Two of the first landmarks encountered by travelers on the Oregon Trail , which in western Nebraska paralleled the route of modern US-26, were the lumpy Courthouse and Jail rocks , which lie four miles beyond the likeable little town of Bridgeport , 36 miles south of Alliance. Fourteen miles west, along Hwy-92, the much-painted and photographed Chimney Rock rises almost 500ft above the North Platte River. Although this phallic outcrop's nineteenth-century stature may have been chipped away by erosion and lightning, it remains one of the most recognizable and memorable landmarks in the West.

The twin towns of GERING and SCOTTSBLUFF , 25 miles further west, are the commercial center for the farmlands of western Nebraska. Southwest of Gering, the rugged 800ft rampart of Scotts Bluff National Monument (summer daily 8am-7pm; rest of year daily 8am-5pm; $4 per car) stands like a Nebraskan Gibraltar. Known to the Sioux as Me-a-pa-te ("hill that's hard to get around"), it earned its anglicized name in 1828 after fur trader Hiram Scott was mysteriously found dead at its base. Treks (by foot or shuttle bus) to the top are rewarded with a magnificent view, and the entrance fee includes the absorbing Oregon Trail Museum , which relates the experiences of the early emigrants. Just outside Gering, to the southwest, the spiky Wildcat Hills hold some delightful vistas and hiking terrain.

Well-kept rooms are available in the Lamplighter American Inn , 606 E 27th St, Scottsbluff (tel 308/632-7108; $50-75); the fully licensed Woodshed , 18 E 16th St (tel 308/635-3684), is the best spot for family-style food . The towns' visitor center can be found at 1517 Broadway, Scottsbluff (tel 308/632-2133).

Oregon Trail landmarks

• Oregon Trail landmarks

Nebraska cities


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