Scotts Bluff County High Point Trip Report
Wildcat Hills
Date: June 10, 2000
Author: John Mitchler
Although there are 7 areas, only one is the true highest and it is a rounded hill of open grassland. You
could do it in sandals except for the sparse cactus in the field. The HP lies on the western end of the
Wildcat Hills which is a 50 mile long ridge in the NE Panhandle immediately south of Scotts Bluff. On
NE71, drive 38 miles north of Kimball or 2.5 miles south of NE92 at Scotts Bluff. This will get you to
Carter Canyon Road. Go west on it. At mile 6.2 the road makes a sharp left (south) and at mile 9.5 veer
left at the intersection with Summit Ranch Road which goes to the right. At mile 11.5 note the faint
ranch road to the right (north) in a gully. Continue up and out of the gully and park at the cattle guard on
the fence line. If you went 11.4 miles you'd come to the major power lines. Walk the fence line north for a
quarter mile to the obvious hill. Note that the fence line does not run true north, but north-northwest.
Hand leveling from the hill indicates that it is much higher than the other candidates to the north and
south and it is higher by hand level than the candidate areas to the northwest. Backsighting confirms this.
Visual observation should tell you this as well. The BM on the topo is 17 paces from the road along the
fence line and reads, "4930' 1960."
While in the area, be sure to take Summit Ranch Road (at mile 9.5) north to visit Roubadeau Pass which
is a historic pass on the Oregon Trail. Pioneer graves and stuff are along the road, just east of the pass.