April 2024 • Nebraskaland 27
that weren't killed in the crash had to
be rounded up in the rugged terrain.
After Smiley Canyon had claimed a
number of lives and countless dollars in
wrecked vehicles over more than four
decades, today's much less perilous
route bypassing Smiley Canyon to the
south was completed in 1967. Billed
to be even more scenic than Smiley
Canyon, the 6-mile section was named
"Middleswart Pass" — a tribute to Tom
Middleswart, the district road engineer
from Bridgeport who designed the
route.
Later in 1967, with Fort Robinson's
role as a state park in its infancy, the
Game and Parks Commission filed to
purchase the 640-acre tract of school
land encompassing the canyon to be
added to the park's many attractions.
Today, the most challenging part of
the road allows only one-way traffic
uphill, lessening the chance of wrecks.
There is also no hiking or cycling
allowed in the section that goes
through the bison pasture. Visitors can
stop at a scenic overlook at the top of
the ridge to take in the 22,000-acre
park's beauty.
Much of Smiley Canyon burned in a
1989 wildfire but retains scenic value.
There are also parking areas near a
historical marker and near the head of
Turtle Rock Trail, a popular pathway
that takes hikers, horseback riders,
cyclists and the park's Jeep rides to the
top of the Cheyenne Buttes.
The dreams from the early 1900s
have been realized as U.S. Highway
20 stands as the nation's longest
highway, spanning from Boston to
Newport, Oregon. In Nebraska, the
section between Valentine and the
Wyoming border has been designated
the Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway.
Without fanfare, Smiley Canyon
reached its 100th year in 2023. While
it's no longer a vital link to Yellowstone
or the coasts, it's always worth a
short detour for those with a park
permit — as long as they don't let the
animals and scenery distract too much
attention from the road.
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