Outlaw Trail
Outlaw Trail is a State Scenic Byway in Nebraska. Within Nebraska it covers roughly 240 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Outlaw Trail with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Nebraska's Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway follows Highway 12 for 231 miles along the northern border, from South Sioux City west to Valentine. It parallels the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers the whole way. Lewis and Clark first navigated this stretch of the Missouri in 1804, and South Sioux City itself was once known as the 'wildest little town on the Missouri River.' The route takes its name from the rugged canyons and hidden draws along the border, especially Devil's Nest, whose deep canyons and heavy tree cover sheltered frontier outlaws like Doc Middleton and Kid Wade, with Jesse James and Sam Bass sometimes counted among those who passed through. The byway also crosses the Santee Sioux Reservation, home to about 750 tribal members. Along the way, the scenery shifts through forested bluffs, sandhills, grasslands, wetlands, high prairie, lakes, and even waterfalls, along with a national wildlife refuge, making this one of the most varied landscapes among Nebraska's scenic byways.
- Devil's Nest
- Niobrara River
- 231 miles
- Santee Sioux Reservation
- Doc Middleton and Kid Wade
- South Sioux City to Valentine
- Lewis and Clark 1804
Plan a drive on Outlaw Trail →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.