Our hikes at the National Monument began at the visitor center when we would walk a trail all the way to the top, an 800 ft. elevation gain in 1.6 miles. We started around 8:00 am each morning in order to beat the afternoon heat and we're back at the truck before lunch. There were nice views from the top with 150 mile visibility all the way to the Medicine Bow Mountains in Wyoming.
This morning we drove about 12 miles south to the Wildcat Hills Recreation Area. They had a nice visitor center and educational area where over 6000 school children each year visit. The downstairs educational room was exceptional. We did a few hikes and saw no one else on the trails, very secluded with a few nice picnic areas.
Scottsbluff is a small city (15,000 pop.) however it has everything you need. Being far from a major metropolitan center it has to be self sufficient for its citizens. It's nice to see a small city with a vibrant downtown area, rare in so many small towns back east. We made a couple of drives into the surrounding countryside, one to Torrington, Wyoming and another to Chadron, Nebraska, both charming little towns of around 5000 residents each.
A great bakery we visited a couple of times
This old theater is still operating in Torrington, WY
In the Wildcat Hills. The bluff at Scottsbluff is visible in the distance
The next few photos are in the Wildcat Hills
Inside the visitor center
We stopped here a couple of times. Excellent ice cream made on site
The next few photos are taken at the Scottsbluff Nat. monument
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