A Geology Lesson in Nebraska

By Linda Tancs

Scotts Bluff National Monument in Nebraska has been of scientific interest since the late 1890s when the U.S. Geological Survey made the first formal geologic investigation of the area. Rising to 4,659 feet above sea level and 800 feet above the North Platte River, the geology of Scotts Bluff is significant from a natural resource standpoint because it affords a view of 740 feet of continuous geologic strata that spans a time period extending from 33 to 22 million years before the present. Boasting the most geologic history of any location in the state, you can learn the most about the monument’s unique geological features (like its buttes, plateaus, bluffs, mesas and pillars) by hiking the Saddle Rock Trail, a 1.6 mile trek featuring 435 feet of elevation change. You can also admire the views from the north and south overlooks, the Prairie View Trail and the Oregon Trail Pathway. There’s a trail for every ability level.