Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

From the Fossil Hills Trail the Visitor Center is a ship in a sea of prairie grasses.
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.
Map showing location of park.
A park ranger talks to a family of three that is gathered around him.
Tourism to National Monuments in the Panhandle of Nebraska contributes $15,318,000 to local economy
A new National Park Service report shows that 189,829 visitors to Scotts Bluff and Agate Fossil Beds National Monuments in 2023 spent $12,990,000 in communities near the parks. That spending supported 171 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $15,318,000.
A bearded man is seen from the chest up. He wears a park ranger hat. Water and vegetation are out of focus in the background.
Jay Sturdevant selected as superintendent of Scotts Bluff National Monument and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Jay Sturdevant as the superintendent of Scotts Bluff National Monument and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument located in western Nebraska.
A man in a red shirt and tan ball cap holds a large hawk while people look on.
Black Hills Raptor Center
The Black Hills Raptor Center will bring their birds of prey and explain why they need dark skies.
The bright yellow, football-shaped petals of a flower extend open under a bright white full moon surrounded by a clear blue sky.
A Line-Up of Night Sky Programs at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument has the Nebraska Panhandle covered for a summer of amazing star gazing! The park will have six times this summer where the park will be open in the evening during night sky events. Each event will consist of a program on a specific topic, then open time to relax under the stars using your own eyes or one of Agate’s telescopes.
A blond ranger in uniform and hat observes 4 kids excavating fossils. .
Park rangers from Scotts Bluff and Agate Fossil Beds National Monuments to host Junior Ranger Careers Day at Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Come celebrate Junior Ranger Careers Day at Scotts Bluff National Monument on Saturday, April 27, 2024! This FREE, family-friendly event will take place at the Scotts Bluff National Monument Visitor Center, located at 190276 Old Oregon Trail in Gering, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The visitor center sits in the middle of mixed grass prairie.
Photo by NPS Photo
Tipis and Fossil Hills represent the two subjects that Agate Fossil Beds interprets.
Photo by NPS Photo
Thunderheads are common in July.
Photo by NPS Photo
The Dinohyus was a scavenger, nicknamed "Terrible Pig"
Photo by NPS Photo
This buckskin shirt decorated with quills was worn by Red Cloud.
Photo by NPS Photo