Last updated: October 8, 2022
Place
Courthouse and Jail Rocks
Quick Facts
Location:
five miles south of Bridgeport, Nebraska on Highway 88
Significance:
Guiding landmarks for fur traders and emigrants.
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Trailhead
A map of Passport and Places to Go locations for National Historic Trails.
Courthouse and Jail Rocks are massive monoliths made of Brule clay and Gering sandstone. Over time, wind and water erosion slowly sculpted the rocks into their current courthouse or castle appearance. The rocks were first noted by Robert Stuart in 1812 and quickly became guiding landmarks for fur traders and emigrants. Travelers on the south side of the Platte river had a close-up view of these celebrated landmarks, which made them a popular item for emigrants to write about and sketch in their diaries.
Today, the rocks are open to the public. Reaching them requires traveling on an unpaved road that is suitable for most vehicles when dry. At the end of the road is a hiking trail that leads to Courthouse Rock. Note, this trail used to lead to the top of the rock, but large sections of the trail have since eroded away. Use extreme caution when hiking. Open year-round, daylight hours. No tourist facilities at the site nor staff presence.
Emigrant Remarks
In November of 1841, Rufus B. Sage recorded,
"A singular natural formation, known as the Court House, or McFarlan's Castle . . . rises in an abrupt quadrilangular form, to a height of three or four hundred feet, and covers an area of two hundred yards in length by one hundred and fifty broad. Occupying a perfectly level site in an open prairie, it stands as the proud palace of Solitude, amid here boundless domains. Its position commands a view of the country for forty miles around and meets the eye of the traveler for several successive days, in journeying up the Platte."
Site Information
Location (five miles south of Bridgeport, Nebraska on Highway 88)