The visitor center sits in the middle of mixed grass prairie.
From the Fossil Hills Trail the Visitor Center is a ship in a sea of prairie grasses. NPS Photo

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

National Monument · Nebraska · National Park Service

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.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
3086654113
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Farming and Agriculture · Ranches · Native American Heritage · Westward Expansion · Homesteading · Animals · Birds · Tortoises and Turtles · Fossils and Paleontology · Geology · Grasslands · Prairies · Night Sky · River and Riparian · Rock Landscapes and Features · Scenic Views

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Cultural Demonstrations · Astronomy · Stargazing · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Hiking · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Park Film · Museum Exhibits · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • Tipis and Fossil Hills represent the two subjects that Agate Fossil Beds interprets.
    NPS Photo
  • Thunderheads are common in July.
    NPS Photo
  • The Dinohyus was a scavenger, nicknamed "Terrible Pig"
    NPS Photo
  • This buckskin shirt decorated with quills was worn by Red Cloud.
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of Nebraska

Fort Hartsuff State Historical ParkWillow Creek State Recreation AreaWildcat HIlls State Recreation AreaSherman Reservoir State Recreation AreaRockford Lake State Recreation AreaNorth Loup State Recreation AreaAshfall State Historical ParkOlive Creek State Recreation AreaBuffalo Bill Ranch State Historical ParkArbor Lodge State Historical ParkLong Lake State Recreation AreaSutherland Reservoir State Recreation AreaRock Creek Station State Historical ParkRock Creek Station State Recreation AreaWindmill State Recreation AreaNiobrara National Scenic RiverTwo Rivers State Recreation AreaKeller Park State Recreation AreaMinatare Lake State Recreation AreaJohnson Lake State Recreation AreaWalgren Lake State Recreation AreaConestoga Lake State Recreation AreaUnion Pacific State Recreation AreaScotts Bluff National MonumentIndian Cave State ParkDanish Alps State Recreation AreaRed Willow Reservoir State Recreation AreaStagecoach Lake State Recreation AreaBowring Ranch State Historical ParkCheyenne State Recreation AreaLong Pine State Recreation AreaDead Timber State Recreation AreaLouisville State Recreation AreaVictoria Springs State Recreation AreaEugene T. Mahoney State ParkBridgeport State Recreation AreaBlue River State Recreation AreaMedicine Creek State Recreation AreaChadron State ParkLake Ogallala State Recreation AreaAsh Hollow State Historical ParkLake McConaughy State Recreation AreaPlatte River State ParkPonca State ParkBluestem State Recreation AreaPawnee Lake State Recreation AreaFort Robinson State ParkLewis and Clark Lake State Recreation AreaSmith Falls State ParkEnders Reservoir State Recreation AreaSummit Lake State Recreation AreaGallagher Canyon State Recreation AreaSandy Channel State Recreation AreaCottonwood Lake State Recreation AreaVerdon State Recreation AreaWagon Train State Recreation AreaFort Atkinson State Historical ParkMormon Island State Recreation AreaMerritt Reservoir State Recreation AreaPelican Point State Recreation AreaFort Kearny State Recreation AreaSchramm Park State Recreation AreaRiverview State Recreation AreaSwanson Reservoir State Recreation AreaCalamus Reservoir State Recreation AreaBranched Oak State Recreation AreaFremont Lakes State Recreation AreaFort Kearny State Historical ParkHomestead National Historical ParkDLD State Recreation AreaWar Axe State Recreation AreaBox Butte Reservoir State Recreation AreaMaloney Reservoir State Recreation AreaNiobrara State ParkRock Creek State Recreation AreaMemphis Lake State Recreation AreaAlexandria State Recreation AreaBuffalo Bill Ranch State Recreation Area

79 parks mapped in Nebraska

You're looking at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument — the gold marker.

Every dot is a park. Tap one to jump to it.

Browse all Nebraska parks →

Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12