Check out two of Nebraska’s lesser-known attractions!
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and Toadstool Geological Park aren’t huge tourist draws. Honestly, I only visited Agate Fossil Beds since I was in the area and Toadstool because I was looking for a campground nearby that was cheap (Forest Service to the rescue).
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument preserves a portion of the Great Plains that is chock full of Miocene (23-5 million years ago) fossils. Fossils were found in abundance on former ranch lands that was given the National Park Service, although it took 30 years to actually establish the park. I’m not a huge paleontology person, but I decided to check it out.
Wandering Jana The Visitor Center also serves as the park’s very small museum. Most of the displays are casts because most of the excavation (which is still going on) happened before the park was established or the current rules regarding things found on federal property were in place.
Wandering Jana Sorry for the bad photo. The Daemonelix (or Devil’s corkscrew) is a unique kind of fossil. It was never a living thing, instead, it the shape of a burrow made by an early beaver relative. They had no idea what made them until the remains of said beaver-like animal were found in one.
Wandering Jana Most of the fossils were found all in jumbles like this small extinct rhino, Menoceras arikarense.
Wandering Jana Many of the fossils were found up on those hills.
Wandering Jana To get up there, you have to cross this unexpected wetland.
Wandering Jana One of the fossil recovery sites.
Wandering Jana Before leaving the park, I stopped at the Daemonelix Trail which goes through the prairie to see some Daemonelix in situ. 22 million years ago these rocky hills were sand dunes.
Wandering Jana A whole lot of Daemonelix.
Wandering Jana It’s really hard to see. So here is a close up. Honestly, it’s still hard to see.
Wandering Jana This one is a lot easier to see.
Agate Fossil Beds has a few easy trails. It was an interesting stop, but it would have been more interesting if there were more fossils visible in the ground like Dinosaur National Monument, which was awesome.
Next stop is Toadstool Geological Park in the Oglala National Grasslands. It had a small campground, which drew me there. After driving down some dusty dirt roads and several cattle grates, I arrived in a small fenced-off campground surrounded by very talkative cows.
Wandering Jana Nice washboardy road, complete with cow pies.
Wandering Jana I felt like they were judging me as I set up my tent.
After setting up my tent, I took the interpretive loop through the geological park, very badlandesque and very cool. It’s amazing what erosion can do.
Wandering Jana Cow and the badlands.
Wandering Jana A currently dry wash meanders through the badlands.
Wandering Jana Badlands are surprisingly beautiful.
Wandering Jana Coming up to some interesting rock formations.
Wandering Jana Kind of weird.
Wandering Jana And that is why this place is called Toadstool Park.
Wandering Jana Very slanty toadstools.
Wandering Jana I love the golden color of the grass.
Wandering Jana The wash is apparently super muddy when wet. A bunch of the cows had mud all over them.
Wandering Jana And that is how the toadstools are made. The softer rock is washed out from below the stronger rock.
Wandering Jana That is a bit strange looking.
Wandering Jana Ridgey.
Wandering Jana A bit of scrambling to get up here.
Wandering Jana The trail goes along this really cool ridge.
Wandering Jana Really neat trail this one.
Wandering Jana More toadstools in the making.
Wandering Jana Erosion does weird things.
Wandering Jana A nice big toadstool.
Wandering Jana More toadstools in the making.
Wandering Jana Another judgey cow with muddy feet.
The cows eventually stopped screaming at each other around dark, so it was a lovely, quiet evening. If you happen to be in Northwestern Nebraska, I highly suggest you stop by Toadstool Geological Park and maybe Agate Fossil Beds if you are into fossils and things like that.
Check my next update where I visit Devils Tower!
or
Start at the beginning of this northwest Midwest road trip!
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