Scotts Bluff National Monument
Towering 800 feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has served as a landmark for peoples from Native Americans to emigrants on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails to modern travelers.
Photo: NPS Photo / Wesley Gant / NPS
About Scotts Bluff National Monument
Towering 800 feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has served as a landmark for peoples from Native Americans to emigrants on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails to modern travelers. Rich with geological and paleontological history as well as human history, there is much to discover while exploring the 3,000 acres of Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Pair it with another park
WYdrive time
NEdrive time
IAdrive time
SDdrive time
SDdrive time
COdrive time
Driving times from Scotts Bluff National Monument, one way, via road — a realistic day is 8–10 hours behind the wheel.
Hours
Scotts Bluff National Monument
- Mon
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Tue
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Wed
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Thu
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Fri
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Sat
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Sun
- Sunrise to Sunset
Scotts Bluff Summit Road
- Mon
- 9:00AM - 5:30PM
- Tue
- 9:00AM - 5:30PM
- Wed
- 9:00AM - 5:30PM
- Thu
- 9:00AM - 5:30PM
- Fri
- 9:00AM - 5:30PM
- Sat
- 9:00AM - 5:30PM
- Sun
- 9:00AM - 5:30PM
Activities
Getting there
Summers at Scotts Bluff are generally dry and high temperatures are usually in the 80's and 90's, although they can reach above 100 on occasion. Hikers are strongly advised to carry water. Winter daytime temperatures are usually in the 40's or low 50's, with overnight lows below freezing and, on occasion, below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it can be windy any time of the year, spring is the windiest season.
Frequently asked questions
- What is there to do at Scotts Bluff National Monument?
- Popular activities include Arts and Culture, Auto and ATV, Backcountry Hiking, Biking, Bookstore and Park Store, Cultural Demonstrations.
- Which national parks are within a day's drive of Scotts Bluff National Monument?
- Within about a day's drive you can reach Fort Laramie National Historic Site (1 h 16 min), Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (1 h 16 min), Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail (2 h 13 min), Wind Cave National Park (3 h 1 min), Jewel Cave National Monument (3 h 31 min), Rocky Mountain National Park (3 h 34 min).