Nebraska’s Agate Fossil Beds are a National Monument are famous as the site where local rancher James Cook and subsequent paleontologists discovered some of the world’s best preserved and most complete fossil evidence of Miocene-era giant mammals such as the Menoceras of the rhinoceros family, Moropus, a distant relative of the horse, and Dinohyus, also known as the “terrible pig.”

  • What can visitors expect at the National Monument’s Visitor Center?
    • The Visitor Center offers a 12-minute introductory film about the area's history and features two exhibit galleries.
  • What is featured in the first exhibit gallery?
    • The first gallery showcases life-sized replicas of the animals found fossilized in the hills beyond the Visitor Center. It also includes real and replica fossils, including a replica of the watering hole “bone bed”.
  • What is in the James Cook Collection gallery?
    • The James Cook Collection gallery features cultural artifacts of the Lakota from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Items include a whetstone belonging to Crazy Horse, weapons, suits, headdresses, and Red Cloud’s moccasins and pipe.
  • What hiking trails are available at the park?
    • The park has two hiking trails: the 1.6-mile Daemonelix Trail and the 2.7-mile Fossil Hills Trail.
  • What is special about the Daemonelix Trail?
    • The Daemonelix Trail leads past in-site fossil exhibits, including the petrified tunnels of the paleocastor, or dry land beaver. Visitors can also see views of the High Plains east of the Rocky Mountains.
  • What makes the Fossil Hills Trail unique?
    • The Fossil Hills Trail is a paved, wheelchair-accessible trail that starts at the Visitor Center, crosses the Niobrara River, and passes behind Carnegie Hill and University Hill. It also leads to the Harold Cook homestead cabin.
  • What is the historical significance of the Agate Fossil Beds?
    • The site contains fossils dating back 20 million years to the Miocene epoch, making it one of the best-preserved collections of large mammal fossils in the world.
  • Why is the site named Agate Fossil Beds?
    • The Agate Fossil Beds are named after the Agate Springs Ranch, which was purchased by James Cook in the late 1800s. Cook became interested in fossils and invited paleontologists to study them.
  • What role did James Cook play in the discovery of fossils?
    • James Cook discovered fossils on the ranch and invited paleontologists to study them. This led to the confirmation of the 20-million-year-old bone bed in Carnegie Hill and University Hill.
  • Who was Harold Cook, and what was his contribution?
    • Harold Cook, James Cook’s son, became a self-educated paleontologist and continued hosting scientists at the site. His home, the Harold Cook Homestead, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • When was the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument established?
    • The Agate Fossil Beds National Monument was officially established in 1997, after being approved by Congress in 1965.
  • Who owns the land today?
    • The Cook family still owns the ranch and has donated artifacts to the National Park Service to ensure they remain near the family home.
  • What educational programs are offered at the monument?
    • Park Rangers visit area classrooms with fossil kits and give talks on Miocene Mammals and the Agate Fossil Beds. The Visitor Center also hosts activities for children working toward their Junior Ranger badge.
  • Where is the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument located?
    • The monument is located at 301 River Road, Harrison, NE 69346. Visitors can contact the park at 308-665-4113.

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