Wynot in Cedar County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Goat Island

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2025

1. Goat Island Marker

Caption: (lower left) A majestic cottonwood forest, open grassy glades, and lofty sand dunes make Goat Island a haven for bald eagles, great blue herons, frogs, and other wildlife.

Inscription. This tranquil island, where goats once grazed, is the product of the fluctuating Missouri River. In many places the Missouri meanders over a wide floodplain. Here, where the channel is partially locked against high bluffs, sandbars formed during times of low, slow waters. Over time the sandbars turned into a vegetated island almost three miles long.
The island first appeared on maps as a large sandbar in the late 1700s. Nebraskans and South Dakotans have long used this island as a treasured resource. In its nearly unspoiled state, it serves as a richly inspiring place where hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and birding will remain welcome activities.

(side-bar on right)
Lewis and Clark depicted the yet unnamed Goat Island (highlighted above) as a stabilized, island as did a succession of other surveyors throughout the 1800s. Earlier, fur-trade explorer John Evans had shown it as a sizable sandbar.

Erected by Missouri National Recreational River , National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Natural Features • Waterways & Vessels.

Location. 42° 45.648′ N,

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97° 4.892′ W. Marker is in Wynot, Nebraska, in Cedar County. It is on 572nd Avenue near 892nd Road. The marker is located at Brooky Bottom River Access. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 89229 572nd Avenue, Wynot NE 68792, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Nebraska. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and on the prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sculpting the Landscape (here, next to this marker); The Lewis & Clark Expedition (within shouting distance of this marker); Shannon's Ominous Disappearance (within shouting distance of this marker); Up The Missouri River (within shouting distance of this marker); This memorial is erected to the memory of the children of Pheobe, Ann and Henson Wiseman (approx. 0.8 miles away); Meckling & Lincoln (approx. 5.6 miles away

</b> William Clark's map showing Goat Island (unlabeled) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2025

2. William Clark's map showing Goat Island (unlabeled)

in South Dakota); Meckling (approx. 5.7 miles away in South Dakota); Trinity Lutheran Church (approx. 5.9 miles away in South Dakota). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wynot.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2025

3. Goat Island Marker

Goat Island in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2026, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 5, 2026, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.