A visit to this location was tops on my list when I planned my vacation here. I have read before…read morehow the countless wagon wheels war ruts in the rock, but to experience them myself was very moving. My 4X great grandmother would have been one of the pioneers who came through here. My thanks and appreciation to all those who helped create the walkway and signs. If you've been debating about whether or not to add this stop to your itinerary, add it now! There are picnic and bathroom facilities here so it could be a quick stop to let your kids run around and do some exploring, or a place to spend an hour soaking up the history.

I saw the signage of the Oregon trail ruts sign pointing east and I decided to check things out. It…read morewas pretty cool that there's a yelp listing for this attraction as well. While it may not be an excuse to come out all the way here to southeast Wyoming and see where may or may not be wagon ruts made by 1860 American pioneers trying to make better lives for themselves, it was a nice stopover on my way back to Longmont, CO. I had stopped off at touring the Fort Laramie national historic site and, as aforementioned before, I saw the signage of the Oregon trail Ruts historic site and was curious as to what this place was about. I was in the area and figured why not. I arrived around 4:40pm on a brisk and casual Tuesday afternoon in October 2017. Curiosity lead me to this place, which could be considered either a historical landmark or a public park. In truth, it's a little of both. I don't doubt that there are wagon ruts still existing after 100+ years after the iconic westward movement of people forging ahead to reach the Pacific Northwest and other places in Nevada and California. This historic site provides a glimpse into what it was like back in the 1840's for those who wanted a better life in the United States of America. The overall experience here at the Oregon Trail Ruts historical site was interesting, educational, yet inspiring at the same time. They showcase what is the wagon ruts from all those wagons that made historic journeys from Missouri to various places in Oregon, Nevada, and California. For me, because really nobody was there when I was there, I just seemed like it was just a walk in the park - literally. Too bad there is no replica of a wagon train at this site, although it probably would have been vandalized at some point by some kids. That tends to happen. For me, I just happened to just slowly walk around the pathway that circumnavigate the park and looked around and what was there, which was barely nothing. Just some signage but that's about it. This Oregon trail Ruts historic site is located in a remote area of Wyoming, more specifically, in Xxx. The only good part of this experience was the fact that there is no admission charged for entry. The parking was limited, but there is space for you to park in. For the most part though, the Oregon trail ruts is a piece of history that is preserved in the form of a city / county park and as a historic site here. The American pioneers risked their lives to bring forth a better life for themselves and to bring prosperity to a growing nation. I spent about a good 1 1/2 hours before heading to Register Cliff, which happened to be nearby (2 miles). There is a restroom next to the parking area, but I don't think they have public wifi here. I can't say that you may enjoy coming here to the Oregon trail ruts historic site, but if you are fan of the Oregon trail and a general history buff, you may be interested in this. Plus, it's on the way back to Denver and Cheyenne, Wy from Laramie, Wy. You are kind of in the middle of nowhere though, so best bet is to come here with a decent amount of gas in your car and explore the sites in the area, while coming here to see the Oregon trail ruts that these American pioneers have made to create a nation over 150 years ago. I would recommend coming here if you have the time and want to see it. It is kind of on the way, if you are coming from Denver and Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Time well spent. 4.5 stars for the entire experience. Thanks to these brave souls, we would have an America we can be proud of today. Support local! B

Some rules before visiting: Pack it in, pack it out. Do not leave trash here, take it with you and…read moreproperly dispose of it. Let's leave this beautiful place as beautiful as it was before we came, so that others can experience this awe-inspiring spot. By the way, the park is NOT right off of the highway. It is probably at least a 5-10 minute drive off of the highway, all the way down Ayres Natural Bridge Rd. There is NO cell connection by the time that you get to the park area/camping site. Your phone's GPS gets you where you need to be, and then follow the paved road down. There are private properties around, so be aware. You honestly can't comprehend the true beauty until you are actually there. Pictures do not do this park justice.

If you are in the area, definitely worth a stop. Not much else around, that's for sure! Some…read morecampsites for up to 30 feet rigs; but no dogs allowed at all. There is no fee for day use. Grounds are very well maintained with TLC, and it shows. Groundskeepers are present and active. Nice picnic areas, some nice spots for wading. The natural bridge is a wonder, and you can wade underneath it. There is a short trail that takes you to the top of the bridge. Also some red canyon walls that were worth a view.

Driving from Fort Collins to Rapid City, my family was fortunate to add this Oregon Trail stop on…read morethe way. The park rangers at this monument are awesome and truly care about its history. If you can add this in with your travels, you won't be upset. I wouldn't go way out of my way to visit, but if you can add it to your itinerary with a less than annoying drive deviation, it is fantastic. Side note, it was raining the day I went. I drove up to the top but couldn't see the view due to the weather. But, I could tell, on a nice day, it would be amazing. Lots of history here. Enjoy!

Call Your Bluff…read more Protected National Monument site that's over 3k-acres and is situated west of Gering, Nebraska. We visited here almost eight years ago on our epic road trip across the US, and I can't believe I forgot to review this place. The Good: *The bluff is an important landmark on the Oregon Trail and there's an Oregon Trail Museum at the base of the bluff. *There's a windy 1.6-mile drive up the Summit Rd to get to the top of Scotts Bluff. There were quite a few cars (the park draws in 100k visitors a year) in front of us, if I remember correctly. But I don't think it took that long to get to the top, because even if it did there some superb views along the way up. *Leashed pets are OK on trails *Free! The Meh: *Only four miles of hikable trails The Ugly: *I wish we had more time to explore and hike the trails, but we had a schedule to keep. Next time, Gadget! Conclusion: Great park that's worth a 1hr detour if you're headed along on this stretch of 80.

Lewis Park is a nice city park located in Wheatland, Wyoming. So...you would think for a city park…read morethey'd offer a playground, picnic canopies, soccer fields...etc. Well yes, Lewis Park offers all that...AND MORE! And the reason I'm saying MORE than your average typical park is because they allowed camping on the grounds. Camping? Really? Wow...cool for me. That's exactly what I was looking for! Here I was, in this random town of Wheatland...just off the main road of Interstate 25 running through the heart of Wyoming. This Lewis Park was an absolutely suitable place for me to pull over along my travels and rest up for the night. I discovered Lewis Park through the app on my phone called Campendium. I can't recommend Campendium enough for locating random campground and RV Parks on the fly. Along my cross country road trip...this Lewis Park was the only city park where they actually offered camping. Ya know...most of the places I visited were specific campgrounds and or RV/Trailer Parks...yet this place was a park for anyone and everyone to use. They permitted tent camping right on the outskirts of the main soccer field! Here were some great aspects to Lewis Park... When I read the entrance sign...it said it was free to camp! Hmmm...even better. I think they could have easily charged $10 for the night and no one would have taken an issue with that...yet it was free! You don't have to sign up or reserve a site...just first come, first served. There were specific rules mentioning that you could only camp for 3 nights within a 30 day period. The camping area was situated in a little designated area good for about 10 sites. When I came here back over the summertime...it was myself and two other families camping. So...it wasn't busy at all and overall...it was extremely quiet which was great for me to enjoy the fresh outdoor setting. Unfortunately they didn't feature showers or restrooms, but for free camping in a city park...I wasn't even expecting those types of amenities, lol. At least there was a vault toilet located next to the mini golf section. Yeah, nice...they offered mini golf here, though with this 2020 pandemic going on...I wasn't exactly sure if the course area was closed. Well, I didn't see anyone playing. My only issue to get to this vault toilet and the mini golf area from the camping grounds was having to walk around the entire soccer field. So, it was a bit of trek...but no big deal ultimately. I would also mention that this section for camping didn't have the most comfortable ground for making up my tent. I was sort of forced to set up on hard, dirt soil while meanwhile the camping area faced the soccer field where there was fresh fluffy grass much more suitable for pitching a tent. Yeah, it would have been a perfect night's rest if I could have moved my tent onto the soccer field, lol. Oh well...I was satisfied with just being here and having some time to rest and relax before heading to Casper, WY. What I very much appreciated were the picnics tables set underneath canopies. I noticed a family having an afternoon birthday party. This Lewis Park was perfect for something like that. Since there were multiple tables and canopy areas set up around the park...I was able to locate a few electrical outlets underneath these canopies good recharging my phone and portable generator. And...there was good cell phone reception here for browsing the Internet and checking my social media posts, lol. Btw, right beside this park was any necessities you may need from the town of Wheatland including food, gas and supplies. Overall, this Lewis Park was a great stopping point to pull over while driving. Taking in a pleasant summer night's evening here was worthwhile. Granted the town of Wheatland is very small...but I'm really surprised for a city park like this with so many great attributes for local residents to hang out here during the day...that no one has yet to write a review about this place. Regardless, I'm happy to give it some recognition. And for any adventurers or road trippers out there needing a practical spot to set up a tent and camp for free for the night, I recommend this Lewis Park.

Going to Toadstool Geologic Park was best thing we've done on our vacation so far. The park is…read morebeautiful and interesting, offering both easy and challenging hikes. There was a guy named Richard in the parking lot giving out free sunscreen, vacation advice and maps. He even took our picture. He's a great guy who just loves the park and works for free. If you see him tell him Tim, Sutevee and Hope say hi! PS - don't forget to pay your park fee. It's very cheap and helps keep the park maintained.

Nice walking loop through the park. Takes about an hour. Get the paper guide at the entrance,…read morethough. Watch for snakes. But we never saw any.

We spent about three hours walking around this site and it was clearly apparent how much time has…read morebeen taking to restore the buildings. Be sure to walk through the officers quarters to see the furnished rooms. Such a cool glimpse of days gone by! It was fascinating to use the informational signs to try and imagine what the fort looked like as a bustling community. It was especially interesting to me because I had an ancestor who came through and spent time here back in the 1850s. The people in the museum/gift shop were friendly and informative, and even offered a list of all the Bugle calls that played periodically while we were there. I loved that! This would be a great place to visit for adult adults and children alike.

Fur trading post turned military outpost [Laramie WY]…read more We arrived at 4:32p and, luckily, the Visitors Center was still open and I was able to get my National Park passport stamped. The museum showcased items from eras past. When we visited Fort Laramie we learned that this was another iconic landmark and a major outpost stop because it served the needs to thousands of emigrants on the historic Oregon, Mormon, and California trails. Other historic routes that passed through Fort Laramie were the Transcontinental telegraph route, the Deadwood and Cheyenne stage routes and even the Pony Express Route between St Joseph Missouri and Sacramento California! whoa wow! Yes, a small monument stood at the park with a plaque that mentioned the Pony Express route and SacTown! I then enjoyed poking my head inside the structures. Uniforms, weapons and other artifacts were on display. Seeing the exhibit at the restored Cavalry Barracks was pretty cool too. There are clean restrooms inside. One of the structures, the Old Bedlam, is the oldest standing building in the State of Wyoming. Imagine that, and I got a chance to see it. Question: Who was the Army defending the emigrants against? Not foreigners but the American Indians which ended upon the death of Sitting Bull in 1890. The Army abandoned the fort that same year. The park is open everyday from dawn until dusk but the Museum and Visitors Center from 8:00a to 4:30p Learning history as we go. Happy travels! Review #3478

Although we didn't have the best camping weather (it rained almost all night), Glendo is a…read morebeautiful park. It is also close to I25, making it a convenient spot to stop. We drove through all of the campgrounds and they were all pretty nice. My son had fun fishing from the shore on the rain, although he didn't catch anything. It seemed like the water level was really low- we were imagining what it used to look like. The campground amenities were basic- clean toilets but no showers.

had a good time at the beach, and the yurt was cool. The only bad part was that there were a lot of…read morebugs and horse flies that tried to but you but it was still a lot of fun

Fossils in the hills of Nebraska [Harrison NE]…read more This national monument is located in Western Nebraska. Let me tell you now... it is out in the middle of nowhere! One lone building... the Visitor Center! You have to drive to the open prairie where the fossils can be found on quarries where the digs were conducted. Unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule and was not able to do the hike. Inside the Visitor Center is full of interesting exhibits Including a life-size display of ancient mammals (giant creature that looks like a pig). There are no dinosaur fossils here. We also saw some cool collection of Northern Plains Indian artifacts given as gifts to James Cook by Lakota Chief Red Cloud. The short film was educational. Tip: Make sure to gas up your car and bring snacks or pack a lunch before heading out to the monument. The closest gas station is over 30 miles out on Highway 29 heading either north or south. There are no vending machines at the Visitor Center but they have free WiFi available ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Review #3503

Visited Agate Fossil Beds National Monument on Sunday, September 17…read more In addition to fossils and Devil's Corkscrews we saw a great collection of Lakota Sioux memorabilia from the James Cook collection. Shout out to Amelia for spilling the tea on the Cook family, and showing us the prized cow pie from the Cook collection - not on open display. The fossil beds themselves were amazing but Amelia was fantastic, she made the visit.

I was hot, and the staff let me rest in the dining car for well over an hour…read more The historical train does lack basic and federally required ADA approved handy-capable access, but it didn't concern me. 9.2/10

We had a wonderful time. Staff was really friendly. Fun and relaxing way to spend a few hours.read more

What a great town park. Glenrock Town Park is located near Deer Creek, but accessible via Birch…read moreStreet, one of the town's main streets. The entrance off Birch Street takes you under a railroad trestle and as you enter the park, the first thing you'll notice is the number of trees. Had I not seen the picnic tables, baseball field, tennis courts, the playground equipment, and what looked like a skate park, once I passed under that trestle, I'd have thought I was in a mini forest. I was really impressed with this nice, well-kept park. As a bonus, there's an easy walking path nearby -- that's a little over two miles long -- and is a good way to enjoy nature or do something with the family after you've had your picnic. Glenrock Town Park is near an RV Campground -- I didn't notice that until I got to the back of the park -- but for anyone camping there, they have a buffer from the noise. Not only because of the trees, but because this park is only open from sunrise to ten at night.