Venture On the Gold Rush Scenic Byway
Strike gold with a journey down this historic byway, which carried fortunes of gold daily between the Black Hills and Sidney during the Gold Rush. Today, Highway 385 carries more than its worth in the amazing surrounding sights, destinations and delightful discoveries. The topography varies from south to north, from open plains to the rugged Pine Ridge.
Route Directions
Sidney to Bridgeport: 42 miles
Bridgeport to Alliance: 37 miles
Alliance to Chadron: 55 miles
Sidney
Start your gold rush ventures at the beginning of the Sidney-Deadwood Trail with breakfast at Dude’s Steak House, a popular family-owned restaurant. Next is Fort Sidney Museum and Post Commander’s Home which added protection to military and civilian traffic along the 267-mile Sidney-Black Hills Trail in the 1870s. For the avid (or not) outdoorsman, spend some time getting to know Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitters.
Bridgeport
You know you’re getting close to the Oregon and Mormon trails when you can see the impressive landmarks known to early pioneers as Courthouse and Jail Rocks. The Pioneer Trails Museum tells the story of the settlement of this region.
Alliance
Enjoy a delicious meal at Ken & Dale’s Restaurant, an Alliance dining staple for more than 35 years. Then, skip the trip across the pond and visit Nebraska’s version of Stonehenge instead at Carhenge, an exact replica made with cars instead of stones. In town, the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center takes you on a tour of the rich pioneer spirit of western Nebraska, the Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer while The Carnegie Arts Center highlights local and regional artists in a historic 1911 former Carnegie Library. A visit to Dobby’s Frontier Town is like visiting a small frontier town of the Old West.
Chadron
End your travels in the heart of the Pine Ridge of northwest Nebraska at the Museum of the Fur Trade, the country’s only museum dedicated to the fur trade industry, the first business in the New World. Next, head to Chadron State College campus to explore the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center and learn more about this notable Nebraska author’s life and works, including “Old Jules” and “Crazy Horse.” Dinner tonight is an amazing meal at Bean Broker Coffee House & Pub, and if your lodging tastes lean toward the historic, try the rustic Olde Main Street Inn downtown.