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Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Visitor Center is open daily, year-round from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and after Labor Day to the following Memorial Day weekend from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is closed Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving Days. From Memorial through Labor Day weekends ranger conducted walks and talks are available on request and begin in the visitors center. Subjects covered during the walks may include geology, paleontology, botany, zoology, and ranching history. The Cook Collection and fossils are common topics of ranger talks. The park trails are closed at nightfall.

The visitor center houses three rooms of exhibits, the Hitchcock Theater and the Cook Collection Gallery. The life size fossil diorama depicts life and death at the Agate waterhole, 19.2 million years in the past. An interactive computer tour offers visitors a glimpse of things to be seen on the monument’s two trails. About 200 artifacts are displayed in The James H. Cook Collection Gallery, “A Window into Lakota Life.” Visitors can view special gifts given to the Cook family including a porcupine quilled tanned antelope ceremonial shirt worn by Chief Red Cloud, a memorable whetstone used by Chief Crazy Horse, and a war club used by Oglala leader American Horse at The Fetterman Massacre. Chief Red Cloud gave Cook a pipestone cannunpa (Lakota for pipe), which was used prior to negotiations of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. Two hide paintings were prepared for The Cook Collection exhibits by Lakota artists Dawn Little Sky and Martin Red Bear. The Running Water Winter Count hide painted by Dawn introduces visitors to the method that Lakota historians used to record events important to the people. Martin’s hide painting depicts events remembered by Lakota warrior participants in the 1876 Battle of the Greasy Grass or Battle of the Little Bighorn. This is a recreation of the faded original hide painting prepared by Lakota artists, including Martin’s grandfather, around 1898. A hands-on display area lets kids see and touch some of the resource items found at the park. Some of the items included in the display are bones, turtle shells, deer antlers, rocks, and rattlesnake skins.

Each summer, the staff at Agate continues the legacy of rancher James Cook by inviting American Indian artists back to the Niobrara Valley. In the past, artists have brought skills handed down to them such as creating beautiful bead and quill work, hide paintings, and decorated gourds.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is located in a very remote area. A modern, covered picnic area with drinking fountains is located near the visitor center; and bottled water, juice, and soda pop are available from a vending machine inside.

The facilities at Agate are accessible by wheelchair. The interpretive exhibits, introductory film and information desk are located in the main room, ground level of the Visitor Center and Museum. Both hiking trails are steep in places and not entirely paved. The park has an interactive computer hiker in the Visitor Center and Museum that provides an excellent virtual tour of the trails. Agate’s introductory film, entitled “The Fossil Hills” is located in the Visitor Center’s Hitchcock Theater. The theater is accessible by wheelchair and the film is closed-caption for the hearing impaired.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is a small park in the northwest corner of Nebraska, with only 2,700 acres of federally managed land included in the 3,050 acres within the park boundary. The park was created to preserve the rich fossil deposits and their geological contexts amidst today’s natural ecosystem. It was authorized in 1965, but not established until June 14, 1997.

Depending upon one’s cultural viewpoint, discovery will always have a direct connection to the scientific history of Agate. During the 1880s and moving into a new century, scientists would rediscover what the Lakota Sioux and others already knew about–bones preserved in what many paleontologists believe is one of the best preserved Miocene mammal sites in the world. Through the help of James and Kate Cook, the complex interactions between weather, mammals and the land would be studied by scientific field crews from places like Pittsburgh and New York City.

James Henry Cook was in his early teens when he ran away from his foster home to seek his fortune. James H. Cook was born on August 26, 1857, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His mother died two years later. His father, sea captain Henry Cook, could not care for his two sons and placed each in a foster home. James H. Cook lived with the Titus family in Kalamazoo and ended his public education at age twelve. After working two years in a Comstock machine shop, he set off to pursue a life at sea. Two years as a sailor on the Great Lakes only whetted his appetite for adventure; he left the Great Lakes to see the interior of the continent on his way to the Gulf of Mexico.

On his journey, Cook met some Midwestern cattlemen who persuaded him to abandon the sea for the lucrative cattle business. Enamored by the rough, independent lifestyle of the frontier cowboy, young Cook agreed and accompanied the cattlemen to southwest Texas. For five years, James H. Cook worked on a ranch under the guidance of Mexican vaqueros learning to herd wild cattle out of the brush, break horses, hunt, shoot, and track. In the early 1870s, he participated in the first cattle drives to Kansas and Nebraska helping establish the Ogalala, White Swan Agency, Plum Creek, and Red Cloud trails.

In 1874 and 1875, Cook first rode through western Nebraska to Wyoming before returning to Texas. He visited Fort Laramie and the Red Cloud Agency as well as other important frontier settlements. At the Red Cloud Agency, Cook stayed with Baptiste “Little Bat” Garnier who introduced Cook to Red Cloud, American Horse, Little Wound, and Young-Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses—all of whom became lifelong friends and later visited the Cook ranch at Agate, Nebraska. It was during one of these trips that Cook first met one of the pioneer paleontologists of that era, Dr. O. C. Marsh of Yale University, at Fort Robinson. James H. Cook’s fascination with fossils grew as a result of his lengthy conversations with Dr. Marsh who became a close friend.

Cook was also an expert scout. He assisted the Texas Rangers pursue renegades. In 1876, at age nineteen, he scouted for the Fourth and Fifth U.S. Cavalry. His services were in especially great demand following the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Cook had been hunting near the Little Big Horn River and served as a trail scout for the Army troops following the massacre of Lt. Col. George A. Custer’s command.

Cook returned to Texas for the great cattle drives of 1877 and 1878, at which time he decided he wanted to be a hunter and trapper. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, James H. Cook formed a partnership with “Wild Horse Charley” to provide wild game for the booming town. Cook outfitted, managed, and guided many big game hunting excursions as well as expeditions of scientists and explorers. In 1877, James H. Cook explained to Chief Red Cloud that his friend O. C. Marsh was actually searching for bones and not for gold as so many other white men were doing. Red Cloud gave Marsh, dubbed “Man-That-Picks-Up-Bones,” permission to hunt for fossils in the Badlands of South Dakota. Cook learned from these early paleontologists an appreciation of their discipline and the significance of fossil discoveries to science.

In the fall of 1882, James H. Cook went to New Mexico with two British big game clients to establish a ranch. Cook assisted in buying land and cattle for the new W S Ranch in Alma, New Mexico, a venture in which Cook himself invested. The W S grew to about 60,000 cattle. Cook organized the first stock-growers’ association in New Mexico and directed the first general cattle roundup in the region. A leader for law and order, Cook served in the campaign against Geronimo’s terrorizing band of Apaches. Although never enlisting, he was chief scout for the Eighth U.S. Cavalry under Major S. S. Sumner in 1885. Since that time he used the honorary title of “Captain.”

In 1886 he married Kate Graham in Cheyenne, WY. He purchased land in 1887 and established the first ranch on the Niobrara River. Cook’s work as a mediator between Indian tribes earned him respect and friendship among several Indian tribes. Gifts from these friends resulted in a large collection of Plains Indian articles, now on display at the monument. James Cook died in 1942. The Visitor Center is on land that his family owned.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is nestled in the Niobrara River Valley in Nebraska 65 miles [110 km] east-southeast of its headwaters in the Hat Creek Breaks of Wyoming. The park preserves a unique unglaciated area of the High Plains. Wetlands stretch out from the river and meet terraces that lead to the breaks and buttes. The buttes contain important information about the life of mammals in the Miocene Era, some 20 million years ago.

The park takes its name from thin lenses of agate (White River Silicate Group) in the area, which range in color from amber to light gray. Miocene-age rocks are exposed in the park in the bluffs above the Niobrara River wetlands and contain an excellent fossil record. Much of the geologic history is recorded in the natural features found at the park today.

During the Miocene the land now known as Agate was a grass savanna comparable to today’s Serengeti Plains in Africa. Twenty million years ago animals such as the Dinohyus (giant pig-like animal), Stenomylus (small gazelle-camel), and Menoceras (short rhinoceros) roamed the plains. There were also carnivorous beardogs wandering around, and the land beaver Paleocastor dug spiral burrows that remain as today’s trace fossils (Daemonelix) into the ancient riverbanks. There are remnants of the ancient grasses and hoof prints of prehistoric animals in Miocene sediments preserved in the park, as well as layers of fossilized bones.

The Rocky Mountains were uplifted in many pulses of deformation between millinea ago. Sediments from the uplifting mountains were initially deposited near the mountains and then later transported by rivers eastward onto what eventually became the Great Plains. This river-borne silt was accompanied by wind-borne volcanic ash from eastern Nevada and western Utah, and the fine grained ash rich sediments were deposited in vast sheets called the White River beds. The earliest documented bedrock at Agate dates to the Oligocene era, but most of Agate’s Oligocene deposits are well buried beneath later Miocene deposits. Oligocene-era beds are well exposed at Badlands National Park, 130 miles northeast of Agate.

During the early Miocene era, streams in the area that now includes Agate Fossil Beds National Monument shifted and cut down to produce valleys. These valleys were later filled in with sediments as the Great Plains continued to build up or aggrade. Aggradation resulted in the formation of wide savannas during the Miocene, those savannas being dotted with small water holes and the whole landscape populated with herds of animals (e.g., chalicotheres, rhinoceroses, entelodonts, beardogs, land beavers, camels, horses, pocket gophers). Ongoing research is documenting the grass species present on the ancient savanna. A major drought occurred in the Agate area during the Early Miocene. It is believed that when many of the drought-stricken and exhausted animals came to the remaining water holes in an effort to survive, the animals collapsed and died in and around the water. As the muddy water dried, the fossil beds were formed. Agate’s older fossil layer is about 21 million years old and covered by a layer of ash, and its younger bed is 20 million years old. These layers are in what are now called the Harrison and Marsland Formations.

In the last five million years the High Plains have continued to uplift to their current elevation of about 4,400 feet and the savannas have changed to the grasslands of today. During the uplifting process rivers and streams have meandered across the plains and eroded the older deposits, forming the bluffs and valleys that we see today.

The modern Niobrara Valley at Agate is a complex array of Late Pleistocene and Holocene geomorphology, stratigraphy, and paleosols reflecting significant climate variations over the past 12,000-15,000 years. Current research in the park is providing radiocarbon dates for the middle to late Holocene materials, documenting thousand-year-or less fluctuations between warm and cooler climates and varying amounts of annual moisture.

The agates that give the park its name are found in a thin band along ash deposits just above the Miocene bone beds, and range in color from amber to light gray. This stone is a variety of quartz (silicon dioxide) called chalcedony. Iron, manganese, and/or aluminum inclusions in the original silica deposits give the agate different colors in various locations, and often form dendritic “moss” patterns in the material.

The Niobrara River wanders through Agate creating about eleven miles of river habitat within the park. Among the natural communities of plants and animals existing in the high plains ecosystem, none is as lush or rich in animal life as the riparian community. Riparian zones are the lush belts of vegetation found along rivers and wetlands. The river banks play a vital role in the plant and animal communities as well as the water quality of the river.

The reach of the Niobrara River within the park is unconfined, meaning it meanders or bends throughout a wide flood plain and changes course relatively often. The flood plain of the Niobrara is a quarter-mile wide in places. This creates an interesting landscape of river twists and turns and oxbow ponds and sloughs filled with cattails, irises, reeds and water loving plants and a great environment for a diverse variety of wildlife. Oxbow ponds are the horseshoe shaped ponds that are the result of a very sharp bend being cut off from the river. Along the river banks, reeds and cattails grow tall and hang over the river providing shade to keep the water cool and reduce the amount of evaporation during hot days.

Though the Niobrara River is the only continuously flowing water in the park there are several ephemeral tributaries to the river. Tributaries are streams that run into and contribute water to a river or larger stream. Ephemeral streams are streams that only flow after a major rain event and can be identified by dry channels in depressions between hills. These are the types of areas in which flash floods can occur that cause death and destruction of property. Though the streams rarely flow and do not flow for very long, they are erosive, sometimes carrying large amounts of sediment to the river. Sediment, soil and sand material that is suspended in the flow of the water deposits when flow slows down, when there is less water or when the water is spread over a greater area.

A major source of water for the Niobrara in and around the park is ground water, water that is stored in and released from aquifers and reservoirs. These large, underground reservoirs can be refilled by rainfall if water can infiltrate that far into the ground. Groundwater naturally comes to the surface through seeps and springs but is also brought up by wells. A spring is a place where groundwater flows naturally from the soil or rock formation onto the land surface or into a body of surface water. Seeps are similar but are usually less defined and do not flow as springs do; here they are characterized by creating a marshy area near the river. There is little specific information known about Agate’s groundwater but park staff are currently involved in projects to learn more to be able to better manage groundwater use.

The river running through the park creates a special prairie habitat that is not seen in drier areas. The meandering river creates about 200 acres of riparian area which is the greener, wetter areas near a stream where specialized plants grow. Plants such as willows, reeds, sedges and wild licorice thrive in the riparian areas. Willows and other water-loving shrubs and trees provide browse for white-tail deer. The riparian area also provides home for salamanders and frogs that need more moisture than the dry uplands provide. Park staff carefully monitor and manage the riparian area to restore it to its natural condition by controlling non-native plant species such as the Canada thistle.

Many species of native grasses and shrubs grow across the park’s landscape, as well as some undesirable non-native plants (e.g., Canada thistle) that the park does its best to control. Agate was created to preserve the fossils of Miocene era mammals, but has preserved the prairie as well. The wetland and riparian areas offer a look at water-loving plants that are not always seen in the prairie. Vegetation plays a vital role in the ecosystem. Plants capture particulate dust in the air, filter gaseous pollutants, convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, provide animal habitat and food, and possess many raw materials useful to humans.

The semiarid climate of the Great Plains area has led to the evolution of the grasslands. Agate is a mixed grass prairie, meaning it is a mixture of tall and short grasses growing together. The mixed grass prairie extends from North Dakota through South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, central Oklahoma and the north-central part of Texas. Prairies have semiarid climates with high seasonal fluctuation and yearly fluctuations. Most precipitation is received during the growing season; at Agate this is from April to June. Agate averages 15 inches of precipitation a year but during droughts this can be as low as 9 inches or less. Another characteristic of prairies is their flat to rolling terrain and fertile soil rich in organic matter. The climate and soils promote the growth of grasses, not trees which require more water.

Agate displays the rich diversity of the prairie grassland that includes more than just grasses in three distinct areas of the park. The broad floodplain of the Niobrara River has created a riparian area for water-loving plants like cottonwoods, fox tail barley, cattails, reeds, sedges, yellow Siberian irises and blue flag irises. The buttes and hilltops are inhabited by plants that tolerate the drier, rocky conditions such as little blue stem grass, threadleaf sedge, sandhills muley and tufted milk vetch. In between the riparian area and the buttes is the area that most people think of as prairie. This area is inhabited by western, slender, and crested wheat grasses, Blue grama grass, thread leaf sedge and needle and thread grass.

The prairie is not known for its abundance of trees, but with over 200 acres of wetlands, cottonwoods grow well at Agate. There are also several shrubs at Agate including buffalo berry, willows, and sumac. Trees and shrubs grow mostly in the wetland areas but sumac is found in the prairie. Shrubs can be distinguished by size, though some shrubs grow very tall, and by the number of branches. Trees generally have one main stem or trunk, while shrubs have several stems growing upwards with shoots coming off.

The riparian area supports many large cottonwoods and smaller willows. The cottonwoods provide vital habitat for wildlife such as red-tailed hawks, Swearinger’s hawks, great horned owls, and some species of bats. The trees also shade the waters of the Niobrara River, keeping them cool, allowing more oxygen in the water for fish. The willows serve a similar purpose, providing cover and food for rodents and shading the river.

Sumac is found on the hillsides throughout the park and is most common in disturbed areas. Buffalo berry bushes are also found in the park, but are most common near the Visitor’s Center and Museum. Both are used by rabbits and rodents as shelter from the wind and to hide from predators. Deer do occasionally browse on the shrubs but the plants are adapted to survive and recover quickly.

Agate supports several species of grasses, which are mostly found on the slopes and buttes throughout the park, but a few species are found in the wetter, riparian areas. As a mixed grass prairie, Agate’s grasses are generally less than four feet tall. All grasses are of the family Poaceae, also called Gramineae, which is considered the third largest family of flowering plants in the world. The grass family includes many production crop species such as corn, rice, wheat, and sugarcane. Grasses can be distinguished from other plants by their hollow, herbaceous stem, narrow leaves with parallel veins, and small flowers.

The leaves of grasses are specialized to cope with the arid environments they inhabit. As wind blows across plant leaves, it takes valuable moisture from the plant. Grasses have vertical leaves to minimize this loss while maximizing surface area for photosynthesis. Another adaptation grasses have made for environment is their rooting systems. Roots are extensive, which allows the plants to absorb moisture from different layers of the ground and to limit competition. Based on rooting types, grasses can be divided into two groups, bunch grasses and sod forming grasses.

Sod is created by grasses growing close together with an abundance of small roots and shoots that reproduce into new plants. These shoots are called rhizomes when below ground and stolons when above ground. Extensive roots serve two purposes, to anchor the plant against the wind and to block out competition from other species. Sod forming grasses are usually dominant in the wetter years and in wetter areas. Bunch grasses tend to thrive in drier years and drier areas due to their spacing. Bunch grasses grow in scattered clumps with more space in between plants to limit competition for soil nutrients and water. Sod houses were built by early homesteaders in this area as shelters due to the lack of trees and other building materials. Sod is the upper stratum of soil held together by grass roots. It was cut out of the ground into long brick-shaped sections and piled to construct the homes.

Cheat grass or downy brome grass is a sod forming grass that was introduced from Europe in the 1800s and often takes over areas disturbed by grazing and fire. Cheat grass is present in a few disturbed sites of earlier homesteaders. Crested wheat grass is an introduced bunch grass from Russia but is found in scattered locations throughout the park. The thread leaf sedge, a grass-like species that is not a true grass is prominent at Agate and serves as part of the prairie grassland system.

Wildflowers are as much a part of the prairie as the grasses. There is a diverse variety of flowers that bloom at Agate from April to November with colors including shades of yellow, white, blue and pink. The flowers provide food for insects that also pollinate the flowers by moving from place to place.

Flowers have several adaptations for living in the semiarid environment at Agate. The prickly poppy, Platte and Flodman thistle all display wonderful flowers but are prickly to deter deer, rodents and other browsers from chewing on them. Some plants such as the yucca and cacti have waxy coatings over the stem and leaves to limit the amount of water loss in the heat of the day. The evening primrose and the yucca both avoid the heat of the day by flowering in the evening. Species also survive dry times as seeds that germinate after light rains or as bulbs that grow up quickly after moisture.

The best time to see the wildflowers at Agate is in the early spring, from April to May, but there is almost always a flower blooming. One of the most spectacular bloomers is the Siberian yellow iris that fills the wetlands in June with large, yellow flowers. These irises are not native to the United States, but were introduced by James Cook in the late 1800’s when he established the ranch house near the west border of the monument. Prickly pear cacti have medium sized yellow flowers in June and July. One of the first flowers to appear in early April is the western wall flower with a big ball of yellow flowers. In August, the sunflowers dot the landscape with medium sized yellow flowers while the rocky mountain bee plant has a ball of small purple flowers. Agate is a great place to look at wildflowers anytime of year.

Agate offers a wide variety of activities for its visitors. From the dramatic displays to the breath-taking trails – there’s something for everyone.

Visitors to Agate Fossil Beds have a unique opportunity to explore both the natural and cultural wonders of the park through interpretive exhibits and hiking trails. In 1998, the National Park Service completed a long-term project of interpretive exhibit design for the Visitor Center and Museum. In the main room of the park’s museum, visitors can look at reproductions of Miocene mammal skeletons, an original slab of bones taken from the fossil hills, and a number of interactive exhibits describing early field excavations, animal behavior, and bone analysis. The Visitor Center/Museum also features an information desk, theater with 12 minute movie, two exhibit galleries, and a bookstore, all overlooking the Niobrara River and its distinctive bluffs.

After the Dinosaurs: A feeling of “then and now” radiates from a life-size diorama of the mounted skeletons (replicas) of the more unusual fossil animals discovered at Agate, and occupies the entire south side of the main gallery in front of three large windows. Other displays focus on other real or replica fossils found in the area and invite interaction on the part of the viewer to think like a scientist. Featured are such beasts as the “terrible pig” Dinohyus, the long necked, claw-toed Moropus, snarling beardogs, and dwarf rhinos in abundance.

The James Cook Gallery of Lakota culture is also on display in the Visitor Center and Museum. This gallery is an awesome tribute to Cook’s friendship with old friends such as Red Cloud and American Horse. Indians often visited him at his ranch and gave him gifts from the early reservation years, including fancy beaded or quilled moccasins, Indian games, a painted hide of the Custer Battle, guns, decorated clubs, a dog travois, and much more. Visitors are often taken with the beauty of the bead and quill work or reflect upon the stories of life and culture through artifacts inside the gallery. Black and white photos of Cook’s visitors, a sound track by traditional singer Bill Horn Cloud, and a colorful, contemporary “wintercount” or historical calendar, create a mood for this special collection not to be missed by admirers of indigenous culture.

For those with more time, short hikes from one to three miles allow the opportunity to explore the natural history of the Niobrara River Valley and its current and past wildlife. Two trails lead to the north and south rim of the valley and to the sites where fossils have been found. The Daemonelix Trail has exhibits encasing actual fossils, while the Fossil Hills Trail currently does not. Cross-country hiking is allowed, but be watchful of rattlesnakes.

Fossil Hills Trail is a two and a half mile trail that crosses the Niobrara River wetlands (just a stream in these parts) and loops around University and Carnegie Hills, where the great bone-bed of Agate was discovered in 1904. Signs point out certain historic and geologic features and identify plants along the way. A side trail (one mile) leads to the restored 1910 homestead of Harold Cook, which was later used by the scientists as their “Bone Cabin” while working the fossil quarries.

Daemonelix Trail is a one mile trail that travels through time, including ancient sand dunes and fossil grassland soils, as well as the curious spiral burrows (Devil’s Corkscrews) of dry land beavers. Their now petrified homes formed colonies much like current prairie dogs and attracted early scientists to this region. The view from the top overlooking the historic Agate Springs Ranch and the surrounding tableland is superb and reflects the vast openness of the land east of the Rocky Mountains.

For bird watchers, the park’s two hiking trails are great for observing over 140 bird species that migrate through or call Agate home. Both trails, the Fossil Hills and the Daemonelix provide an excellent opportunity to see the wildlife, wildflowers and the geology of the Niobrara Valley.

Fishing is allowed with a state license, but the park is not known for good fishing.

Children visiting Agate Fossil Beds National Monument are invited to participate in the Junior Ranger program. Participants roam the Visitor Center in search of answers to questions on fossils, geology, and the Cook Collection of Native American artifacts. When finished, the activity book is signed, stamped, and returned to the participant along with a badge signifying them as an official Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Junior Ranger.

The rich environment of the prairie is dependant upon the people who manage it. The staff at Agate strives to study the landscape and develop a plan to manage the Monument to preserve its ecological and cultural history and restore the native prairie habitat.

Environmental factors, such as weather, and other natural cycles play an important part in shaping the park landscape, dictating the plant and animal species that survive in this area. Agate is located in rural northwest Nebraska surrounded by ranches that produce beef, alfalfa and hay. In this setting, the park is concerned with water quality due to ongoing irrigation upstream and fertilizer application. At this time this has not been a problem. Other park concerns are noxious weeds that include cheatgrass and Canada thistle. The park also monitors weather and observes air quality.

Agate has a Remote Access Weather Station (RAWS) that records hourly temperature, humidity, wind speed, maximum wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, and fuel stick temperature and moisture. Based on data from 1997 through 2002 (NPS 2002), Agate temperatures range from a maximum of 95°F. to 104°F. from June-August, to a December-February minimum of -5°F to -22°. The mean annual precipitation at the park is 10.91″ with most of it falling from January to August, but during that period in 2002 only 5.85″ were recorded. The prevailing winds are from the northwest, west, or southwest, but have been recorded from all other directions at various times. Maximum annual wind speeds of 43-50 mph occur from November through February, but 49-50 mph winds have been recorded in May. There is no reliable record for the wind being calm at any recorded time.

The Niobrara River valley and its included wetlands through the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument are incised some 250′ below the surrounding tablelands. The prevailing northwesterly and westerly winds across these tablelands are often drier and warmer than the air down in the valley, resulting in local inversions that hold cool moist air in the valley. For example, from 1 October 2001 through 28 February 2002, Agate’s daily RAWS-recorded humidity reached 100% 40 nights, about 25% of the time, with most of the humidity in October and November.

Quality of water is enhanced by the riparian areas as the two are interdependent. Trees and shrubs shade the water, reducing evaporations and keeping water cooler which is beneficial to aquatic life. Overall, the water quality at Agate is good, having low levels of nitrates and phosphates that are monitored through yearly sampling. Agate also monitors water quality using by observing macroinvertebrates (insects and other arthropods) that live in the water. Macroinvertebrates are sensitive to pollution and extreme flow fluctuation, so a decrease in species diversity can indicate a problem with the water quality. The Niobrara River is not extremely large at Agate, generally only about 8.25 feet (2.5 meters) wide and flows at around eleven cubic feet per second.

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a problem weed for many areas. Originating from Eurasia and North Africa, it was brought to Canada in contaminated crop seed in the mid to late eighteenth century. From Canada the thistle spread south into the northern United States and onto the Great Plains. It is found in Wyoming, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado and many other states today. Canada thistle has been designated a noxious weed in Nebraska since 1873. It competes with natural prairie species and planted cropland species. Wheat yields can be decreased 65% and corn yields 35% by severe thistle infestations. Cattle avoid areas with prickly thistles, causing a loss in carrying capacity of infested pastures.

Canada thistle is most likely to occur in moist environments with previous disturbances, such as in pastures, range land, crop land, ditch banks, road sides, mud flats, lake shores and stream banks. Approximately 450,000 such areas are infested with Canada thistle across Nebraska, with the majority being in the panhandle region. They have implemented an intensive thistle control program at Agate.

Canada thistle can reproduce in two ways, which makes it very difficult to control and is the reason it has become so wide spread. This perennial forb spreads through seed production as well as by creeping roots known as rhizomes. Canada thistle is dioecious, meaning each plant contains all male or all female flowers. However, a population of all males or all females can sustain itself and spread through the extensive lateral root system. Cultivation (tilling, plowing) only causes the thistle population to increase due to the plants ability to reproduce from as little as 1/2″ of root.

Plants appear at Agate in early to mid-May as small rosettes of spiney-tipped, wavy leaves. The plant grows vigorously until flowering in July or August. At this time stems are one to four feet tall and rigid with several branches. Plants remain green until the first frost, when the above ground portion dies, but the roots remain until the following spring.

The thistle disturbs the natural, scenic qualities of the park and spreads to neighboring pastures. Canada thistle is believed to have entered Agate around 1970. It spread through out the wetland and lower terraces of the monument. In 1996 it was estimated that approximately 100 acres where infested with thistle. This signaled the need for action.

Agates’ first biological thistle control agents were released in May 1997. One hundred and forty-eight stem mining weevils (Ceutorhynchus litura) were released near the Bone Cabin, west of the Visitors Center and Museum. In early spring the weevils inject eggs into the young thistle shoots, and the eggs hatch into larvae by mid-May. The larvae mine the thistle stem, root crown, and roots, weakening the plant by using nutrients. This inhibits the thistles’ ability to produce seeds and grow roots. The larvae then chew an exit hole near the base of the plant and move into the soil to pupate. The exit hole leaves the plant susceptible to secondary infestation of ants, fungi and other insects. The weevil overwinters as an adult in the soil near the base of the plant. It emerges in March and April to again lay eggs in the thistle until mid-May when the plants are too large to be easily penetrated by the weevil. A female can lay 120 eggs in young shoots. Six to seven larvae are needed in the shoots to effectively weaken the plant.

In 1998, Agate located a second release site near the boardwalk on the south side of the river. At each, the new site and the original site, 125 stem mining weevils were released. A new species, the stem and shoot gall fly (Urophora cardui), was also released at both sites. These were still in the larval stage, contained in galls. A gall is a round growth or tumor on a stem caused by irritation from larvae. Galls can contain zero to ten living gall fly larvae. The larvae begin to pupate in warm, spring temperatures and emerge from the galls as adults in late spring or early summer. The flies then lay one to 30 eggs in young shoots. After the egg hatches, larvae tunnel into the stem, creating the gall. The fly over winters in the gall as a larvae. In 2000, five additional insect releases were created in the wetland areas between the Bone Cabin and the west park boundary with 2,000 gall flies and 440 stem mining weevils released at those sites.

In addition to biological control of Canada thistle, Agate uses mowing and herbicides. Areas of dense infestations are mowed from late July to mid-August to prevent the plant from seeding. Herbicides are then applied mid-September after the first hard frost. The park is currently using Telar µ, containing chlorosulfuron, which is approved for non-cropland use, and is used in small amounts. It does not leach deep into the soil, is practically nontoxic to most fish and aquatic invertebrates, and does not bioaccumulate (build up) in fish. Telar is also shown to be nontoxic to birds and mammals. Agate has had a contract with the Sioux County Weed Superintendent to spray the Telar µ annually since 1999. Telar is applied after the first frost, when the thistle begins to go dormant for the winter and draws moisture and nutrients into the roots which brings the herbicide with it, reducing the roots ability to spread the following spring. Approximately 40 acres are mowed and have herbicides applied annually.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument has experienced success in its efforts to control its exotic Canada Thistle populations. Staff estimates that from 1996 though 2002 there was a 70% reduction in Canada Thistle population across the park. The project is documented in the parks Geographic Information System (GIS) and in reports on file. New methods of control are being evaluated including new biological control agents, prescribed burns, and different herbicides.

It is generally sunny and dry in the summer, with occasional afternoon thundershowers and temperatures can get as high as 95-100 degrees F. The weather is windy and cold in the winter with winds up to 50 mph. It can be windy on any given day in the Monument. Wear comfortable clothing appropriate to the season. Hats are useful against exposure to sun. Good walking shoes are recommended for use on hiking trails.

Current Park Weather

Horses are allowed in the park. However, riders must stay on non-developed trails and service roads while in the park. Also, the National Park Service prohibits riders from using the two main parking areas (Visitor Center and Daemonelix trail-head) to saddle horses. Visitors who wish to ride horses can park and saddle in the Fishing Access parking lot located west of the Visitor Center and Museum. Please call the Visitor Center and Museum for further details.

Bicycles are prohibited on park trails and service roads.

Dogs are not allowed in the visitor center but are allowed on the trails on a leash. Please respect the wildlife and other visitors.

This is a remote area so come prepared. The nearest town is 22 miles. There are drinks available in the Visitor Center, but no food. The monument is generally windy so come prepared for these conditions and dress appropriately if you are coming in cooler weather. Layers are better to protect you against wind chill factors.

Numerous mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds inhabit or pass through the park, undisturbed and protected. The vast space of Agate’s prairie seems empty to some, but a closer look reveals a rich ecosystem of beetles, rabbits, deer, amphibians, snakes and more. Agate is home to a diverse variety of wildlife, though it’s not always easy to find. In addition to animals that make their home year round at Agate, there are migratory birds, butterflies and moths as well as carnivores whose large range incorporates the park.

At dusk the park comes to life. Coyotes come out in search of a meal, their yelps and howls filling the quiet nights. Several species of bats inhabit the park and prey on the abundant miller moths. Nighthawks swoop through the air in hopes of catching a mosquito. In the cool hours of the morning, white tail deer, mule deer and pronghorn browse while snapping turtles prowl the waters of the Niobrara in search of young pike and brown trout.

Birds are the most visible type of wildlife at Agate. At least 73 bird species have been identified in the park, including some year round residents such as the ring neck pheasant and the sharp-tailed grouse, and others such as the orchard oriole or wood duck are only present during the summer. Migratory birds that rest here on their way to other destinations include Canada geese and Sandhill cranes.

Agate’s bird diversity is in part due to the Niobrara River, which creates an extensive wetland and riparian area in the park. This area is moister and cooler than the upland areas and attracts birds such as the red winged blackbird, that are easily identified by their jet black bodies and red or yellow wing patches. Marsh wrens, killdeer, belted kingfisher, blue heron, and Northern rough-winged swallows also frequent the wetland areas, making this the most diverse bird area on the park. Blue herons are a large, graceful crane-like bird, whose back and wings are a blue-gray giving the heron its name. They stand up to 52” tall and wade in the river and ponds in search of fish.

The grassy upland prairie area is above the wetlands, below the rocky buttes along the park trails and roads. The grasses provide cover for the birds and their nests, which are often built on the ground. In this area visitors commonly sight lark sparrows, western meadowlarks, ring neck pheasant, horned larks and grasshopper sparrows. Meadowlarks are medium size, perching birds with dusty brown wings and a bright yellow chest.

The third distinct bird habitat type is the rocky bluffs, where the ancient mammal fossils are found. Birds such as the rock wrens, lark sparrows and cliff swallows inhabit these areas. Cliff swallows build mud nests under rock outcroppings and can be identified by their dark wings and tail, rust-colored rump, chestnut throat and whitish belly. Rock wrens nest under overhanging rocks or in crevices between rocks and line their nests with feathers, wool and grasses. They are small brownish tan birds that spend most of their time in drier, rocky areas.

Agate has a few birds of prey that are year round residents of the park and a few that are seasonally present. The red tailed hawks are year round residents with a nest near the Niobrara, but search the entire western end of the park for food. Great horned owls nest year round in trees at the west end of the park, but are seen throughout the park during the night while they search for rodents. Summer residents include golden eagles, barn owls, prairie falcons and Swainson’s hawks. Winter residents are rough-legged hawk, short-eared owls and occasionally bald eagles.

The Niobrara River wanders through Agate creating about eleven miles of river habitat within the park. The slow moving water is home to at least ten species of fish, some of which are native and some are from intentional and unintentional stocking. Fisheries in the National Park Service have evolved over the years as people learn the importance of all native species. Native species are those species that occurred pre-Euroamerican settlement of an area and were not introduced from other areas of the world.

Fisheries History Stocking, the practice of releasing hatchery raised fish into a stream, is commonly used to enhance fisheries around the world and has been used in the United States for over a century. Since 1929 the Niobrara has been stocked in Sioux County, near Agate, with rainbow and brown trout. In later years, brook trout, black bullhead and lake trout were also stocked, but these species did not reproduce and were not repeatedly stocked. Within the park, rainbow and brown trout were stocked until 1997 when the park decided to stop local introduction of non-native fish.

In the fall of 1965, the State of Nebraska made an effort to remove non-game fish from the Niobrara to increase trout populations. The chemical Rotenone® was put in from the Niobrara at the Wyoming state line down river to the Box Butte Dam, including the Agate reach. Rotenone® was commonly used to eliminate all fish species from a section of river to reduce competition for stocked fish. In the spring following the treatment fingerling and adult rainbow and brown trout were released. Rotenone® is still used in fisheries for population controls but has not been applied to this section of the Niobrara since 1965.

Species Information Fisheries surveys conducted in 1979 and 1989 at several locations within Agate Fossil Beds verified the presence of nine fish species. At least one species (northern pike) has migrated into the park since the surveys and two other species were found downstream of the park.

Though rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were stocked in large numbers at Agate, they did not survive here. In the 1979 and 1989 surveys, none were found, sighted or reported caught. Most likely the rainbows migrated to more desirable sections of the river. During the 1989 survey, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and blue gill (Lepomis macrochirur) were found at the Agate Springs Ranch, which borders the park upstream. Though these two species would most likely spread to the park and could already be present, neither is native to the Niobrara.

The native species of the park generally do not feed on other fish as the non-natives do. They feed mostly on insects and algae, are smaller in size than the non-native species, and tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Northern pike pose a threat to native populations due to their excessive predatation, which native fish are not adapted to survive. There are several additional species of minnows that were probably native to the Niobrara but are currently absent from the main stem though still found in small tributaries. It is possible that these do not occur due to predatation from trout or pike in the river channel.

The non-native brown trout was once abundant at Agate but has seen a population decrease in recent times. They are large, hardy fish that can reach over 30 pounds. They feed on invertebrates (mostly insects) and smaller fish. Brown trout are identified by prominent spots on their back and sides, often red or orange and accented with halos and a tail fin generally free of spots. Introduced from Europe in 1883, browns make their home in cold water streams across the northeast and western United States. Though it is not a native, it is a naturalized species – meaning it has adapted to the stream and reproduces unlike the rainbow. The decrease of the brown trout population could be the result of several factors, but is directly connected with the lack of stocking since 1997.

A voracious newcomer to the park is the northern pike, which was probably introduced from Box Butte Reservoir, 38 miles downstream of Agate, as a result of the 1991 flood of the Upper Niobrara drainage system. Northern pike consume three to four times their weight in a year. They prey mostly on fish, including other pikes, but will consume frogs, small mammals, birds, and anything else they can catch. Their slim, trim cylindrical body and deeply forked tail are designed for quick speed, and their elongated snout and sharp teeth are used to capture prey efficiently. The color pattern of the northern pike is distinguished by a pattern of horizontal rows of yellow to white bean shaped spots with an olive green to brown background. In some regions, the pike is prized by fishermen for its size, which can easily be over 10 pounds and up to 50, but at Agate there have not been any large specimens reported.

During the fish surveys of 1979 and 1989, the most commonly found fish at Agate was the creek chub. Chubs are widely distributed throughout the Great Plains, inhabiting rocky and sandy pools of headwaters, creeks and small rivers. They can tolerate temperature fluctuations from 32º – 49 º F (0º – 31º C) and can survive in isolated pools, but need flowing water to reproduce. Adult creek chubs can be identified by their size, usually 5” – 8” inches but up to12” in length, a dark blotch at the front of the dorsal (back) fin base and near the tail, and a large mouth with an upper jaw reaching beyond the eye.

Agate’s rich prairie environment provides year round homes for many species of mammals and seasonal hunting grounds for others. With over 30 species of mammals, visitors are sure to glimpse some of the more common ones such as the white tail and mule deer browsing on grasses and shrubs within the park. Small brownish gray cottontail rabbits thrive on the moist grass around the Visitor Center and Museum, while sandy colored jackrabbits blend in well with grass along the trails. Some of the others are more elusive and nocturnal.

Predators are animals that actively hunt for smaller animals. The predators at Agate include coyotes, swift foxes, red foxes, long tailed weasels, mink and badgers. Most predators are nocturnal, meaning they are active by night and are usually seen at dusk or early morning. Most predators hunt for rodents and other small mammals, insects, amphibians and birds.

Coyotes, red foxes and swift foxes belong to the family Canidae, which also includes domestic dogs and wolves. Coyotes prey upon small rodents, rabbits, and young or sick deer, sometimes hunting in small groups of two or three. It is not uncommon to sight one at dusk or very early in the morning crossing the prairie. Coyotes are dusty gray to light brown, weigh 20 to 50 pounds, run with their tails down and look very similar to a medium sized dog. The foxes are distinguished from coyotes by their smaller size, weighing 15 to 20 pounds, and their bushy tail. Red foxes tend to be red brown to a dull black with white in the tip of the tail and black paws while swift foxes have a pale buffy-yellow coat with black spots on either side of their snout and tip of tail. Red foxes maintain a mixed diet of small birds, rabbits, rodents, insects, berries and nuts. Swift foxes prefer a diet of small mammals but do feed on insects. Swift foxes are only rarely sighted in the park but are known to be in this area.

Minks, badgers and the long-tailed weasel belong to the family Mustelidae. They are characterized by a nocturnal, solitary lifestyle of eating small rodents, rabbits and aquatic life. Badgers are the largest of this family found in the area, weighing up to 25 pounds. The powerful burrowers hunt rodents and rabbits by using their large claws to dig up dens. Badgers are identified by a shaggy gray to brown coat, short bushy tail, white stripe on their face and dark colored feet. With thick fur, a loose tough hide, and heavy neck muscles to protect it as it bites, claws, and exudes (not spraying) a skunk-like musk, badgers are a formidable fighter. The smallest predator of the area is the long-tailed weasel that hunts small rodents up to the size of a jack rabbit. The long tail weasel’s body and head is 8” – 10” long, it has 4” – 6” tail, and it weighs around seven ounces. The home range of this weasel is about 30 – 40 acres and populations are rarely larger than 15 – 20 animals per square mile. The coat of the weasel is dark brown with a black tipped tail and whitish under body. Though rarely seen, weasels make their home at Agate Fossil Beds, nesting in abandoned burrows of other animals. Minks are larger than the weasel, weighing one to three pounds with a body length of 12” – 17”. Minks are rich dark brown with a white chin and occasionally white spots on the belly. Minks are excellent swimmers and prefer to live along river banks hunting frogs, rodents, birds and eggs.

Several species of bats make their home in the trees and rock cliffs of the park. Species may include the silver-haired bat, red bat, hoary bat, fringed myotis, and the long legged myotis. Bats are the only flying mammal, their hands being modified into a wing that extends from the forearm to the side of the body and the hind leg. Bats use a locating system known as echolocation. The bat emits a series of super-sonic sounds that bounce off objects giving the bat their location. This allows them to fly in complete darkness and still locate prey. All bats at Agate Fossil Beds are insectivorous, meaning they eat only insects, most preferring moths and beetles.

Rodents, rabbits and other small mammals are a vital source of food for predators, which include mammals as well as birds of prey such as hawks and bald eagles. Agate’s common small rodents are the pocket gophers, kangaroo rats, pocket mice, ground squirrels, masked shrew and voles. Rodents are characterized by having two long, sharp incisors on their upper jaw and two on their lower with a significant space between incisors and grinding teeth located in the back of the jaw. At least 15 rodent species are known to be within the park, making up half of the mammal species. As there are few trees at Agate, most rodents live in the ground in burrows and feed upon insects, nuts, fruits, grasses, and occasionally meats. Some are active during the cooler hours of the day, while others prefer only to be out at night. The beaver spend their time hidden in the willows and shrubs of the riparian areas. In the winter, you may notice breathing holes in the ice on the river. This is a good indication that beaver are in the area.

Similar to the rodents are the rabbits, which also possess large incisors on the upper jaw but have smaller less obvious lower incisors. Their ears are long and they have a short cottony tail. Visitors will most likely see a desert cottontail browsing or resting near the Visitor Center and Museum. The cottontails can be distinguished from the jack rabbits by their small bodies, weighing 1 – 2¾ pounds, and fluffy white tail. Jackrabbits have long ears and larger, slimmer bodies, and are rarely sighted except bouncing across the trails.

Another small mammal is the striped skunk, which is related to the weasel, mink, and badger but is considered a predator. Skunks are omnivorous, meaning they eat insects, plants and meats. They dine on insects, grubs, eggs and berries, and occasionally catch mice. Striped skunks are around the size of a house cat, black with white striped body and tail and spray a terrible odor if startled or scared. Though not related, the raccoon is similar in diet and behavior, but his body is larger, weighing 12 to 35 pounds, with a salt and pepper colored coat and a black and white ringed tail. Raccoons also have an omnivorous diet of fish, insects, berries and nuts. Both skunks and raccoons are nocturnal and solitary, spending their days in dens made of abandoned burrows, fallen trees, or rock clefts.

Hoofed grazers walk on two-part hooves formed by the third and fourth toes. The most commonly sighted of these animals are the white-tail and mule deer but pronghorns are occasionally seen, usually farther away from the Visitor Center and Museum. White-tails are easily identified by their fluffy white tails that wave while they bounce away. White-tails stand 3’ – 3½’ tall and weigh between 150 and 400 pounds. White-tails can run up to 40 mph and jump an impressive 30 ft. horizontally and 8½ ft. vertically. With a home range rarely over a mile wide, the white-tails at Agate spend most of their days browsing the forbs and shrubs of the wetland areas while spending hot mid-day hours resting hidden in the cattails and willows. Mule deer can be distinguished by large, mule-like ears, stockier bodies and they do not flag with their tail, meaning they do not hold it up as they run as white-tail deer usually do. Mule deer do not continually reside in the park, they wander onto neighboring fields and migrate to higher elevations during the hot summer months. Males of both species have antlers that are shed in January or February and re-grown through summer to be ready for the rut (breeding season) in November and December.

Quite different from the deer, pronghorns have evolved to live in the open environment. Their protruding eyes can see movement four miles away. They can sprint for 3 to 4 minutes at speeds up to 70 mph, settling into an easy cruise between 30 and 45 mph. Both sexes have horns, not antlers like deer that are shed yearly and re-grown. Pronghorns cover a large territory, about two to four square miles. These animals are easily distinguished by size, standing only three feet and weighing 75 to 130 pounds, having white markings on rump, belly and throat.

Felines are carnivorous animals with retractable claws, short faces and rounded ears. Two feline species occur in the park, mountain lions and bobcats. Mountain lions, called cougars and pumas, pass through this area in search of new territory but do not stay long as there is not enough prey or protective cover for them. Bobcats are small, stealthy creatures, usually seen at night when they are hunting small mammals and birds. Their small body (weighing 15 – 35 pounds) is tawny colored (grayer in winter), with indistinct black spotting. They have a short, stubby tail with 2 – 3 black bars and black tip above and pale or white below. Their face has thin, black lines radiating onto a broad cheek ruff with slightly tufted ears. Bobcats make their home in rock crevices, hollowed logs and under fallen trees and could possible live on or near the park. While bobcats may wander 25 – 50 miles in search of food and shelter, they generally remain within two miles of their dens.

There are at least 16 species of reptiles identified at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. The abundance of food and cover makes excellent habitat for snakes, turtles and one species of lizard. Reptiles are cold blooded animals, meaning they regulate temperatures from outside sources. Mammals are warm blooded and energy is used to keep the body at a specific temperature. Reptiles bask, or rest in the sun, to warm themselves and burrow into the ground, or hide under rocks, or in water to cool themselves.

There is a wide variety of snakes at Agate, including at least 12 documented species. Most commonly sighted are the bullsnake, prairie rattler, hognose and garter snakes. Snakes are distinguished by their elongated body, lack of appendages (arms and legs), and they have no external ear opening. All snakes at Agate are shy, and do not generally approach people or pets, preferring to hide and wait for danger to pass. Rattlesnakes rattle their tail as a warning that they are there and do not want to be disturbed. If a visitor does encounter a rattlesnake, or a snake they can not identify, wait for it to pass, or slowly walk away from it and let a ranger know. To protect the rattlesnakes and visitors, park staff move them away from the trails and Visitor Center and Museum, to less traveled areas of the park.

One species of lizard is known to be present at Agate, the short-horned lizard, sometimes called the horny toad. This little guy is commonly sited around the rocks near the Fossil Hills trail. Short-horned lizards are between two and six inches long with pointy spines on their head and body. They are most active in the heat of the day and burrow into the soil at night to stay warm. They feed mostly on ants but occasionally eat other insects.

From the big snapping turtles to the colorful painted turtle, turtles are fun to see and watch. There are three species of turtles documented at Agate, snapping, painted and spiny soft-shell, which is not commonly seen. Visitors who patiently watch might see a snapping turtle that weighs up to 45 pounds with a shell measuring 18 inches long. Even the smaller snappers are easily identified by their hooked jaws, massive heads, long tails and darkly colored shells. Snappers feed on invertebrates, aquatic plants, carrion, birds, small mammals and fish. Though they are excellent swimmers and spend most of their time in the water or buried in mud, they can travel overland several miles at a time. The painted turtles are smaller, ranging from 4”-10” and are identified by their colors. Their shell is olive to black with the segments of the shell lined with red; neck, legs and tail are striped with red and yellow. Painted turtles spend most of their time in the water, or very close to it, and enjoy basking on partially submerged logs and debris. Young painted turtles have a carnivorous diet, meaning they eat mostly meat, but grow to prefer an herbaceous diet of aquatic plants and reeds after a few years.

Prairie Rattlesnakes are a normal part of grasslands found at Agate. They are rarely seen and normally try to avoid humans, but encounters do happen. Avoid snakes when you can and never try to touch them or harm them. People generally get bitten when they try to move or come near a snake. Wearing ankle- high hiking boots can help protect you if you should accidently come across a poisonous snake.

Do not approach any wildlife and never try to feed them. Human food is bad for wildlife and leads them to depend on humans to sustain them. This can cause them to become nuisance at picnic areas. Do not get too close to snapping turtles as they have very strong jaws.

Annual Park Pass is $15, good at Agate Fossil Beds N.M., Scotts Bluff N.M., and Fort Laramie N.H.S.

Individual fee is $3.00 for 7 days.

Vehicle fee is $5.00 for 7 days.

Camping is prohibited within the park. The park does not have camping resources available; however, there are camp grounds within the region. Fort Robinson State Park, located near Crawford, Nebraska, has camping facilities. Other areas to camp in the region include the Nebraska National Forest near Chadron and Toadstool Park north of Harrison.

If traveling from the south; Scottsbluff, Gering and Mitchell all have RV camping, restaurants and gas stations. The closest of these, Mitchell, is 34 miles south of Agate Fossil Beds. If traveling from the north; primitive camping is available at Gilbert-Baker Park 5 miles north of Harrison or RV camping is available in Harrison at the Sage Motel and at the city park where there are 2 free hookups.

Scotts Bluff National Monument is 45 miles away, Fort Laramie National Historic Site is 79 miles away, Chimney Rock National Historic Site is 72 miles away, Mount Rushmore National Memorial is 176 miles away, Wind Cave National Park is 138 miles away, Jewel Cave National Monument is 184 miles away, Devils Tower National Monument is 209 miles away, Badlands National Park is 249 miles away, Rocky Mountain National Park is 220 miles away, and Yellowstone National Park is 424 miles away from the Monument. Other attractions include Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed at 72 miles away, Toadstool Geologic Park at 69 miles away, The Mammoth Site at 125 miles away, and Fort Robinson State Park at 50 miles away.

The nearest air service is available through Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, approximately 50 miles southeast of the Monument.

Directions into the park: access region by automobile via Interstates 80, 90 and 25, and various state highways and county roads.

Visitors traveling east-west on U.S. Highway 26, turn North on State Highway 29 at Mitchell, Nebraska. The park is 34 miles from Mitchell. Visitors traveling on U.S. Highway 20, turn South on State Highway 29 at Harrison, Nebraska. The park is 22 miles from Harrison. Follow the National Park Service signs.

Aside from River Road (Sioux County) and the designated parking areas, visitors are not allowed to drive vehicles within the park boundaries. Vehicles driven by staff, adjacent landowners, and other individuals performing official business are allowed to drive inside the park on non-developed roads.

No public transportation is available at the park. However, there is a taxi service in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

The best way to see Agate is to drive to the park and hike the trails. Vehicles including RVs can be parked at the main lot near the Visitor Center and Museum. Located near the t-intersection of Highway 29 and River Road, the Daemonelix trail-head also has a parking area for vehicles and large RVs.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

301 River Road

Harrison, NE 69346-2734

Headquarters (308)668-2211

By Fax 308-668-2318

Map