Along the North Platte River in western Nebraska a huge formation of sandstone and siltstone rises 800 feet above the prairie landscape.
Scotts Bluff was a welcome sight in the 1800's as fur traders, military expeditions, pony express riders, and caravans of pioneers and settlers following the Oregon Trail headed westward. Once they saw Scotts Bluff, they knew they were near Fort Mitchell, and that Fort Laramie, Wyoming wasn't far away. Weary emigrants in their covered wagons knew the western destinations of Utah, California, or Oregon were getting closer. The relatively flat valley across the plains, and abundant water from the North Platte River, made this a favorable route to follow.
It is estimated that between 1841 and 1869 some 350,000 people joined wagon trains that traveled through this area of Nebraska.
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