Today I decided to go explore a neighboring National Park Service Site, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. I traveled west to the town of Mitchell, Nebraska; then north towards the monument. I had traveled about 5 miles or so, north on Highway 29, when I decided to turn around and get gas. The monument is kind of in the middle of nowhere and I decided it wasn't worth the risk of running out of gas.
After filling my tank in Mitchell I headed north again through some desolate Nebraska plains. Finally I arrived at Agate Fossil Beds. My first stop in the monument was the Daemonelix Trail.
Daemonelix, or Devil's Corkscrews, are the fossils of corkscrew-like, ancient beaver burrows. A few of the burrows are on display in situ, within clear plastic display cases.
Besides the fossilized burrows,
the views of the surrounding desolate prairies was quite striking.
After my hike of the Daemonelix Trail, I headed east over towards the visitor center and the Fossil Hills Trail. The trail traverses University and Carnegie Hills, two of the sites that have been excavated for their rich, Miocene fossil deposits. The trail also features a spur
that leads to the "Bone" Cabin,
a temporary residence for the scientists who worked in the fossil quarries.There are plenty of signs warning of rattlesnakes near the cabin.
Luckily there is little threat of seeing them in November. I rested at the cabin for a bit,
then headed back towards the visitor center for a quick visit. I say quick, because by this time I was pretty hungry and ready to head home for lunch. it was a pleasant visit and I look forward to returning with Noelle and Sierra in the future.
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