Niobrara River – Sept 19-20

This will be an ACA-sanctioned outing/event which requires EITHER ACA membership OR a $5/person insurance fee.  This is an easy, kids-friendly class 1 river, with our campground in the middle of the run.  Each day will be about 12 miles and about 4 hours. Contact David Kerry ([email protected]) to register for the trip. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent from local outfitters. Let me know if you need additional information about that.

This beautiful stretch is one of America’s premier scenic heritage waterways; we’ll see many waterfalls, beautiful hardwood forests, and woodland birds!  And the resident buffalo herd at the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/fort_niobrara/ ) often has calves this time of year.  We run the river on Saturday and Sunday. Most will car camp at Smith Falls State Park, Friday – Sunday nights (May 22-24); return to the Front Range after breakfast on Monday (about a 6-7 hour drive back to Denver) or continue to see the sights of Nebraska or head up to South Dakota.

Niobrara River Trail description here . 

Description from Backpacker magazine:  http://www.backpacker.com/stories/paddle-nebraska-s-niobrara-river

River gage at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=06461500.  We generally run it between 1000-2000 cfs.

Saturday, we’ll meet at 9am (CDT) ready to shuttle from the Cornell Bridge put-in near Valentine, paddle down to the State Park campground, beach the canoes and then start from there again on Sunday.   If you are not camping, but meeting us in the morning, see the note, below for directions.

Saturday evening – optional potluck appetizers and dinner at one of the convenient campsites (location to be announced and look for the RMCC banner).  There is a large group shelter generally  available in case of rain.

Sunday, we’ll meet near the boat ramp (where we took out on Saturday) at 9am (CDT) ready to shuttle from the campground to the take-out – probably at Sunny Brook Camp, about a mile upstream of Rocky Ford.  The shuttle takes over an hour, so non-drivers should plan to relax, hike to Smith Falls, and/or birdwatch at the campground while the drivers are driving. We will verify the 10am shuttle start on Saturday night.

Sunday evening: Informal group happy hour possible, but no specific group activity planned.  Some of us will be checking out (i.e., scouting, not running) the Norden chute and going to the The Nature Conservancy Niobrara Valley Preserve near there) (https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/nebraska/placesweprotect/niobrara-valley-preserve.xml );  see a recent TNC blog at: https://prairieecologist.com/2018/05/04/photo-of-the-week-may-4-2018/

Camping

The Smith Falls State Park campground (http://outdoornebraska.gov/smithfalls/) doesn’t open until a week or two before Memorial Day and there is no official group site.  Tents will go down by the river and RVs and trailers will be put on the slope across the road from the tents.  Several sites are VERY large and could easily accommodate 4 or 5 tents if folks would like a group setting or just couldn’t get a reservation.  Smith Falls State Park (402) 376-1306), $5/person/night, showers included.  Phone reservations will likely be taken starting early May.

Note: Directions to Cornell Bridge from Valentine:  Take Nebraska 12 east about 4 miles to the Ft Niobrara Wildlife refuge turn-off. Turn right towards the river and then make the first right into the access parking lot. Be there by 9 am ready to shuttle and be sure to purchase your $1 wrist-band at the kiosk.

Camping is available in Valentine town park if people don’t want to drive out to Smith Falls Friday night. Also camping is available just south of Valentine at Merritt Reservoir although it can be busy on a Friday night.

IMPORTANT: Valentine is on CENTRAL TIME.