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National Monument · Nebraska

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

National Monument in Nebraska. No entrance fee. 2 hikes listed.

By The Green Adventures · Updated · How we check

TypeNational Monument
StateNebraska
Entrance feeNo entrance fee
CampgroundsNone
Nearest national parkWind Cave (81 mi)
Closest airportBFF (39 mi)
The visitor center sits in the middle of mixed grass prairie.
From the Fossil Hills Trail the Visitor Center is a ship in a sea of prairie grasses. Photo: NPS Photo

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is a national monument run by the National Park Service in Nebraska.

In the park service’s words

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.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Things to do

  • Daemonelix Trail (30 to 60 Minutes): Hike a one-mile trail back in time to the day of the paleocaster, a dry land beaver, and paleosoils, fossilized dirt from the time this landscape was formed. Look out over the vast, open table lands that define the high plaines east of the Rocky Mountains.
  • Fossil Hills Trail (45 to 120 Minutes): Hike to University (left) and Carnegie Hills. The 2.7-mile Fossil Hills Trail allows visitors to walk up to and see the famed early 1900s quarries. From these quarries, paleontologists recovered some of the world's best preserved and most complete fossilized Menoceras, Moropus, and Dinohyus skeletons.

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: No entrance fee.

Hours: Open 24 hours, every day. The park's two trails are open from dawn till dusk every day. Visitor Center features Miocene Mammal fossils, a 12 minute movie, and the James H. Cook Collection, a unique collection of American Indian artifacts that were gifts to James Cook and his family.

Getting there

From US 20: 22 miles south of Harrison, NE on State Hwy 29, then three miles east on River Road (paved) From US 26: 34 miles north of Mitchell, NE on State Hwy 29, then three miles east on River Road (paved). From State Hwy 71: 25 miles west on the unpaved portion of River Road.

Airport City Drive to the park Straight-line miles Type
Western Neb. Rgnl/William B. Heilig Airport (BFF) Scottsbluff, NE No road route 39 Regional
Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) Chadron, NE No road route 44 Regional
Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) Alliance, NE No road route 55 Regional
Denver International Airport (DEN) Denver, CO No road route 183 Large hub

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

  • Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Visitor Center: Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. Visitor Center features Miocene Mammal fossils, a 12 minute movie, and the James H. Cook Collection, a unique collection of American Indian artifacts that were gifts to James Cook and his family. The park's two trails are open from dawn till dusk every day.

Weather

Summers can be very warm, high 90's to 100 with the frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Plan to hike early and come down from the higher points if storms threaten. Winter temperatures can dip as low as -20 with snow and wind. Heaviest snows can be expected in late Spring.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.

Nearby

The nearest national park is Wind Cave, about 81 miles away in a straight line.

Sources

Last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument?

No entrance fee.

Where is Agate Fossil Beds National Monument?

In Nebraska. The closest airport with scheduled flights is Western Neb. Rgnl/William B. Heilig Airport, about 39 miles away.

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