Explore the variety of Nebraska National Parks all across the state. Most of these are off the beaten path, so be sure to have a full tank of gas and plenty of snacks when you head out.
Northwest
You’ll find three National Park sites about an hour and a half south of the Black Hills. You can combine these into one trip like we did or split them up. First up is Agate Fossil Beds National Monument near Harrison. From there, head south about an hour and a half to Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Bonus stamp: Chimney Rock National Historic Site. Head down the road about ten minutes, and you’ll find the one and only (not really) Chimney Rock. Relive your Oregon Trail computer game glory days and avoid any snake bites and dysentery while grabbing a bonus stamp.
Lincoln-ish
You’ll have to drive about 50 minutes to reach Homestead National Monument of America from Lincoln. It’s near the town of Beatrice. But you won’t find any large towns or cities closer, so you can make this a day trip from Lincoln. It’s also about 45 minutes away from the Pony Express Museum in Marysville, Kansas. You can also visit it if you’re taking an Oregon Trail or Pony Express road trip and heading west from the Kansas City area.
Omaha
Explore the Lewis and Clark Trail Headquarters Visitor’s Center at the National Park Service regional office in Omaha. You’ll find a small museum with some interesting artifacts, a gift shop, and (most importantly) your Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail stamps.
Northern border
You’ll find both the Niobara National Scenic River and the Missouri National Scenic River along the border with South Dakota. They aren’t terribly close to each other, so you’ll probably need to plan out stops to these sites.
What Nebraska National Parks have you visited?
We’re hoping to get to Omaha before we leave, so this is great info to have. I’d love to see a covered wagon!
Omaha is a neat city! I would definitely recommend going for the College World Series if you like baseball. There a few Oregon Trail sites northeast of Manhattan that may have covered wagons.