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Nebraska > Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

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Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

General Information

Description - This park was originally a working cattle ranch owned by Capt. James Cook and known as Agate Springs Ranch. The park features renowned quarries that contain numerous, well preserved mammal fossils from the Miocene Epoch and represent an important chapter in the evolution of mammals. The park's museum collection also contains more than 500 artifacts from the Cook Collection of Indian Artifacts. These items were given to Captain Cook by the Oglala Lakota Sioux and their leader, Chief Red Cloud, who visited the ranch each summer.

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Filed By: Bob (Lincoln, NE)
Number of People Encountered: 11-25 ppl
Recommend to a Friend: Highly
Report: Visited in October of 2004. Absolutely beautiful area, the hiking was easy and fun. The visitors center is very modern, and they even have a very good gift shop with some excellent books on Native Americans. The Indian collection is beautifully presented, with numerous interested artifacts. Thunderstorms in this area are absolutely majestic, if not a little scarey. Hope you experience one.