22 Aug, Tuesday
Journey from Chadron, NE to Valentine, NE
We left Eagle Nest RV Park in Chadron around 0930 and drove down US-20. The highway was in great shape and there were very few towns to drive through. It was mostly flat with corn and some grazing land along the road.
Fishberry Campground and RV Park
We crossed from Mountain to Central Time Zone and arrived at Fishberry Campground and RV Park, just five miles north of Valentine around 1300. The office did not open until late afternoon, but they had a notice board telling me I had site #2. It was a small campground with 22 sites. It had few shade trees, and my site did not have any. I had a pull-thru full hookup gravel pad that was mostly level. The site on one side was close as utilities for both sides were in the same location, and the site shared the grass area on the other side. A splitter shares the water but I seemed to have sufficient pressure.
Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge
After we set up the camper, we decided to go for a drive. We first drove down NE-12, known as the Outlaw, to the Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge and stopped at an overlook. Though we did not see any wildlife, we passed some bison at a nearby private ranch.
Berry Bridge and Falls
We then drove down a 3-mile gravel road to Berry Bridge. The 1921 Berry Bridge is a one-lane, wooden-decked bridge that crosses the Niobrara River and provides a beautiful view of the river and nearby Berry Falls.
Smith Falls State Park
We then drove back to NE-12 and drove farther east and took another 4-mile gravel road to the Smith Falls State Park. This park has a nice short one-mile trail that crosses the 1910 Verdigre Bridge to a boardwalk that takes you to the 70-foot Smith Falls, the tallest waterfall in Nebraska. There were stairs to the base of the falls where we both took off our shoes and waded around in the cold spring water.
Sparks River Drive
We continued east and drove the scenic 18-mile Sparks River Drive along the Niobrara River. This mostly sandy drive took us along the Niobrara River and past numerous canoe outfitters who were mostly idle. The only wildlife we found were some turkeys.
We then returned to Valentine’s and did some shopping at the Henderson IGA grocery store before returning to the camper to relax for the evening around 1800.
23 Aug, Wednesday
Little Outlaw Canoe Trip
We had booked a 5.5-hour canoe trip through Little Outlaw Canoe, Tubes, and Kayaks for the day. This trip takes us from Ft. Niobrara Refuge to Penbrook Landing and the Conner’s Rapids.
Seventy-six miles of the Niobrara River, beginning just east of the town of Valentine, were designated in 1991 as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The first half of this section is where nearly all the canoeing, rafting, kayaking, and tubing take place. It has an average depth of 18-24 inches and a nice current of 3-7 mph. Further east, the river flow ebbs as irrigation takes water from the river and aquifer.
Penbrook Landing
We had to be at the shuttle pickup point at Penbrook Landing at 1030, and it took about an hour to get there from the camper. The temperature was expected to be above 100 degrees so it was a good day to be on the water. The landing had a nice gazebo and a super-sized Adirondack chair. We were the only ones at the pickup point, and the shuttle van picked us up on time, though we had to make an additional stop to pick up another person at another landing before we got to our launch point.
Float Trip on Niobrara River
Two other people launched at the same time we did, and that was the only other person we saw the entire day. Though this is a popular river, school had started and it was a weekday, so we did not have to deal with many tubers and party people. There were lots of boulders just below the water level which made continuous riffles. The beginning of the trip took us through the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, where we did not see any wildlife except the occasional kingfisher. We did not even see any turtles. Many sandy bluffs and sandstone cliffs and little waterfalls were often seen coming down the walls. Our first large waterfall was the six-foot-high Berry Falls, which spilled directly into the river. The banks did not have any beaches or sand bars to pull over at, so we were halfway through the float before we stopped at Smith Falls State Park for lunch and an opportunity to wade around in the water. This was also the only place where we saw the only other people floating the river in two large flotation chairs. Though the river was mostly unshaded, we were comfortable despite the temperature. It was a nice float.
Bolo Beer Company
When we arrive at Penbrook Landing, the truck said it was 110 degrees outside and it felt like it. We drove back to the camper and took some showers before heading over to Bolo Beer Company for a beer. We then swung through McDonald’s for some burgers before heading back to the camper to relax for the rest of the evening.