One of Valentine’s sightseeing highlights is the massive old railroad bridge over the broad Niobrara River. Just two miles south of downtown along US-20/83, rising on trestles 150 feet above the water, the bridge now carries a hiker-biker trail that follows the old railroad right-of-way across the state. This stretch of the Niobrara River is protected within the Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge (402/376-3789), and offers top-notch canoeing and tubing. The refuge is named for old Fort Niobrara, semi-famous for never fighting a battle during its 27 years on the Wild West prairie; today, elk, bison and Texas longhorns roam its 19,000-plus acres of gorgeous, rolling dune prairie.
Nature-lovers score well at other sites around Valentine. Seasoned canoeists and keen trout anglers will want to tackle the rough Snake River some 15 miles southwest of town, near the short but powerful Snake River Falls. A good local outfitter is Yucca Dune (402/376-3330), at 148 E. 1st Street in downtown Valentine, which rents bikes, rafts, canoes, and kayaks and sells a variety of outdoor clothing, and climbing and camping gear.
