A sunset over Chadron State Park.

Scenic Byway

385 GOLD RUSH

131 Miles | 2 Hours | The Route: U.S. 385 between Chadron and Sidney

At its peak in the 1870s, more than $200,000 worth of gold (more than $7 million today) traveled this historic route daily. Today, U.S. 385 is considered one of the most scenic and historic roads in the nation, with impressive pine-covered buttes, rolling hills and lush river valleys.

Route Directions

From Chadron: 40 miles south on US-385, west on NE-L7E to Hemingford
20 miles south on NE-2, south on US-385 to Alliance
37 miles south on US-385 to Bridgeport  •  42 miles south on US-385 to Sidney

Stop 1

Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center

Stop by the Chadron State College campus and visit Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center to learn about the history of the region, High Plains cattle ranching, Sandoz and her writings.

Travel Tip

Explore the Heritage Gardens, which surround the center, to see the area’s botanical history.

A statue of Mari Sandoz in front of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center.
Stop 2

Chadron State Park

Discover Nebraska’s oldest state park, Chadron State Park, founded in 1921 and located in Chadron.

Travel Tip

Its variable terrain offers hikers and bikers of all levels a spot to get outside and enjoy Nebraska’s wildlands.

Cyclists crossing a bridge surrounded by green vegetation in Chadron State Park.
Stop 3

Carhenge

You have to see Carhenge to believe it: Built as a tribute to his father, Jim Reinders’ free Alliance attraction uses 39 spray-painted automobiles to form a replica of Stonehenge. The artist studied the famed monolithic site before beginning construction.

Travel Tip

As part of the inaugural Carhenge Arts Festival in 2025, the Alliance Creative District invited internationally known muralists to paint some of the cars.

Roadside attraction Carhenge, a replica of Stonhenge made from spray painted cars, at sunset.
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Stop 4

Dobby's Frontier Town

Relive the frontier days of the Old West at Dobby’s Frontier Town in Alliance

Travel Tip

This turn-of-the-century Western town includes homesteader and bootlegger cabins, a mercantile, post office and more.

Old West frontier buildings at Dobby's Frontier Town.
Stop 5

Knight Museum and Sandhills Center

Relive the history of the Sandhills region at the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center in Alliance.

Travel Tip

Exhibits delve into the area’s pioneer past, Native American life, railroad heritage and the larger-than-life personalities who settled the area.

A wagon and pioneer and frontier artifacts on display at the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center.
Stop 6

Courthouse and Jail Rocks

Two rock formations, Courthouse and Jail Rocks, signaled to pioneers that they were on the right track during a transcontinental journey west.

Travel Tip

Where the rocks rise more than 240 feet above Pumpkin Creek in Bridgeport, take advantage of epic views and photo ops.

Courthouse and Jail Rocks towering beneath a blue sky.

Small-Town Stops

Sidney

With its picturesque green spaces, historic sites and mom-and-pop-owned shops and restaurants, this friendly community offers plenty of small-town charm you won’t soon forget.

Travel Tips

Discover the oldest building in town when you visit Camp Lookout, an 1867 outpost that once housed soldiers tasked with protecting Union Pacific Railroad workers.

Discover Sidney’s wild Old West past by visiting the Sidney Boot Hill Cemetery. 
 

Browse 85,000 square feet of taxidermy, boats, an extensive gun library and all sorts of outdoor supplies at the original Cabela’s.

Stroll downtown Sidney, a Main Street community on the National Historic Register.

A life-like elephant among other the animal displays with three kids playing a hunting arcade game inside Cabela's in Sidney.

Chadron

This friendly community is home to Chadron State College. The scenic surroundings, college-town atmosphere and historic buildings create a small-town charm you won’t soon forget.

Travel Tips

Chadron Area Aquatic and Wellness Center offers splash park fun year-round. This indoor facility features water slides, dump buckets, a splash pad and a zero-entry pool.

Plan an outdoor weekend full of fishing, boating and birding at Walgren Lake State Recreation Area. While here, keep those eyes peeled for the mythic Walgren Lake Monster. 

How about a hunting trip? Rocking Heart Elk Ranch offers elk, deer and turkey hunting packages in the Pine Ridge of Northwest Nebraska. 

Discover the source of residents’ early livelihood at the Museum of the Fur Trade.

Cozy up with espresso drinks, cocktails and delicious food at Bean Broker Coffee House & Pub.

Overnight at the Old Main Street Inn, a bed & breakfast and saloon listed on the National Register of Historic Places that some believe to be haunted.

Artifacts on display at the Museum of the Fur Trade.
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A man and child walking from the historic Bordeaux's Trading Post at Museum of the Fur Trade.

Venture on the Gold Rush Scenic Byway

Follow Highway 385 on this itinerary to see historic sites, natural wonders and roadside attractions, from the Fort Sidney Museum to Carhenge to Museum of the Fur Trade.
View the 385 Gold Rush Trip Itinerary
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