RV in Scotts Bluff, SW Nebraska
Wagon Trains on the Oregon Trail Could be Considered the First RVs.
Covered wagons rolled across the Nebraska prairie, their eyes seeking Scotts Bluff, a prominent landmark on the Oregon Trail that is now a national monument.
Scotts Bluff in Southwest Nebraska, is famous as a prominent landmark along the Oregon Trail. Designated as a national monument in 1919, the towering escarpment indicated the emigrants were less than a week out of Ft. Laramie where news from the "states" and a replenishment of supplies would be available. The wagon trains that passed this way might be considered the first RVs while a modern highway carries motorhomes and travel trailers over the same route where the Overland Stage bucked its way through Mitchell Pass and Pony Express Riders raced to deliver mail from Missouri to California.
Fur Trapper Lends Name to Site
The Bluff is named for an adventuresome mountain man, Hiram Scott, who sadly enough, never lived to be aware of the honor. Deserted by his friends after becoming too ill to travel, the trapper died in the general vicinity, leaving the legacy of his name to the opening of the West.
Paved Road Takes Visitors to the Top
The natural structure rises 800 feet and stretches a half mile in length, towering over the North Platte River and the corridor where a half million emigrants passed during the mid-1800s. While it is doubtful whether many of the early day sojourners scaled to the top of Scotts Bluff, today's visitor can do so quite easily via the paved road winding around to the top of the famed landmark. The 1.7 mile roadway passes through three manmade tunnels as it climbs upward to a parking lot providing a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Drivers of larger RVs might prefer to ride the free shuttle provided by the Park during the summer season to transport visitors to the Bluff's summit. From atop Scotts Bluff, one can look down to the grassy field below and view the faint indentations of the Oregon Trail that will someday pass into obscurity.
Museum Provides Information on Nebraska Landmark
A large parking area accommodates RVs of all sizes and a Visitor's Center and museum offer information and artifacts regarding area history with gIfts, maps and souvenirs available. A brief film is also offered for viewing.
Scotts Bluff National Monument is located three miles west of Gering, Nebraska. National Park Service signs on State Highway 92 West guide travelers to the site. The monument is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Memorial Day through the third week in August. Off-season hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the remainder of the year. Entrance fees are $5 per vehicle, $3 for bikers, hikers and motorcycles.
RV Camp Overlooks Valley
RV camping is available at a nearby park with 35 paved sites overlooking the valley. Picnic tables, grills, showers, restrooms, laundry room and a dump station lend a comfort to camping that was unavailable to early Oregon Trail travelers .
For additional information, phone 308-436-4340 or log on to Scotts Bluff National Monument or Gering, Nebraska.
