| Prehistoric Ventures Tour |
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Enjoy a trip back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the Plains. The Prehistoric Ventures Tour is full of stops that’ll pique your curiosity and imagination. From the distant past to western Nebraska’s thriving present, you’ll get a chance to see it all. Scenery
Towering geological formations, pine-studded bluffs and buttes, expansive sandhills, wagon wheel ruts, Old West storefronts, the state’s most popular lake, and lush river valleys. History The historical interests on this route are the ancient forces that carved the rock formation and the prehistoric beasts that roamed the area long before the pioneers came rolling through. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument near Harrison is a fossil lover’s dream come true. This 3,000-square-foot national monument houses fossilized mammals from 19 million years ago. At Toadstool Geologic Park near Crawford, you’ll see some of the most dramatic rock formations on the planet. Within the wind- and rain-eroded clay lie many fossilized mammals. Also near Crawford is the Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Site, where you’ll find the bones of more than 600 primitive bison that were suddenly killed more than 10,000 years ago. Family Fun Show your family around the best of the West. Chadron State Park is Nebraska’s first state park . . . and it’s western Nebraska’s first name in family fun. Nestled among the towering pine trees and rugged buttes of the area, the park is full of outstanding group activities such as paddleboats, black powder demonstrations, hiking, and sightseeing. For a more historical outing for your clan, stop by Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford. It’s the spot where Crazy Horse was mortally wounded, home to the Buffalo Soldiers, and the site of the famous Cheyenne Outbreak. Today, the fort offers buffalo stew cookouts, historic tours, Jeep rides through the buttes, and more. Find more Wild West fun at Dobby’s Frontier Town near Alliance. This re-creation of a turn-of-the-century Western town boasts a homesteader’s cabin, mercantile, bootlegger’s cabin, post office, jail, baled straw house, and much, much more. Route directions: Start in Scottsbluff/Gering 43 miles (:45) west on US-26, north on NE-29 to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument 22 miles (:30) north on NE-29 to Harrison 27 miles (:35) east on US-20 to Crawford 15 miles (:30) north on NE-2, west on Toadstool Road to Toadstool Geologic Park and Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Site 15 miles (:30) south on NE-2 back to Crawford 24 miles (:30) east of Crawford on US-20 to Chadron 55 miles (1:15) south on US-385 to Alliance 40 miles (1:00) south on US-385, west on NE-L62A, east on US-26 to Bayard 25 miles (:35) west on US-26 to Scottsbluff or NE-92 to Gering |
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