Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Agate Fossil Beds National Monument adventure.
Get up close and personal with 20-million-year-old fossils at Agate Fossil Beds. This high-plains monument has 4 miles of trails and a huge collection of artifacts.
Hit the trails to see where ancient creatures once roamed the plains. Hop on the Daemonlix trail for a walk to strange twisted formations rising from the earth. Though their name—Devil's Corkscrew—is alarming, these swirls are harmless. They were once burrows for little creatures called paleocastors, the ancestor of the beaver. On the Fossil Hills Trail, check out 1900s-era excavation sites. Here, you can see where bone-hunters found massive "Miocene monsters". The craziest? The Daphoenodon, which was part bear, part dog. Or maybe that would be the terrifying Dinohyus, better known as the hell pig.
After your hike, head to the monument's museum. It has more than 500 Plains Indians artifacts collected by rancher James Cook. Among them are gifts from legendary Lakota Chief, Red Cloud. Buckskin suits and painted hides are among the treasures.
There are plenty of camping areas within 10 miles of the fossil beds. The Nebraska high plains offer everything from primitive spots to luxurious RV amenities. This is ranch country, so be on the lookout for cowboys and cattle.