Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway
Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Nebraska. Within Nebraska it covers roughly 180 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Nebraska's Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway runs 144 miles on Highways 26 and 92 from Ogallala west to Henry, following the Platte River valley. Oregon, California, and Mormon Trail emigrants, and the Pony Express, all passed this way. Designated in 1998, it was the pilot route for Nebraska's entire scenic byways program. Ogallala, at the eastern end, was once known as the 'Gomorrah of the Plains,' a rowdy railhead town where cattle drives ended and cowboys cut loose. Farther west, Ash Hollow State Historical Park still shows wagon ruts left by Oregon Trail emigrants, and Chimney Rock, described by pioneers as the most recognizable landmark on the entire trail west, rises from the valley floor. Scotts Bluff, near the byway's end, climbs 800 feet above the valley and is named for a fur trapper who died there in 1828. Few Nebraska drives pack this much documented Oregon Trail history into a single, relatively short route.
- Chimney Rock
- Scotts Bluff
- 144 miles
- Ash Hollow wagon ruts
- 1998 pilot byway
- Oregon Trail corridor
- Ogallala
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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.
Where to Stay along Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway
5 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway.
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