From the Fossil Hills Trail the Visitor Center is a ship in a sea of prairie grasses.
Photo: NPS Photo
About
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.
Location
301 River Road
Harrison, NE 69346
Hours
wednesdayAll Day
mondayAll Day
thursdayAll Day
sundayAll Day
tuesdayAll Day
fridayAll Day
saturdayAll Day
Activities
Arts and CultureCultural DemonstrationsAstronomyStargazingFoodPicnickingGuided ToursSelf-Guided Tours - WalkingHikingJunior Ranger ProgramWildlife WatchingBirdwatchingPark FilmMuseum ExhibitsShoppingBookstore and Park Store
Directions
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.
Get directions →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.