Courthouse and Jail Rocks

Courthouse and Jail Rocks are two closely spaced rock formations in the Nebraska Panhandle near Bridgeport, in Morrill County. They rise about 400 feet above the North Platte Valley, reaching an elevation of roughly 4,050 feet above sea level, and stand about 240 feet above nearby Pumpkin Creek. The formations are built from Brule clay, Gering sandstone and volcanic ash, and represent surviving remnants of an ancient plateau that was cut off and isolated after the North Platte River carved through the surrounding landscape over a long span of geologic time. During the nineteenth century the rocks served as conspicuous landmarks for westward-bound travelers, standing near the routes of the Oregon-California Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Pony Express Trail and the Sidney-Deadwood Trail. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 24, 1973.