Things To Know Before You Come

The National Park Service manages the scenic river primarily through partnerships and agreements with various agencies and organizations, and with the cooperation of private landowners. A ranger station is located in the town of Valentine at 214 West Highway 20 and is open Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The official Niobrara NSR National Park Passport Stamp is available here.

Most of the land along the Niobrara River (including the streambed, banks and islands) is privately owned. Please respect private landowner rights and utilize public restrooms and public river access points when possible. Carry out all trash and properly recycle or dispose of it.

80% of Niobrara visitors come on Saturdays resulting in a more social experience. 10% visit on Sundays and the remaining 10% visit during the rest of the week. If you are seeking a more solitary experience, consider visiting Monday through Friday.

The Niobrara is predominately (>70%) ground-water fed so river levels do not vary as a direct result of rainfall. However, rainfall does have a major indirect effect on the river. Levels fall as upstream demand for water withdrawal for irrigation grows during low-rainfall periods. When rainfall is available for crops, less river water is needed for irrigation and river levels increase.

Check the USGS stream gauge for the most recent flow rates and to observe changes. It's the third chart down on the USGS web page. Tip: Use the back button on your browser to return to the Recreation Quality chart below after checking the current cfs.

Sparks, NE USGS Gauge Reading	Recreation Quality
600 - 900 cfs	Optimal boating conditions
> 800 cfs	Whitewater optimal at Class II-III rapids
460 - 600	Acceptable boating conditions
340 - 460	Boatable, but low quality conditions
<340	Unboatable

Go to Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

 

One of many private river outfitter landings

NPS Photo