Nebraska badlands! Toadstool Geologic Park hiking in Oglala National Grassland! Things to do in Nebraska travel tips

Hi there!

The Toadstool Geologic Park is a part of the Oglala National Grassland.

This is where you can go to see the badlands of Nebraska!

According to the National Park Service, the rock formations that can be seen in Toadstool Geologic Park are “related to the same rocks found in South Dakota’s Badlands National Park.”

Badlands National Park is the best national park in South Dakota. And you can make a trip to this part of Nebraska alongside your South Dakota road trip or Wyoming road trip! Add-on ideas below!

When you go to Toadstool Geologic Park, you can see some of the resemblances of the South Dakota badlands when you are in Nebraska!  

And, when you are at Toadstool Geologic Park, you can also see some “toadstool” rock formations.

Things to do in Toadstool Geologic Park

You go to Toadstool Geologic Park to see the Nebraska badlands.

And there are basically 2 main things to do in Toadstool Geologic Park:

• Hiking
• Camping

Best hikes in Toadstool Geologic Park

You can see some of the “badlands” rock formations from the parking lot of the Toadstool Geologic Park.

But to really get an appreciation for the Nebraska badlands, you’ll need to go hiking in Toadstool Geologic Park.

At the minimum, if you’re taking the time to drive out to Oglala National Grassland, then you’ll want to do the 1 mile loop.

There are 3 main hiking trails in Toadstool Geologic Park:

• Toadstool Geologic Park interpretive loop trail: 1 mile loop hike
• Bison Trail to Hudson Meng: 3.1 miles one way, so 6.2 mile round trip hike
• Great Plains Trail loop: 5.1 mile loop hike

Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center

So one of the big reasons to go the Toadstool Geologic Park is to see the Nebraska badlands.

But another thing that makes Oglalala National Grassland and Toadstool Geologic Park significant is the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the national grasslands in the United States:

The Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center houses one of the most important paleo-archeological discoveries in North America.

Visitors can tour the bonebed enclosure and discover the mysterious past of the extinct bison that died here.

You can hike the Bison Trail from the main parking lot of the Toadstool Geologic Park to the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center. The Bison Trail will take you through some of the unique rock formations and the grasslands.

BUT, for your trip to the Nebraska badlands in 2022 and beyond, you’ll want to check the status of the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center. It might be cloesd.

The listed phone number is 308-432-0300. You can call to ask about updated info.

And if fossils interest you, then also look into the Mammoth Site in South Dakota! This is the site of tragedy where many MANY mammoths drowned, but what is left today is a ton of mammoth fossils. And, it is an active dig site for paleontologists today! The Toadstool Geologic Park to the Mammoth Site is about a 1 hour drive. (map)

My day of hiking the Nebraska Badlands in Toadstool Geologic Park

Toadstool Geologic Park has some great Nebraska hiking trails.

My trip to Toadstool Geologic Park was in October 2021.

I arrived at the Toadstool Geologic Park around 2pm with the intention of camping.

So the first thing I did when I got there was set up my tent. The parking area for the Toadstool Geologic Park is basically also the campground.

It was sooooo windy that I decided I did not want to camp. (It also did not help that it was cold.) So I took down the tent.

A little past 3pm, I started hiking.

The first I did was the 1 mile interpretive loop. This is the minimum that you’ll want to do if you go to Toadstool Geologic Park. You will see many different kinds of rock formations, including the “toadstool” rock formations.

As an “interpretive” trail, be sure to pick up the brochure at the trailhead. Then you can follow along and learn things as you go!

After finishing up the interpretive loop trail, I then did the Great Plains Trail Loop. Part of the Great Plains Trail Loop is also a bit of the Bison Trail to Hudson Meng. The part of the Bison Trail that I did also included unique rock formations.

In total, I was hiking for around 3 hours. I generally hike at a leisurely pace taking lots of pictures along the way.

Watch the video for more of what you can see hiking in Toadstool Geologic Park!

If you don’t see the Toadstool Geologic Park video above, you can watch it on youtube.

Toadstool Geologic Park is located in northwestern Nebraska.

So why might you go to northwestern Nebraska?!?!

You might consider adding this as part of your South Dakota road trip or your Wyoming road trip! (Alongside the best places to visit in South Dakota and the best places to visit in Wyoming!)

Badlands National Park to Toadstool Geologic Park is around a 3 hour drive. (map)

Wind Cave National Park to Toadstool Geologic Park is around a 1.5 hour drive. (map)

Custer State Park to Toadstool Geologic Park is around a 2 hour drive. (map)

Mount Rushmore to Toadstool Geologic Park is around a 2 hour drive. (map)

For google maps, your destination can be Toadstool Geologic Park and campground. (map)

If you are interested in the Nebraska badlands, you may also be interested in these activities:

• Things to do in Badlands National Park (South Dakota badlands)
• Best hikes in Badlands National Park
• Things to do in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota badlands)
• Best hikes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• The Mammoth Site (South Dakota fossils)

HAPPY HIKING IN TOADSTOOL GEOLOGIC PARK!