Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon National Historic Trail

OutsideMay 10

I Retraced the 2,170-Mile Oregon Trail. Here Are Its Must-See Stops.

An adventurous road trip along the Oregon National Historic Trail reveals treeless plains, remote mountains, river gorges, national park units, and eye-opening lessons about Indigenous and Western history.

paleontological hikes and Lakota artifacts

25 things in this story

Oregon TrailTrail2,170-mile historic route retraced by car and foot
Homestead National Historical ParkSightcommemorates 1800s homesteading laws encouraging settlement
Ash Hollow State Historical ParkSightfeatures steep path up Windlass Hill with wagon ruts
Chimney RockSightnational historic site run by the state
Scottsbluff National MonumentSightbluff rises 800 feet above a quaint river town
Flyover BrewingRestauranttasty brewpub in Scottsbluff
Agate Fossil Beds National MonumentMuseumpaleontological hikes and Lakota artifacts
Fort Laramie National Historical SiteSightfree admission park with trails, ruins, and buildings
Ayres Natural Bridge ParkSightstop in foothills for natural bridge
National Historic Trails Interpretive CenterMuseumtop-notch free museum and BLM visitor center in Casper
Independence RockSightDuring the middle of the 19th century, it formed a prominent and well-known…
LanderNeighborhoodoutdoor town with bike rentals and singletrack
Bike MillPlaceoffers rentals and info about singletrack and gravel routes
Johnny Behind the RocksTrailsingletrack trail for mountain biking
Great Divide MTB RouteTrailgravel sections for cycling
Lander Cutoff RoadTrailscenic ride along a foothills spur of the OT
Sinks CanyonSightriver vanishes underground and reappears at the Rise
The RiseSightwhere Middle Popo Agie River reappears underground
Popo Agie FallsSightgradual 1.5-mile trail leads to falls
Worthen Meadow ReservoirSighttrailhead for backpacking into the alpine
Stough Creek LakesTrailalpine lakes for overnight backpacking
Continental Divide TrailTraillong-distance trail in the western Winds
Fossil HillSightdrive switchbacks to Worthen Meadow Reservoir trailhead
Devil’s GateSight
Split RockSight

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Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

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I Retraced the 2,170-Mile Oregon Trail. Here Are Its Must-See Stops.