Chimney Rock National Historic Site
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- This article is about the landmark in Nebraska along the historic Oregon Trail and Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail; for other uses, see Chimney Rock (disambiguation).
Chimney Rock National Historic Site | |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument) | |
Location: | Morrill County, Nebraska, USA |
Nearest city: | Bayard, Nebraska |
Coordinates: | |
Area: | 83 acres (0.33km²) |
Established: | August 9, 1956 |
Governing body: | National Park Service Nebraska State Historical Society |
Chimney Rock is a famous, prominent geological formation in Morrill County in western Nebraska. Rising nearly 300 feet (91 m) above the surrounding North Platte River valley, the peak of Chimney Rock is 4,226 feet (1,288 m) above sea level. During the middle 19th century it served as a landmark along the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail, which ran along the north side of the rock. It is visible for many miles from the east along U.S. Route 26.
Chimney Rock has been designated a National Historic Site and is today administrated as an "affiliated area" by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Nebraska State Historical Society. Chimney Rock and Independence Rock further west are probably the most famous features along the Oregon Trail.
On March 1, 2006, the Nebraska State Quarter was released. The quarter features a covered wagon headed west past Chimney Rock, memorializing Nebraska's role in westward migration.
[edit] External links
- National Park Service Chimney Rock site
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA