No Fuel Services
Fuel up before visiting! Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is 30-50 miles from the nearest service stations.
Official NPS sourceSTATE & NATION TRAVEL
Nebraska Travel.
National parks, historic sites and practical visitor updates, directly from the National Park Service.
NPS sources checked 10/3/2026, 3:08:10 PM Eastern
Travel Alerts & Closures
CHECK BEFORE DEPARTURELimited Cell Phone Coverage
Cell phone voice and data coverage is very limited in the park and surrounding area. Free visitor WiFi is available in the visitor center.
Official NPS sourceLife Jackets Required!
By Nebraska State law, all children 13 years old and younger must WEAR a USCG approved life jacket to float the Niobrara NSR. Anyone over 13 years old must HAVE a life jacket. If you are renting equipment, your outfitter will provide them.
Official NPS sourceOfficial conditions for each destination
Latest NPS News
Browse the archiveNiobrara River Fall Clean-Up Day Volunteer Opportunity
Niobrara National Scenic River, in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Outdoor Adventures Program, invites volunteers to celebrate National Public Lands Day by participating in a river clean-up float on Sept. 26, 2026. Participants will paddle the scenic stretch of river from Smith Falls State Park to Rocky Ford, collecting trash and helping preserve the natural beauty and ecological health of the Niobrara River.
Official NPS sourceDavid Boye Scheduled to Present Music Inspired by Our National Parks
Musician and composer David Boye will present Music Inspired by Our National Parks at Scotts Bluff and Agate Fossil Beds National Monuments on September 14 and 15.
Official NPS sourceHomestead National Historical Park to Host a Living History Extravaganza
Homestead National Historical Park will present a day of living history activities at the Homestead Heritage Center on Saturday, September 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. As the nation commemorates America's 250th anniversary, the event will explore how the ideals of the nation's founding continued to shape the homesteading experience through music, living history demonstrations, and special presentations.
Official NPS sourceNiobrara National Scenic River Welcomes New Superintendent
The National Park Service has selected Chris Mather as the next superintendent of Niobrara National Scenic River. He will assume the role in mid-September 2026.
Official NPS sourceWalk with a ranger at Homestead National Historical Park
Join staff at Homestead National Historical Park’s Education Center on September 2 at 3 p.m. for the monthly walk with a ranger. All ages and abilities are welcome. During the walk, which will take about one hour and cover about a mile of trail, participants will use the prairie and woodland to inspire conversation, learning and sharing. Butterflies, birds and botany are likely topics to be covered.
Official NPS sourceVolunteer at Homestead National Historical Park by contributing to community science initiatives
Join staff at Homestead National Historical Park’s Education Center on August 21 at 3 p.m. to earn volunteer hours as you document the biodiversity of butterflies of the prairie and woodland. All ages and abilities are welcome. During the walk, which will take about an hour and cover about a mile of trail, participants will work together with the ranger to find and identify as many butterflies as possible.
Official NPS source"Found" on Founders Day: Explore the Tallgrass Prairie at Homestead National Historical Park
Join Homestead National Historical Park for a National Park Service Founders Day program called Found, taking place Sunday, August 23, at 2:00 p.m. at the park's Education Center.
Official NPS sourceKids in Parks: Who’s hiding at Homestead National Historical Park?
Attention kids of all ages. Come to the Education Center at Homestead National Historical Park on Saturday, August 8 at 10 a.m. and join us in a free ranger-led activity as we talk about the different types of animals that call the park home. Earn a Junior Ranger badge to take home.
Official NPS sourceWalk with a ranger at Homestead National Historical Park
Join staff at Homestead National Historical Park’s Education Center on August 5 at 3 p.m. for the monthly walk with a ranger. All ages and abilities are welcome. During the walk, which will take about one hour and cover about a mile of trail, participants will use the prairie and woodland to inspire conversation, learning and sharing. Butterflies, birds and botany are likely topics to be covered.
Official NPS sourceHomestead National Historical Park Hosts “The Mask of Lincoln” Exhibit
Homestead National Historical Park is hosting the traveling exhibit “The Mask of Lincoln” at the park’s Education Center beginning June 26 and ending September 27.
Official NPS sourceCelebrate Independence Day at Homestead National Historical Park’s campfire program
Join Park Guide Tanner Christy at Homestead National Historical Park on Saturday, July 4, at 7 p.m. for a campfire program entitled “Icons of America: The American Story and the Homestead Act – America’s 250th Birthday”. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we will delve into some of the stories of the United States, the icons that shaped us, and how it all connects to the Homestead Act.
Official NPS sourceWalk with a ranger at Homestead National Historical Park
Join staff at Homestead National Historical Park’s Education Center on July 1 at 3 p.m. for the monthly walk with a ranger. All ages and abilities are welcome. During the walk, which will take about one hour and cover about a mile of trail, participants will use the prairie and woodland to inspire conversation, learning and sharing. Butterflies, birds and botany are likely topics to be covered.
Official NPS sourceSummer “Read with a Ranger” books announced at Homestead National Historical Park
Picture books, crafts, nature walks and more when you read with a park ranger! “Read with a Ranger” programs are on the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Join the rangers at the Education Center.
Official NPS sourceHomestead National Historical Park to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday with Homestead Days
Visitors to Homestead National Historical Park are invited to the park’s grounds at the Education Center on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28 to participate in a full weekend of free activities, demonstrations, and performances.
Official NPS sourceHomestead National Historical Park to host annual Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival
Homestead National Historical Park invites fiddlers to share their talent and compete in the annual Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival, May 23, 2026. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., a workshop is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m., the jam session will start at 11 a.m., and the competition begins at noon.
Official NPS sourceNiobrara National Scenic River Issues Call for Art for 35th Anniversary Open Show
Niobrara National Scenic River is inviting artists to submit original works for an open art show commemorating the river’s 35th anniversary in May 2026.
Official NPS sourcePrescribed burn planned at Homestead National Historical Park
Homestead National Historical Park plans to conduct a prescribed burn treating approximately 60 acres. The prescribed fire will occur on the first day in which favorable and safe conditions exist between now and May 1, 2026.
Official NPS sourceApplicants Sought for 2026 Artist-in-Residence Program at Homestead National Historical Park
BEATRICE, Neb. - Homestead National Historical Park’s 2026 Artist-in-Residence Program is open for applications for artists seeking inspiration from Homestead National Historical Park’s rich cultural and natural resources. All visual (painters, photographers, sculptures, etc.), performing (drama, dance, music, composition, etc.) and literary artists are welcome to apply.
Official NPS sourceUpcoming NPS Events
NEXT 90 DAYSFamily History Month Program
Family History Month Program
Official NPS sourceEvening Program
Evening Program
Official NPS sourceHowling Homestead at the Heritage Center
Howling Homestead at the Heritage Center
Official NPS sourceWinter Festival of Prairie Cultures – Special Speaker
Winter Festival of Prairie Cultures – Special Speaker
Official NPS sourceOfficial destination calendars
National Parks & Federal Sites
10 DESTINATIONSNational Historic Trail
California
Follow in the footsteps of over 250,000 emigrants who traveled to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840s and 1850s: the greatest mass migration in American history. The California National Historic Trail is over 5,000 miles long and covers portions of 10 states. Step into history along more than 1,000 miles of ruts and traces from travelers and their overland wagons.
California · Colorado · Idaho · Kansas · Missouri · Nebraska · Nevada · Oregon · Utah · WyomingNational Historic Trail
Pony Express
It is hard to believe that young men once rode horses to carry mail from Missouri to California in the unprecedented time of only 10 days. This relay system along the Pony Express National Historic Trail in eight states was the most direct and practical means of east-west communications before the telegraph.
California · Colorado · Kansas · Missouri · Nebraska · Nevada · Utah · WyomingNational Historic Trail
Lewis & Clark
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail winds nearly 4,900 miles through the homelands of more than 60 Tribal nations. It follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the Pacific Ocean. Follow the trail to find the people, places, and stories that make up the complex legacy of the expedition.
Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · North Dakota · Ohio · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Dakota · Washington · West VirginiaNational Historic Trail
Oregon
Imagine yourself an emigrant headed for Oregon: would promises of lush farmlands and a new beginning lure you to leave home and walk for weeks? More than 2,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen along the Oregon National Historic Trail in six states and serve as reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American settlers.
Idaho · Kansas · Missouri · Nebraska · Oregon · Washington · WyomingNational Historic Trail
Mormon Pioneer
Explore the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail across five states to see the 1,300-mile route traveled by Mormons who fled Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1846-1847.
Illinois · Iowa · Nebraska · Utah · WyomingNational Monument
Agate Fossil Beds
In the early 1900s, paleontologists unearthed the Age of Mammals when they found full skeletons of extinct Miocene mammals in the hills of Nebraska -- species previously only known through fragments. At the same time, an age of friendship began between rancher James Cook and Chief Red Cloud of the Lakota. These two unprecedented events are preserved and protected here... at Agate Fossil Beds.
NebraskaNational Historical Park
Homestead
The Homestead Act of 1862 transformed the world. Millions were invited to file claims including families, women, immigrants, and formerly enslaved people. Over 10 percent of the United States was homesteaded! The land, long inhabited by indigenous cultures, changed forever. Homesteaders created settlements and farms, drove industrial advancement, and built our nation chasing the American Dream.
NebraskaNational Recreational River
Missouri
Imagine a 100-mile stretch of North America's longest river, a vestige of the untamed American West. The Missouri National Recreational River is where imagination meets reality. Two free flowing stretches of the Missouri make up the National Park. Relive the past by exploring the wild, untamed and mighty river that continues to flow as nature intended.
Nebraska · South DakotaNational Scenic River
Niobrara
With a little something for everyone, the Niobrara National Scenic River is a destination for crossing adventures off your bucket list. Most popular for river recreation, you can float the Niobrara River on a canoe, tube, or kayak as a beginner and have a blast. Hiking, biking, and wildlife watching keep our visitors busy. Oh! And we haven't even told you about the waterfalls yet.
NebraskaNational Monument
Scotts Bluff
Towering 800 feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has served as a landmark for peoples from Native Americans to emigrants on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails to modern travelers. Rich with geological and paleontological history as well as human history, there is much to discover while exploring the 3,000 acres of Scotts Bluff National Monument.
NebraskaDestination directory sourced from NPS state listings, October 3, 2026. Official NPS directory
Travel across all 50 states
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming