Nebraska Travel Guide

Welcome to the great plains! Between the Missouri, the Niobrara and the Platte River the plains of Nebraska welcome visitors. For many the ultimate freedom of these plains is what the American dream is about. The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States - the Homestead National Monument is located in Beatrice and offers unique insights on how the Act changed the lives of all Americans and the land.

The Missouri river is steeped in stories about American indians, Lewis and Clark, fur traders, and steamboat captains. The river's role in the settlement of the Great Plains is celebrated in two free-flowing reaches along the Nebraska-South Dakota border--the Missouri National Recreational River. The best starting point for visitors is probably Ponca. Near Valentine, the Niobrara river is also a great place to go. The upper reach is one of the nation's premier canoeing rivers

Right in the west of the State Scotts Bluff is a prominent natural landmark for emigrants on the Oregon Trail. Scotts Bluff, Mitchell Pass and the adjacent prairie lands are set aside in a 3,000 acre national monument. This site preserves the memory of the historic Oregon, California and Mormon Trails.

In the East of the Sate the cities of Lincoln and Omaha offer you big city life with a midwest touch.