By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Exploring Northwest Nebraska on foot, by bike or car is easy with curated trips designed to showcase the region’s attractions, scenery, wildlife, history and more. Hit the walking paths, the scenic byways and the backroads and enjoy!

Roads Less Traveled/Gravel Grinding Adventures

Discover Northwest Nebraska’s Roads Less Traveled adventures put the spotlight on the journey. These curated road trips take travelers to some of Northwest Nebraska’s destination attractions, across the backcountry roads to enjoy open spaces, wildlife sightings and opportunities to hike, picnic or camp.

From the 16-mile Smiley Canyon scenic drive to the 95-mile Pine Buttes & Grasslands adventure, the road trips offer up options for Sunday drives to day-long trips or multi-day journeys. From Fort Robinson’s rich historical significance to the unique geological formations of Toadstool Park, the trips encompass some of the most scenic areas of Northwest Nebraska. Spend time birdwatching, visit the Museum of the Fur Trade or cast a line in hopes of completing a Trout Slam along the way.

While a few of the trips on our Roads Less Traveled page are designated as Gravel Grinding Adventures for cyclists, any of the trips are ideal ways to explore Northwest Nebraska on two wheels or four!

 Explore Roads Less Traveled at https://discovernwnebraska.com/roads-less-traveled/

Sole to Soul Walking Tours

Northwest Nebraska has plenty to see and do, and the Sole to Soul Walking Tours are meant to get you up close and personal with the area’s art, history and nature. Though there are only three walking tours currently, more are in the works!

In the meantime, there’s lots of history to see through Chadron’s Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about Chadron’s frontier days through its architecture. Stroll through Art Alley and admire the work of some of our local artists and complete the Scavenger Hunt challenge. Chadron State College is home to an extensive collection of artwork, the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center and C.F. Coffee Gallery, and the grounds are part of Nebraska’s State Arboretum.

Explore Sole to Soul at https://discovernwnebraska.com/sole-to-soul/

Statue of Mari Sandoz with flowers

Bucket Lists

Whether you aspire to take in the history Chadron, Crawford and Harrison have to offer, experience the prehistoric beginnings of Northwest Nebraska or honor the region’s rich Native American history, Discover Northwest Nebraska’s Bucket Lists can help. All you have to do is pick your passion and start exploring.

Interested in historical architecture? There’s a Bucket List for that!

Native American History? Check!

Geological and fossil records? Yep, there’s a Bucket List for those, too!

Train watching and railroad history? We’ve got it!

Explore the Bucket Lists at https://discovernwnebraska.com/bucket_lists/