Located 5 miles southwest of
Scottsbluff, the monument encompasses an escarpment that rises 800 feet above the
North PlatteRiver, or 4649 feet above sea level. The bluff, named for trapper Hiram Scott, was a prominent landmark on the Oregon and California trails. Pioneers abandoned the riverbank and cut through Mitchell Pass to avoid the rough terrain. Vestiges of the trail can still be seen.