In the village of Johnstown, 40 miles southeast of Valentine and eight miles west of Ainsworth, a block of wooden storefronts and boardwalks were gussied up as a backdrop for a TV production of Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! Behind the contrived facades you’ll find a dusty old general store, and a beer bar and pool hall complete with backyard privy.
On Norden Road, 16 miles north of Johnstown, the Nature Conservancy protects the 50,000-acre Niobrara Valley Preserve, which has both Sand Hills and riparian ecosystems. Self-guided trails wind through the preserve past a small but expanding herd of bison.
