In Nebraska, the Road Less Traveled Proves to Be the Most Interesting
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If you spend enough time cruising the interstates, Nebraska might seem like a blur of farmland and sky. But venture off the main roads and onto the state’s scenic byways, and the story suddenly changes. Here, the land rises into rock spires and dips into river valleys. Forests spring up where you’d expect only prairie. And time itself feels tangible—visible in fossil beds, wagon ruts, and preserved traditions that stretch across centuries.
These byways connect destinations, but more than that, they are destinations in and of themselves. The open roads invite travelers to slow down, look closer, and experience Nebraska in ways that surprise and linger long after the journey is over. From hand-planted forests to outlaw trails to rivers teeming with biodiversity, each road reveals a different chapter in the story of this often-overlooked state. Here are seven of the most compelling stretches of highway, where geology, history, culture, and quiet wonder converge.
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Encounter seven of the most compelling stretches of highway, where geology, history, culture, and quiet wonder converge.
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Above: Hikers look out at Toadstool Geologic Park.
In the northwestern corner of Nebraska, where the prairie begins to unravel into badlands, Toadstool Geologic Park tells a story written in stone. Here, the landscape shifts from gentle grasslands to a jumble of pale, sculpted rock—hoodoos and mushroom-shaped formations that earned the park its name. Beneath these dramatic shapes lies a fossil record dating back nearly 30 million years, preserving the bones and footprints of ancient horses, camels, and rhinoceros-like creatures that once roamed this region. Part of the Oglala National Grassland, Toadstool’s rugged terrain is more than a geologic marvel. It’s a living classroom for paleontologists and a window into the Miocene epoch. Trails wind through layers of sedimentary rock, where erosion has exposed time itself in cross-section. Visitors can walk the same ground where early Indigenous peoples hunted and traded, long before westward expansion brought wagon trains and cowboy tales to the region. Today, Toadstool remains quiet and remote, its dirt roads and wind-carved cliffs offering a sense of solitude that’s rare to experience in the modern world. It’s the kind of place where cell signals fade, but the landscape speaks volumes.
Echoes in the Earth: Fossils and Formations in Toadstool Country
Above: After dark, Toadstool Geologic Park offers incredibly clear and dark skies for stargazing.
On the edge of the Sandhills, where grass-stabilized dunes ripple toward the horizon, an unlikely sight emerges: a pine forest. Towering red cedars, ponderosa pines, and Scots pines blanket the land in green—an unexpected canopy rising from what was once open prairie. This is the Bessey Ranger District of Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, the largest hand-planted forest in the country. The forest traces its roots to the early 20th century, when conservationist Charles Bessey proposed an experiment: could forests be cultivated in the Great Plains to produce timber and anchor the soil? What followed was a bold reimagining of the region’s ecology. Over decades, workers and Civilian Conservation Corps crews planted millions of trees, transforming sand into shaded groves. Today, the area is a haven for hikers, cyclists, and campers.
Pines in the Prairie: America’s Largest Hand-Planted Forest
Where Nebraska’s eastern edge meets the slow bend of the Missouri River, the landscape carries the weight of many stories. Towering cottonwoods shade floodplains that once supported entire Indigenous civilizations. Long before Lewis and Clark charted their course here in the early 1800s, this corridor was home to the Otoe-Missouria, Omaha, and Ponca peoples—nations who lived, traded, and traveled along the river’s path.
The Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway follows this historic route, revealing a landscape shaped as much by the cultures around it as by the water that flows through it. Bluffs rise steeply from the valley floor, offering sweeping views that stretch into Iowa. Along the way, Fort Atkinson marks the site of the first U.S. military post west of the Missouri, while DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge preserves the river’s ecological legacy—a sanctuary for migratory birds and wetland species.
Sacred River, Shifting Bluffs: Along the Lewis & Clark Trail
Left: Geese at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. Right: A Santee Sioux Nation powwow.
For the hundreds of thousands who traveled west by wagon in the mid-1800s, Nebraska was more than a thoroughfare. Its terrain was a proving ground. Along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, settlers faced long days, rough terrain, and the vast unknown. Rising from the prairie like a sentinel, Chimney Rock became one of the most recognized—and recorded—landmarks along the way.
This towering spire of Brule clay and volcanic ash stood as a navigational marker, its silhouette etched into myriad emigrant diaries and guidebooks. Travelers noted its shape from miles away, a sign that they had crossed into new territory. As early explorer Nathaniel J. Wyeth observed the welcome sight in 1832, he noted Chimney Rock “...looks like a work of art.”
For so many, Chimney Rock was more than a waypoint. It was a moment of pause, and a place where travelers prepare themselves for the remainder of the journey ahead.
Marking the Migration: Chimney Rock and the Western Trails
Above: Chimney Rock offers an iconic view today and for centuries prior.
Winding along Nebraska’s northern border, Highway 12 is a road steeped in legend. Known as the Outlaw Trail, this route once threaded through some of the most remote terrain in the state, offering cover and escape for rustlers, fugitives, and Old West outlaws. According to lore, Jesse James and his gang rode this way, taking advantage of the rugged hills and hidden hollows as they dodged capture. Today, the region retains its frontier spirit, though the drama has shifted from gunfights to storytelling. Small towns along the route—like Springview, Niobrara, and Valentine—embrace their heritage with local museums, music festivals, and rodeo weekends that blend Wild West spirit with modern pride. Colorful murals, folk art, and hand-painted signs still line the roads. But the route’s greatest treasure may be its sense of space. Out here, the land feels endless. Two-lane roads roll over hills and into valleys with little interruption. It’s the kind of place where you can hear your tires hum, spot a hawk tracing thermals above the fields, and feel, even for a moment, like you’re part of something wild and untamed.
Above: Cowboy Trail, Valentine Bridge.
Outlaws Open Country: Highway 12’s Wild Reputation
Cutting a winding path through north-central Nebraska, the Niobrara National Scenic River, part of the National Parks System and America's First Quiet Trail (Quiet Parks International), defies expectations. In a state known for its plains, the Niobrara flows through a lush, layered corridor where six distinct ecosystems converge, bringing together ponderosa pine ridges, tallgrass prairie, deciduous hardwoods, and even desert-adapted species. It’s one of the most biologically diverse places in the Great Plains, and a haven for a diverse array of wildlife. Carving through ancient rock formations, the river reveals a geologic record that spans hundreds of millions of years. Sandstone cliffs rise from the banks, and waterfalls tumble from side canyons—most famously at Smith Falls, Nebraska’s tallest. The Niobrara is also deeply rooted in Indigenous history, long stewarded by the Ponca Tribe and other Native nations who understood its ecological richness and spiritual significance. Today, the river draws canoeists and kayakers who drift beneath cottonwoods and pass grazing bison on nearby preserves.
Land Sculpted by Water: The Niobrara’s Surprising Story
Along Nebraska’s byways, the art speaks volumes about the state’s history. In small towns in every corner, community-led projects breathe new life into old buildings, water towers double as murals, and roadside attractions carry the fingerprints of local artists and storytellers. In Nebraska, heritage isn’t preserved behind glass frames; it’s shared and lived firsthand. In Red Cloud, author Willa Cather's legacy shapes literary festivals and historical tours that explore the landscape she made famous. Valentine hosts public art installations that celebrate the region’s ranching roots and natural beauty. Powwows and cultural events in communities like Winnebago offer visitors an invitation to witness Indigenous traditions that are very much alive—not relics but expressions of identity and pride. Museums along the byways, from one-room collections to county-run archives, tell stories through quilts, photographs, instruments, and oral histories. Whether it’s a fiddle tune drifting from a porch or a sculpture carved from scrap metal beside a gas station, visitors will find a number of ways to experience Nebraska culture firsthand.
Voices of the Plains: Art, Music, and Storytelling on the Road
Left: Smith Falls. Right: Niobrara River.
Every byway in Nebraska carries its own quiet significance. It’s etched in the land, echoed in the towns, and shaped by those who’ve passed through. These aren’t roads to rush. They ask for your attention, rewarding it with shifting bluffs, ancient rock, and roadside markers that speak to something larger than the view. Traveling here offers a different kind of story—one told through geology, memory, and a sense of place you can feel. Spend time on these routes, and you’ll begin to understand Nebraska not through its destinations, but through everything that happens on the roads in between. Start planning your journey today at VisitNebraska.com.
The Road That Tells the Story
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Above: Hikers look out at Toadstool Geologic Park.
Echoes in the Earth: Fossils and Formations in Toadstool Country
In the northwestern corner of Nebraska, where the prairie begins to unravel into badlands, Toadstool Geologic Park tells a story written in stone. Here, the landscape shifts from gentle grasslands to a jumble of pale, sculpted rock—hoodoos and mushroom-shaped formations that earned the park its name. Beneath these dramatic shapes lies a fossil record dating back nearly 30 million years, preserving the bones and footprints of ancient horses, camels, and rhinoceros-like creatures that once roamed this region.
Part of the Oglala National Grassland, Toadstool’s rugged terrain is more than a geologic marvel. It’s a living classroom for paleontologists and a window into the Miocene epoch. Trails wind through layers of sedimentary rock, where erosion has exposed time itself in cross-section. Visitors can walk the same ground where early Indigenous peoples hunted and traded, long before westward expansion brought wagon trains and cowboy tales to the region.
Today, Toadstool remains quiet and remote, its dirt roads and wind-carved cliffs offering a sense of solitude that’s rare to experience in the modern world. It’s the kind of place where cell signals fade, but the landscape speaks volumes.
Pines in the Prairie: America’s Largest Hand-Planted Forest
On the edge of the Sandhills, where grass-stabilized dunes ripple toward the horizon, an unlikely sight emerges: a pine forest. Towering red cedars, ponderosa pines, and Scots pines blanket the land in green—an unexpected canopy rising from what was once open prairie. This is the Bessey Ranger District of Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, the largest hand-planted forest in the country.
The forest traces its roots to the early 20th century, when conservationist Charles Bessey proposed an experiment: could forests be cultivated in the Great Plains to produce timber and anchor the soil? What followed was a bold reimagining of the region’s ecology. Over decades, workers and Civilian Conservation Corps crews planted millions of trees, transforming sand into shaded groves. Today, the area is a haven for hikers, cyclists, and campers.
Photo caption copy here
Echoes in the Earth: Fossils and Formations in Toadstool Country
In the northwestern corner of Nebraska, where the prairie begins to unravel into badlands, Toadstool Geologic Park tells a story written in stone. Here, the landscape shifts from gentle grasslands to a jumble of pale, sculpted rock—hoodoos and mushroom-shaped formations that earned the park its name. Beneath these dramatic shapes lies a fossil record dating back nearly 30 million years, preserving the bones and footprints of ancient horses, camels, and rhinoceros-like creatures that once roamed this region.
Part of the Oglala National Grassland, Toadstool’s rugged terrain is more than a geologic marvel. It’s a living classroom for paleontologists and a window into the Miocene epoch. Trails wind through layers of sedimentary rock, where erosion has exposed time itself in cross-section. Visitors can walk the same ground where early Indigenous peoples hunted and traded, long before westward expansion brought wagon trains and cowboy tales to the region.
Today, Toadstool remains quiet and remote, its dirt roads and wind-carved cliffs offering a sense of solitude that’s rare to experience in the modern world. It’s the kind of place where cell signals fade, but the landscape speaks volumes.
Above: After dark, Toadstool Geologic Park offers incredibly clear and dark skies for stargazing.
Marking the Migration: Chimney Rock and the Western Trails
For the hundreds of thousands who traveled west by wagon in the mid-1800s, Nebraska was more than a thoroughfare. Its terrain was a proving ground. Along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, settlers faced long days, rough terrain, and the vast unknown. Rising from the prairie like a sentinel, Chimney Rock became one of the most recognized—and recorded—landmarks along the way.
This towering spire of Brule clay and volcanic ash stood as a navigational marker, its silhouette etched into myriad emigrant diaries and guidebooks. Travelers noted its shape from miles away, a sign that they had crossed into new territory. As early explorer Nathaniel J. Wyeth observed the welcome sight in 1832, he noted Chimney Rock “...looks like a work of art.”
For so many, Chimney Rock was more than a waypoint. It was a moment of pause, and a place where travelers prepare themselves for the remainder of the journey ahead.
Above: After dark, Toadstool Geologic Park offers incredibly clear and dark skies for stargazing.
Pines in the Prairie: America’s Largest Hand-Planted Forest
On the edge of the Sandhills, where grass-stabilized dunes ripple toward the horizon, an unlikely sight emerges: a pine forest. Towering red cedars, ponderosa pines, and Scots pines blanket the land in green—an unexpected canopy rising from what was once open prairie. This is the Bessey Ranger District of Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, the largest hand-planted forest in the country.
The forest traces its roots to the early 20th century, when conservationist Charles Bessey proposed an experiment: could forests be cultivated in the Great Plains to produce timber and anchor the soil? What followed was a bold reimagining of the region’s ecology. Over decades, workers and Civilian Conservation Corps crews planted millions of trees, transforming sand into shaded groves. Today, the area is a haven for hikers, cyclists, and campers.
Sacred River, Shifting Bluffs: Along the Lewis & Clark Trail
Where Nebraska’s eastern edge meets the slow bend of the Missouri River, the landscape carries the weight of many stories. Towering cottonwoods shade floodplains that once supported entire Indigenous civilizations. Long before Lewis and Clark charted their course here in the early 1800s, this corridor was home to the Otoe-Missouria, Omaha, and Ponca peoples—nations who lived, traded, and traveled along the river’s path.
The Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway follows this historic route, revealing a landscape shaped as much by the cultures around it as by the water that flows through it. Bluffs rise steeply from the valley floor, offering sweeping views that stretch into Iowa. Along the way, Fort Atkinson marks the site of the first U.S. military post west of the Missouri, while DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge preserves the river’s ecological legacy—a sanctuary for migratory birds and wetland species.
Top: A Santee Sioux Nation powwow. Bottom: Geese at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge.
Along Nebraska’s byways, the art speaks volumes about the state’s history. In small towns in every corner, community-led projects breathe new life into old buildings, water towers double as murals, and roadside attractions carry the fingerprints of local artists and storytellers. In Nebraska, heritage isn’t preserved behind glass frames; it’s shared and lived firsthand. In Red Cloud, author Willa Cather's legacy shapes literary festivals and historical tours that explore the landscape she made famous. Valentine hosts public art installations that celebrate the region’s ranching roots and natural beauty. Powwows and cultural events in communities like Winnebago offer visitors an invitation to witness Indigenous traditions that are very much alive—not relics but expressions of identity and pride. Museums along the byways, from one-room collections to county-run archives, tell stories through quilts, photographs, instruments, and oral histories. Whether it’s a fiddle tune drifting from a porch or a sculpture carved from scrap metal beside a gas station, visitors will find a number of ways to experience Nebraska culture firsthand.
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