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  Nebraska Toadstool Geologic Park Trail - Nebraska Travels Attraction in Badlands area
  Toadstool Geologic Park Trail Picture
- in Nebraska Badlands - NW of Sandhills
- more Toadstool Park Photos below

Toadstool Geologic Park

In the Western Nebraska Badlands

Northwest of Chadron, NE
West of the Nebraska Sandhills

+ Pictures from the Educational and Fun Geologic 
  Toadstool Park Trail


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Nebraska Toadstool Park is bit "remote"
   
- but a definite Western Nebraska Badlands "Must See" 

Toadstool Geologic Park is the extreme northwest corner of Nebraska - actually about 50 miles northwest of the western edge of the Nebraska Sandhills Region which is near Hay Springs, NE.



Toadstool Park, is in a remote area known as Nebraska's Badlands which is located in the Western Nebraska Oglala National Grasslands area.
(-- not near Ogallala, NE) It is about 18 miles northwest of Crawford, Nebraska -- which is 18 miles west of Chadron, NE. You go almost 5 miles north of Crawford on Hwy 71, and then about 13 miles west and northwest on a very scenic and well marked, but bumpy, gravel "Toadstool Road" to the Toadstool Geologic Park entrance.

There is a small day use and a overnight camping fee. Some of the publications we read said the park is open year-round, 24 hours a day -- but recommended against traveling on the gravel road to the park during or after a rain.


We would second the not driving on the gravel road when wet advice since some of the very rocky areas could be slick and there might possibly be a few muddy areas.
Tip Tips More important - hiking on the trail and over the rocks could be difficult and possibly dangerous if the rocks were wet and slippery.

Scenic Gravel Toadstool Road to Toadstool Park with long coal train - Nebraska Grasslands & Badlands area


Scenic but rough gravel road to Toadstool Park + long coal train approaching
 


New Watch Video of this long loaded 200 car Coal Train passing (with some middle cars cut out). in remote area in western edge of Nebraska Sandhills where "Badlands" begin near Chadron, NE. Has engine sounds & train whistle.


The Toadstool Park Interpretive Trail Hike - the Nebraska Badlands

The spectacular rock formations and unusual examples of the effects of water and wind over millions of years make the Toadstool Geologic Park Trail Hike a definite "Must See" on any Western Nebraska Sandhills travels road trip. The Park is in the Oglala National Grasslands and is in a area sometimes called the Nebraska Badlands. Many unusual geologic formations are visible and the park has yielded some scientifically useful fossil deposits, some of which are still evident as "tracks" in the rocks.

The Interpretive Toadstool Trail is very well marked, and a detailed trail brochure is available at the Trail Site that explains the numbered post markers along the one mile loop hiking trail. The park has 6 picnic and camping spots -- and we also found clean basic restroom facilities.
Don't expect running water when you are this far out in the "boondocks." You will need to bring your own water.


Toadstool Park Camping and Picnic area + trail view - Nebraska Badlands & Grasslands area


Toadstool Park Picnic and Camping area + view of the hiking trail beginning from parking lot.


A Western Nebraska Badlands "Must See!" - hidden 

Tip Tips The view when you pull up in the parking area next to the campsites and the interpretive sign area is impressive, but not nearly as spectacular as you will see on the Toadstool Park Interpretive Trail Hike, so don't pass up the educational and fun one mile loop hiking trail based on the view from the parking lot! The Trail Hike will take a little over an hour if you stop and take in all of the spectacular views and interesting rock formations.

My Wife and I rated the Toadstool Park Trail hike as one of the definate highlights of our most recent western Nebraska Sandhills Vacation road trip - a top pick Western Nebraska Panhandle and Sandhills Vacation "Must See!"


Young Kids on the Toadstool Park Hiking Trail?

We talked to a family that was just returning from the Toadstool Trail Hike with two girls that we thought were between 8 and 12, and they said they had no problems with the hiking trail that has some steep spots, some steep cliff drop-offs near the trail, and a few rocks you climb up and over.

Tip Tips We don't think the trail would be recommended for children 5 and under as parts of the trail would be difficult for an adult carrying a child which would likely be what would end up happening.

Toadstool Park Trail Interesting Toadstool Rock Formations - Badlands west of Nebraska Sandhills  

Toadstool Park Trail Interesting Rock Formations
- not visible from Trailhead
 
 
This picture is now on our US Vacation Sites High Resolution Photos pages - Direct to this Toadstool Rock Formation photo High Res Version Download




Toadstool Geologic Trail Hike Pictures!

Below is a series of pictures from our leisurely hike of the one mile Toadstool Park trail on a sunny Fall day in late October of 2006. The numbered Interpretive Brochure with pictures and drawings plus trail marker posts help make it very educational and interesting. Take plenty of film or have plenty of digital camera card memory when you start the hike -- it is a very "photogenic" trail as you can see from the pictures below.

Geology & History of Toadstool Park + photos

This Geology of Toadstool Park link goes to a Chadron State College Web Site GeoScience topic page which has a photo + a Link to some very interesting information on how the various formations in Toadstool Geologic Park were formed by the forces of nature over millions of years (
Stratigraphy of Toadstool Park ) + a link to additional Toadstool Park pictures. The above CSC Geology page also has a link to an interactive map page showing how to get to Toadstool park from Crawford, NE and some other nearby interesting northwestern Nebraska attractions.

This US Forest Service page has some pictures and Info on the Wildflowers in Toadstool Geologic Park - which is located in the Oglala National Grassland area. (We thought "Badlands" seemed like the most fitting label for the terrain in Toadstool Park!)

Here is a brief page on Toadstool Geologic Park posted at Wikipedia.

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Toadstool Geologic Park Photos Gallery
Taken on the Interpretive Hiking Trail


- in the Peaceful Western Nebraska Grasslands & Badlands


Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - fallen toadstool rocks - Oglala Grasslands west of Nebraska Sandhills - Midwest US






Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail near beginning after you have entered the "U" shaped area with rock formations surrounding you on 3 sides - broken and fallen toadstool rocks - Chadron, NE area - Western Nebraska Grasslands / Badlands

Toadstool Park Hiking Trail - rounded fallen toadstool rocks - Badlands west of Western edge of Nebraska Sandhills





Toadstool Park Hiking Trail marker - rounded toadstool rocks where their softer rock "perch" has collapsed - the pole is one of the numbered Interpretive Trail markers that went with the brochure.
Near Crawford, NE west of Chadron
in the
Western Nebraska Oglala National Grasslands area - Northwest of Nebraska Sandhills



Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - Oglala National Grasslands area west of  Nebraska Sandhills





Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail back into middle valley surrounded by rock formations - Western Nebraska Grasslands -Chadron, NE area - the Nebraska Badlands






Toadstool Park Hiking Trail rock formations - Nebraska Badlands west of Nebraska Sandhills






Toadstool Park Hiking Trail - some rounded fallen toadstool rocks + new formations emerging - Near Crawford, NE west of Chadron - Nebraska Badlands




Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail wide angle - Badlands area west of  Nebraska Sandhills
Toadstool Park Hiking Trail panorama view - valley surrounded by many rock formations
- In Western Nebraska Grasslands - three photos "stitched" together
Looks more like a landscape on the Moon rather than in Western Nebraska Panhandle near the Sandhills.
It is easy to see why this area is also called the Nebraska Badlands


Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - on top of formations - Nebraska Badlands area






Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - on top of formations - This is an area where can see ancient animal "tracks" and fossils preserved in the rocks - Western Nebraska Badlands - Chadron, NE area
-- about 50 miles northwest of western edge of the Nebraska Sandhills.





Toadstool Park Hiking Trail rock formations on top - Nebraska Badlands area






Toadstool Park Hiking Trail - surrounding rock formations view at top + interesting pointed rock on a toadstool-like perch
- in Oglala National Grasslands area west
of Chadron, NE
-- the Nebraska Badlands



Multi layered Toadstool at top - Toadstool Park Hiking Trail - Nebraska Badlands area west of Nebraska Sandhills






Multi-layered Toadstool on top - Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - Western Nebraska Grasslands in the Chadron, NE area






Looking back at end of Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - Western Nebraska Grasslands & Badlands area







Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - on top of formations looking down on parking lot and trail head
- The two small brown "boxes"
toward the top right are
the rest rooms.
Peaceful Grasslands country.


Looking back at end of Toadstool Geologic Park Hiking Trail - Western Nebraska Badlands and Grasslands area

Looking back at the end of the Toadstool Park Hiking Trail - you can see where trail turns to left and goes up ridge, then turns right across ridge and then curves back to left at top of ridge toward rocks on top where you are coming from at the end of the mile long Toadstool Park Trail in the Nebraska Badlands.

This is a great educational and fun Western Nebraska Sandhills Vacation Attraction for ages about 6 and up. Parts of the trail seem like a walk on the Moon Vs in the Northwestern Nebraska Oglala Grasslands near the western edge of the Sandhills.






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