SCOTTS BLUFF NATIONAL MONUMENT

national monument in Scotts Bluff county, western Nebraska, U.S. It lies along the North Platte River, opposite the city of Scottsbluff. The 5-square-mile (13-square-kilometre) area of the monument was established in 1919. Its focus is a large promontory, or bluff, that rises 800 feet (244 m) above the river. Part of an escarpment, the bluff was a prominent landmark on the Oregon and Mormon trails and is a memorial to those who on foot, on horseback, and in covered wagons moved America westward. It was named for Hiram Scott, a fur trapper. A museum at the base of the bluff displays the history of the pioneer travelers.