Scottsbluff Nebraska Accommodations

What Is the Best Time of Year to Visit Scottsbluff, NE?

The best time of year to visit Scottsbluff is mid-summer through early autumn. The weather in Scottsbluff does vary throughout the year. The summer months are the hottest time of year, with temperatures in the 80s, surpassing 90 degrees in July. The temperatures are cool in spring and fall and cold in winter, with an average high of 40 degrees in December. Hotel rates will be at their highest in summer and at their lowest in winter. You can save on rates and enjoy fairly comfortable temperatures if you travel in spring or fall.

What Are the Best Discounts in Scottsbluff?

Take advantage of the discounts offered at Scottsbluff hotels to save even more on your travels.

The Super 8 by Wyndham Scottsbluff offers discounts for seniors and AAA members. It's a great budget-friendly option within minutes of Western Nebraska Regional Airport. The hotel is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along with you. The Super 8 provides a free SuperStart Breakfast Bonanza, as well as a luxurious indoor pool. Each room has a refrigerator and a microwave, and handicapped-accessible rooms are available upon request.

The hotel is just a block away from the Whiskey Creek Steakhouse and close by to the Ole' Mexican Restaurant, which specializes in south-of-the-border food, and Emporium Coffeehouse & Cafe, which serves up desserts and a full menu of main courses. The Super 8 also offers free shuttle service to and from Western Nebraska Regional Airport.

Hampton Inn & Suites Scottsbluff Conference Center offers senior and government/military discounts. Rooms feature kitchens with microwaves and refrigerators, as well as flat-screen TVs and free wired and wireless internet. The Hampton provides a free hot breakfast each day featuring fresh-baked waffles and oatmeal with toppings, as well as free coffee and tea in the lobby and free newspapers to savor along with your coffee. You'll also enjoy the indoor pool, spa tub, and fitness center.

What Are the Best Hotels in Scottsbluff, NE?

A number of great hotel options in the area provide excellent value for your money. The Comfort Inn Scottsbluff is a pet-friendly hotel that offers complimentary amenities such as a hot breakfast, Wi-Fi access, free weekday newspapers, and free coffee, as well as a heated indoor pool, hot tub, exercise room, and a meeting room that accommodates 30 people. Each room also features a flat-panel TV, a hair dryer, a coffee maker, and an iron with an ironing board.

Days Inn by Wyndham Scottsbluff, a five-minute drive from the West Nebraska Arts Center, provides upscale amenities such as an indoor pool while still keeping rates comparatively low. Rooms come with mini fridges, microwaves, coffee and tea makers, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Free breakfast is served each morning. The hotel is conveniently just a mile and a half from the airport.

What Is There to Do and See at Scotts Bluff National Monument?

Whether you're in Scottsbluff on vacation or for business, Scotts Bluff National Monument is a must-see. Looming 800 feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has been a local landmark for everyone in this area of Nebraska, from Native Americans to immigrants traveling along the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails. The area features incredible paleontological and geological history here and so much to explore. To take in the Scotts Bluff National Monument, you can drive to the 800-foot summit and take in the sight of the valley and unusual rock formations.

Chimney Rock is one of the most famous sights in the area. You can also visit the Agate Fossil Beds, featuring 19-million-year-old remains, the Riverside Zoo, and the world's largest collection of Oregon Trail memorabilia at the North Platte Valley Museum.

Explore the Oregon Trail Pathway, where more than 350,000 people pioneer travelers passed through between 1841 and 1869. Prior to 1851, Oregon Trail pioneers used the Robidoux Pass 9 miles south of Scotts Bluff, but in 1851, Mitchell Pass opened to accommodate travelers. The passage is about 50 feet wide, with rocks on either side reaching heights of 300 to 400 feet. Mitchell Pass came to be known as Devil's Gap.

When you visit the Scotts Bluff National Monument administrative building, you'll see Murphy and Studebaker wagons that were the primary mode of transportation for families on the Oregon Trail. In the summer months, you can take in live demonstrations of the Murphy wagon and get immersed in history.

You can also reach the top of the bluff by taking a short hike that starts at the visitors center. Self-guiding paved trails called Summit Road and Saddle Rock Trail are each about a mile and a half each way. Hike the North Overlook trail to get an incredible view of the badlands, the North Platte River valley, and the twin cities of Scottsbluff and Gering.

When you visit Scotts Bluff National Monument, be prepared to stay for at least two hours to get the best experience. Make sure to bring water with you, and stay on the trails if you're hiking. RVs and trailers are prohibited from traveling over Summit Road, but there's a shuttle service available upon request in the summer months. Dogs are permitted in the Scotts Bluff National Monument, but they must be leashed.

Visit the Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center, built between 1935 and 1949. The Visitor Center has a history room, a display of artist William Henry Jackson's paintings and drawings, and a Landmark Room with displays outlining the paleontological and geological history of this area of Nebraska. Enjoy a short movie on the history of the Oregon Trail.

There's plenty to do and see in western Nebraska. Whether you're looking to take in the history of the Oregon Trail or explore the ancient history of the unique geography of this area, there's something that you'll love in Scottsbluff.