Fort Robinson Before the Fire - June 2026

In preparation for our upcoming Huron Peak hike with friends from McCook, Sam and I ventured to Fort Robinson early Saturday morning (6/6/2026). Little did we know it would be the last time we saw those buttes in such a beautiful state. A massive fire has burned through them over the last week, threatening both Fort Robinson and the town of Crawford. I wish I had taken more photos on this trip.

My heart aches thinking of the lost beauty and the people affected. This area was one of the reasons I wanted to move back to Northwest Nebraska - we will have to find beauty in whatever the Lord leaves us after the fire.

The Hike

To get to the start of our hike coming from Crawford, take a right onto Soldier Creek Road when coming from Crawford (the first road coming into the park from the east). Drive through the park towards the far side where the equestrian campground is. The turnoff on your GPS may lead you to a closed gate - just go a little farther past the fence:

Head up that road until you see the parking area. We started at the parking area just to the left (north) of the road. It's an obvious place to park.

Since we are training for elevation gain (and I continue to try to be less of a fatty), we did the first ascent twice. It can be brutal for such a short section. This time around we saw only one other person on the entire trail, but in the past we've passed lots of people who struggled mightily up the dirt road that serves as the start to the trail.

There are a lot of decisions to make once you get to the top and start hiking. I prefer to head southeast by taking a right and finding every little bit of trail that leads me to a butte. The views are stunning, and the hike is great training. You can find some amazing places if you keep your eyes open for trail spurs!

You can extend this hike many, many miles and really get into the thick of the forest... or at least you could before the fire. I'm terrified to go back and look now. Regardless of what the fire has done, I would imagine there will be beauty to find and miles of trails to follow that you can customize to your desired effort once the area has re-opened.

As of this writing, the "South Fork Fire" has been burning for a week and has scarred nearly 40,000 acres of forest and grassland. It is heart breaking for us all, and has taught my son much about how easily the things and places we love can be lost or forever altered in just moments. I'm so thankful for one more hike in this beautiful place before the fire permanently altered the landscape.

Here are some historical photos from previous hikes in the area: