Order of Visit: High Point #22
Date Visited: September 3, 2020
Route Taken: Short walk from parking area to the monument
Type of Terrain: Flat pasture and grazing land
Elevation: 5,424 feet
Ancestral Lands: Arapaho, Cheyenne, Sioux
What’s in a name?
With no mountains anywhere in sight, you will definitely get panoramic views from this state high point. The ground rises an elevation more than a mile above sea level and provides glimpses into Colorado and Wyoming, as well miles and miles across flat Nebraska.
Panorama Point rolls of the tongue nicely too. The alliteration of the name is pleasant, and no one was forced to try to work the state’s nickname into the process.
A panorama, after all, is an unbroken view of a physical space wider than what an eye can normally take in. This idea has been used in art since at least 20 A.D., when ancient panoramic murals were painted on walls in Greece. However, the term ‘panorama’ wasn’t actually coined until the 18th century, when Irish painter Robert Barker (1736-1806) used it to describe his landscape paintings, using the Greek words pan (“all”) and horama (“view”).
Today the word panorama is most often used to describe a 180-degree view of an area — whether it’s viewed from atop a mountain, across an ocean bay, or from the highest point in America’s Great Plains.
However, if a panoramic view of these flat, grasslands leaves you feeling a bit underwhelmed, then perhaps you can head over to one of the other notable spots in the U.S. sharing the moniker ‘Panorama Point.’ My favorite one is on the south side of Mt. Rainier (another state high point), which overlooks glaciers and valleys that will definitely make your jaw drop in awe.
TRIP SUMMARY
Honestly, we didn’t really plan to visit Nebraska in 2020. However, our later summer travels were taking us from the Black Hills of South Dakota to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in Utah for the Labor Day weekend.
The most direct route for this 500+ mile drive would have taken us diagonally through Wyoming. But, we’d already seen “the middle of nowhere” Wyoming once during a trip in 2016, so we weren’t in desperate need for a repeat journey.
While looking at the map to plan out our upcoming route, I looked at Keith and said, “You know… Nebraska’s high point isn’t all that far away. It’s barely more than a mile into the state. We could just drive straight south from the Black Hills, down to Nebraska, and then drive west from there through Cheyenne. Sure it would add 70 extra miles to our trip. But, when’s the next time you plan to be anywhere close to western Nebraska, huh?“
And with just a little nudging and encouragement, we routed ourselves along the eastern and southern edges of Wyoming in search of our third state high point in less than two weeks!
Knowing this high point was on private property, and would require driving out on rural farm roads, we opted to park the RV at the Pine Bluffs rest area (I-80, exit 401) and just pop on down the road in the car.
Google Maps took us down some dirt roads and indicated the high point was at a driveway to what appeared to be a private home. Luckily, they had a sign on their fence that say access to Panorama Point was still another mile south. I guess we weren’t the first people to rely on Google Map’s incorrect pin.
At the high point’s actual entrance, there was a large white sign in front of the cattle guard welcoming us to the High Point Bison Ranch. Another car was already in front of the sign – much to our surprise – and we actually had to wait our turn to enter this remote point.
As drove forward, we honored the request for a small donation to help with maintenance and upkeep of the high point, and deposited our money in the small red box beside the sign. Then we crossed the cattle guard to drive a mile up the road to the actual high point monument.
If I was surprised to seen another visitor at the entrance sign, you can only imagine my surprise to see a second car approaching us on the dirt road. This place was hopping! Who knew Nebraska’s high point was such a happening place?
About a mile later, the road curved and dead-ended at a small dirt lot. A stone monument stood just off the edge of the lot marking the actual high point. Although we were over a mile above sea level, it was flat as far as the eye could see, with a few rolling hills and bison in the distance. In fact the most notable feature was the windmill farms nearby.
As I surveyed the actual high point itself it was nothing spectacular. Just a stone monument, a bench, and a metal desk with a register inside. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a drive-up highpoint on the Nebraska plains. It could just as easily be in Kansas or Iowa.
I suspect the protective metal railing around the monument was so the bison didn’t rub up against it and knock it over when they moved through the area.
As I lifted the lid on the tall metal desk to fetch the notebook and sign our names, Keith helped the other two visitors (who were from Texas) take a few photos at the monument.
The bench also had a small plaque on it announcing that it was donated by two private donors in conjunction with the Highpointers Club. And there was a second plaque with some details about how the discovery of the state high point and a short dedication. And that was all there was to see.
After our quick visit, it was time to hit the road again. Back to the RV and on our way to Utah. Thanks Nebraska! One more highpoint to mark off the list.
DETAILS
When to Visit: The high point is open year-round. However, the access road closes approximately 20-30 days each year due to bigger snowfalls during the winters.
Getting There: Panorama Point is located 57 miles from Cheyenne, Wyoming, only a mere 1.5 miles into the state of Nebraska. You can pick up a physical map to get there at the High Point Visitor Center in Kimball, Nebraska just off I-80 (located at exit 20) or just follow Google Maps. (Note: If Google Maps takes you to a private driveway, you are probably just a bit north of the actual entrance. Keep heading south.)
Entrance Fees: This highpoint is on private property owned by the Klawonn family. A $3 (per person) admission fee can be placed in the red metal box at the entrance gate. Guests are also asked to sign the register next to the monument.
Parking: Parking is right next to the Panorama Point monument.
Accessibility: Easy. Anyone can walk up to the monument. However, the owners warn that bison may be present in the pasture. Use caution, and do not approach them for a selfie. They are dangerous. Visitors are also asked to drive to the high point parking area, not hike in to it, for this same reason.
Bonus: In additional to visiting Panorama Point, you can also take a few minutes to visit the nearby three-state marker (the junction where Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado intersect). Or you can head up to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming and purchase some USDA natural grass-fed bison from the High Point Bison, LLC.
Resources:
- Panorama Point and Three-State Marker (Visit Nebraska)
- Panorama Point (Summit Post)
