Niobrara National Scenic River

Niobrara National Scenic River

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Wild & Scenic Rivers

Address: PO Box 591
O'Neill, NE 68763
Phone: 402-336-3970;
Web: www.nps.gov/niob/
Size: 23,074 acres.
Established: Authorized on May 24, 1991.
Location: 76-mile stretch of the Niobrara River in north-central Nebraska, from the Borman Bridge southeast of Valentine, east to the NE 137 Bridge north of Newport. 5,993 acres.
Facilities: No National Park Service facilities are available. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates a visitor center at the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge that explains Fort Niobrara history, local wildlife, and refuge management. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission operates a visitor center at Smith Falls State Park.
Activities: Canoeing, kayaking, tubing, rafting, fishing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing.
Special Features: The river flows through an ecological crossroads where six distinct ecosystems mix. The upper reach of the designated river is recognized as one of the nation's premier canoeing rivers. The Niobrara Valley is also a remarkable cultural landscape dotted with historic resources and small ranches and farms that have been locally owned for generations.

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See other parks in Nebraska.