the Visitor Center.
21. Historic artifact 		Wagon train on display on the Oregon Trail through Mitchell Pass near the Visitor Center.
22. Wagon train exhibit		 Wagon train on display on the Oregon Trail through Mitchell Pass with Eagle Rock bluff near the Visitor Center.
23. Eagle Rock and wagons. 		Wagon train on display on the Oregon Trail through Mitchell Pass with Sentinal Rock near the Visitor Center.
24. Wagons at Mitchell Pass


This page is <https://gotbooks.miracosta.edu/gonp/scbl/>
Last modified 7/13/2024.