Come for the Old West heritage; stay for the western-themed fun.
By Diane Morey Sitton
January 2019
RVers have given high marks to a camping spot in Nebraska that isn’t on an interstate or even in a commercial RV park. It’s at Fort Robinson State Park, which has much historical and natural importance.
This part of Nebraska has long been known for its rugged Pine Ridge region beauty, but many first-time visitors are surprised to discover the park’s treasure trove of Wild West legend and lore and the vast array of activities offered.
Each summer brings a new round of live musical productions to the Post Playhouse.
Here, on 22,000-plus acres straddling U.S. 20 (about 100 miles east of Interstate 25), visitors can check out Sioux Indian artifacts, take a trail ride through ponderosa pine forests, taste buffalo stew in a butte-fringed valley, hike a riverside trail, attend a summer musical theater performance, or simply savor the sounds of water gurgling in Soldier Creek and breeze rustling through 100-year-old cottonwood trees.
Upon arrival, go to the reception desk inside Fort Robinson Inn and Lodge, a historic red brick structure (built in 1909) that once housed the 8th and 12th U.S. Cavalry. Here, you can register for camping; buy permits; and obtain maps, brochures, a 2018 visitors guide, and The Post Dispatch newsletter. A Western-theme restaurant at the lodge serves hearty fare and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Park information, reservations, and tickets are also available at an information booth on the sidewalk in front of the lodge.
For an overview of this huge historic fort complex, start your explorations with a narrated horse-drawn wagon tour. Tickets for this and other activities are sold at the lodge. As a team driver guides “Babe” and “Baldy” past historic structures, grazing longhorns, museums, and a row of officers’ quarters (now among structures that serve as tourist lodging), passengers learn that Fort Robinson began in 1874 as a military camp to protect and supply the Red Cloud Indian Agency.
Over the years, “Fort Rob” was the site of Sioux warrior Crazy Horse’s surrender and death, and served in various capacities. It was the world’s largest military remount depot, supplying horses to military units; it was an Olympic equestrian training center; and it served as the last great gathering place of the Sioux Nation. During World War II, the fort went to the dogs as it was used as a K-9 training center. A portion of it also served as a prisoner-of-war camp.
After the U.S Army abandoned Fort Robinson in 1947, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted cattle research there. Finally, it became Nebraska’s largest and most historic state park in 1956. The park became a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
Visitors can take group trail rides or ride their own horses at Fort Robinson.
Further history can be explored at Fort Robinson History Center and Museum, housed in the historic Post Headquarters (built in 1905). After watching the short video, Many Lives of Fort Robinson, you can browse White Horse Agency displays, see a dog kennel used by the K-9 Corps, study 19th-century Sioux artifacts, and discover marksmanship medals earned by Buffalo Soldier Caleb Benson between 1902 and 1909. The Landmark Store sells a guide called Fort Robinson, Crawford, Nebraska: Self-Guided Driving Tours, in addition to military- and Western-history books.
More history awaits visitors in an 1887 adobe officers’ quarters, 1904 harness repair shop, 1904 blacksmith shop, 1908 veterinary hospital, and other reconstructed or restored structures in the fort complex. The Nebraska State Historical Society manages the museum and these buildings.
Another important aspect of Nebraska’s history comes alive at the Trailside Museum of Natural History, operated by the University of Nebraska. Admission is $3 per adult or $6 for a family of four; $1 for kids 5 to 18. Group tours are available upon request. Don’t miss the “Clash of the Mammoths,” an exhibit featuring the fossilized skeletons of two ice-age mammoths that perished when they locked tusks more than 10,000 years ago. Other enticements include educational movies, an art and poster gallery, and a rock and gift shop.
Storied mammals of another kind are within camera range along the Smiley Canyon Scenic Drive (turn right off U.S. 20, just south of the lodge). The self-guided, one-way road cuts through the buffalo pasture. Sightings of antelope, fox, and deer are common, as are late-summer stands of goldenrod, Nebraska’s state flower. Wild asters, gayfeathers (blazing stars), sunflowers, coreopsis, and coneflowers color the landscape here and along other park roads in midsummer.
The fort’s lodge has a lobby with visitor information; it’s located inside a preserved cavalry barracks.
For more eye-catching scenery, choose from different rides in the park. Mountain bikes are available for rent. Jeep rides depart from the activities center, near the lodge. Grab a snack at Sutler’s Store before hopping aboard the hour-long tour of the history-rich buttes on the park’s south side. A panoramic view of the fort and the neighboring town of Crawford are among tour highlights.
Visit the stables, where kids will especially like the stagecoach rides and pony rides. Horseback rides in various lengths can be reserved at the information booth in front of Fort Robinson Inn and Lodge. The Butte Country Ride, an intermediate-level, 75-minute guided trail ride, departs from the activities center. Soldier Creek Ride is a 45-minute trek that follows the path of its picturesque namesake. By the way, Fort Robinson is Nebraska’s premier horse destination. The park offers more than 20 miles of equestrian trails and fire service roads to ride, plus you can board your horse in one of Fort Rob’s barns.
More than 60 miles of walking trails invite hikers to experience the park’s forests, meadows, buttes, canyons, and stream banks. White River Trail, a level, gravel corridor, follows the river to Crawford’s city park. Along the way hikers sometimes see fox, deer, rabbits, and nesting snapping turtles. Bighorn sheep and elk are most often seen from high-country trails that explore Red Cloud Butte.
The park’s water activities rival the equestrian fun, especially on hot summer days. Cool off in the indoor Olympic-size swimming pool, which has an outdoor wading pool and sun deck. Float on the gentle White River currents in a kayak or tube. The van for kayak and tube rides departs daily from the information booth at the lodge. (Reservations and tickets are required.)
The information booth is also the place to inquire about fishing spots and to obtain fishing licenses and gear. Anglers vying for bass, trout, and panfish favor Grabel Pond and Cherry Creek Pond (east of the complex). A self-guided nature trail with a crossover footbridge above the waters of the White River leads from U.S. 20 to the Ice House ponds and the promise of bluegill and largemouth bass.
Tennis courts are available, as are a craft area and nature display in the activities center. Near the park along U.S. 20 is Legend Buttes Golf Course, a beautiful set of nine holes with tree-lined greens.
And just because it’s time for the sun to set at Fort Robinson State Park doesn’t mean the day’s adventures are over. Folks describe the Chuckwagon Buffalo Stew Cookout as “a must.” Guests take a ride in a hayrack-style wagon to a small valley on the park’s east side and are served a pipin’ hot, all-you-can-eat stew and cornbread dinner in a chuckwagon setting. (Hayrack steak cookouts are scheduled on alternate evenings.)
After dinner, the wagon returns to the fort complex in time to drop off theater ticket-holders to the Post Playhouse. You must buy tickets separately for this live musical productions: Mary Poppins, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Music Man are among the summer 2019 shows. Performances sell out quickly (matinees included), so make reservations early by visiting www.postplayhouse.com or calling (308) 665-1976. Shows are in June, July, and August only.
A free and popular show each Thursday evening features Western-style steer wrestling and old-fashioned rodeo games the whole family will enjoy. The one-hour show is held at the rodeo arena.
And at Fort Rob, even the shady creek-side campgrounds bespeak of Western heritage. Soldier Creek Campground has 72 electrical sites and sits adjacent to the 1874 parade ground in the fort complex. The site once held the quartermaster corrals and stables, cavalry stables, and lumber stores. It is also the site of the Cheyenne Outbreak, one of the last battles of the Indian War. Red Cloud Campground has 32 full-hookup sites and is close by. The smaller, 20-site Mare Barn Campground is located in the historic Mare Barn Complex on the north boundary of the fort complex. Insider info: If you like a quieter place to stay, the Mare Barn Campground is the place to be.
So, whether it’s the history, the scenery, or the full roster of activities that draw you here, Fort Robinson State Park promises to ignite your spirit and build new memories in true Western style. Saddle up, partner!
Further Info
Fort Robinson State Park
3200 U.S. Hwy. 20
Crawford, NE 69339-0392
(308) 665-2900
www.OutdoorNebraska.gov/fortrobinson/
Email: ngpc.fort.robinson@nebraska.gov
A valid Nebraska Park Entry Permit is required for all vehicles. The 2019 permit costs $8 for out-of-state vehicles and $6 for Nebraska-licensed vehicles. They can be purchased at the park or online at www.OutdoorNebraska.gov.
Fort Robinson State Park Campgrounds
For campsite reservations, call (402) 471-1414, or Fort Robinson State Park at (308) 665-2900.
Reservations are accepted one year in advance of arrival date. Half of the campsites in Red Cloud and Soldier Creek campgrounds may be reserved, and the other half are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Soldier Creek Campground: 72 electrical sites with 30-amps; 14 sites 30/50 amps. Modern shower house, picnic tables, and fire rings.
Red Cloud Campground: 32 full-hookup sites with 30/50 amps. Picnic tables and grills.
Mare Barn Campground: 20 electrical sites; 4 full-hookup sites. Pay laundry and showers.