Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge
4
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Fort Niobrara is a 19,000 acre refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fort Niobrara was established by executive order in 1912 for the conservation of native birds. The refuge consists of riparian forests, wooded canyons and sandhill grasslands. Two hiking trails exist on the refuge. The Fort Falls trail is an arduous 1 mile loop. It has great views of a waterfall and the Niobrara National Scenic River. The second trail is the buffalo bridge trail which is an out and back trail (2 miles total). The trail ends at the buffalo bridge above the Niobrara River. After the bridge you are in a wilderness area. The Wilderness has no trails but you are welcome to experience the solitude while self exploring - just be cognizant of hunting season. River access to float or paddle is available for a small fee at the canoe launch area. The refuge also has a scenic overlook off HWY 12 with two separate viewing platforms. Wildlife observations are not guaranteed.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
121 reviews
Excellent
59
Very good
38
Average
13
Poor
10
Terrible
1
JoAnn H
Lyons, KS51 contributions
Oct 2021
Went there and honestly did not see anything. No buffalo, Elk, Eagles or prairie dogs. Every where fenced in, We think the dogs "dies out". Roads/maps poorly defined. actually drove through reserve without realizing it.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
largeanimalmom
Wyandotte, MI52 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Gary and I came to bird watch and mammal watch. Visitor center closed. Looks run down. No buffalo or elk present. Saw horses. Can't see the hay barn or even get close. Big disappointment from our first time here 6 years ago. Valentine Refuge much better for birds and mammals. Susan and Gary
Written May 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gaynor h
Grafton, ND1,278 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We have been there twice. To be honest the first time was better. We had a lovely encounter tee with horses who were super friendly and didn’t want to move from in front of our vehicle. This time they were much further away from us. Still a calm and pretty place to go.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ebeth Pozzi
Council Bluffs, IA50 contributions
This is a great afternoon trip to make,both with or without kids.
Buffalo, elk, prairie dog, borrowing owl, and any other animal that calls the prairie home can be found here.
The staff was very friendly, and the nature center was quaint but cute.
If you plan on doing the full nature walk, bring your camera and your walking shoes. It is a scenic walk which takes you to Fort Falls, and then to the niobrara.
There was no part of the refuge I didn't enjoy, the best part is it is free.
Buffalo, elk, prairie dog, borrowing owl, and any other animal that calls the prairie home can be found here.
The staff was very friendly, and the nature center was quaint but cute.
If you plan on doing the full nature walk, bring your camera and your walking shoes. It is a scenic walk which takes you to Fort Falls, and then to the niobrara.
There was no part of the refuge I didn't enjoy, the best part is it is free.
Written August 25, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Letsg0somewhere
54 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
A nice quiet drive through the Natonal Wildlife Refuge. Don't expect to see bison there every time, but if you do, it's great! Otherwise you get a nice view of a meandering Niobrara river and the Sandhills grassland. You might get lucky enough to see a bald eagle while you're there. Stop in to the visitor center, hike to Fort Falls, or just take a cruise. If you keep going on the dirt road, eventually you'll get to Berry Bridge, which has a nice concessions shop and a neat little waterfall right on the river. No alcohol is allowed in the refuge if y are starting a river trip there, so don't even pack it in your cooler or you could get ticketed.
Written December 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stu B
Omaha, NE202 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
I was a little disappointed with this attraction, though it does have ample good points. The visitors' center is staffed by intelligent, helpful folks, but it might be helpful (and perhaps even profitable) for them to stock refreshments of some kind; even bottled water for sale would have been good. The prairie dogs on the auto tour were diabolically cute, but they constituted 90% of the wildlife we saw, and they weren't enough to carry the park. The Refuge's herd of buffalo* was reputed to graze close to the road and attack any poor soul foolish enough to step outside their vehicle. Instead, they all huddled by a fence, seemingly terrified of some unseen presence. (Though this is promoted as a refuge, these mighty beasts are a managed herd, periodically culled with their corrals in plain sight. One can see how the buffalo might not be casual around humans.) The elk, alas, were nowhere to be seen. My sainted aunt vainly searched for them on the horizon for hours after we left. I think elk viewing is a seasonal thing; this merits more research.
The Fort Falls, thankfully, exceeded expectations. They are a natural treasure by Nebraska standards, almost as impressive as nearby Smith Falls. This watery wonder - along with the frank, honest narration of the very educational auto tour - raise this to a four-star attraction, desipite the pain that still abides in my aunt's elk-starved broken heart. In other words, the Falls make the visit worth doing, but prepare to be disappointed if you're looking for a lot of wildlife.
*I realize these are properly termed "bison" by taxonomists. I'm calling them buffalo because it sounds cool. Anyone who has a problem with this should seek therapy.
The Fort Falls, thankfully, exceeded expectations. They are a natural treasure by Nebraska standards, almost as impressive as nearby Smith Falls. This watery wonder - along with the frank, honest narration of the very educational auto tour - raise this to a four-star attraction, desipite the pain that still abides in my aunt's elk-starved broken heart. In other words, the Falls make the visit worth doing, but prepare to be disappointed if you're looking for a lot of wildlife.
*I realize these are properly termed "bison" by taxonomists. I'm calling them buffalo because it sounds cool. Anyone who has a problem with this should seek therapy.
Written July 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PostcardJar
Crete, NE208 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
We pulled in here and were able to drive right on in. At the refuge, you drive on a 3-mile loop around the park where you’ll see native plant and animal life. We spent a lot of time in a prairie dog town snapping photos of the prairie dogs as they stuck their heads out of their holes. The refuge also maintains a herd of about 350 bison which can be seen and photographed from the comfort of your car. At one point, we stopped and my wife was snapping pictures of some bison nearby when suddenly one ran 10 feet in front of the car! A bit north of the main entrance to the refuge, there is a turn-off for a scenic overlook--and this shouldn’t be missed if you are there. From this overlook you can take in a view of the Niobrara river below as well as look off across ranchland stretching as far as the eye can see. Absolutely breathtaking.
Written July 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patheeka
Omaha, NE99 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge was our first stop in Valentine while visiting the Niobrara scenic river. The park office gives you all the information to sight animals and reach the Fort falls. The walk from the Parking to the Fort falls is a stair-way (not Handicap accessible) and is very scenic. the track goes further through the woods until the stream meets the Niobrara river. You may also find a crowd taking the opposite route where they park their canoes by the shore and hike upstream to the falls. The park is filled with Prairie dogs and you can sight a lot of Goldfinches, bright yellow Orioles and wood-peckers on your way. The exit (Highway 12) would show you elks and buffaloes if you were lucky.
Written May 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynn K
Manhattan, KS27 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
This wildlife refuge is small but nice. We saw MANY prairie dogs and some bison but no elk (unfortunately). Maybe it's just that time of year. What we did find was a great hiking path to the Fort Falls then on down to the river. The path was easy to follow and had benches along the way and markers noting wildlife, plants and other points of interest to watch for. We did the whole trail (which isn't all that long) but it would be nice just to take the stairs down to the waterfall instead if time was an issue.
Written May 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer M
New York City, NY32 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
The refuge is wonderful. There is a car route, an overlook, the Fort Falls, and two trails (although we only found one). It seems the other trail that leads from the coral was closed. The short trail to Fort Falls was lovely. We went early in the morning and were the only beings there. Nice, quiet, cool place with rabbits, snakes, and lots of birds. If you like birding, you most definitely need to go. We did not see any bison or elk. A prairie dog town keeps you on your toes as you drive through, and they are so cute. Wild flowers, including Golden Rod, are everywhere buzzing with bees. The only thing that was terrible were the ticks. Kenobi ended-up with seven on him when were searching for the wilderness access. I was pulling ticks off him for two days, and felt that I had to be on tick patrol constantly. I ended-up with a total of five crawling on me. No bites for me, but my poor puppy! After that first day, I'm not sure how many I brushed off or pulled from him. He started to become annoyed with me as I was always wanting to check him!
Written July 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there any guides that provide "glamping"? We have never slept in a tent before, and this place looks intimidating to us. I would love to go tubing for a couple hours and have everything set up when we arrive!
Written August 17, 2019
I stayed in a Motel in Valentine (The Trade Winds, a very nice place to stay) and drove to Fort Niobrara refuge, which was close by. So, I do not know of any glamping outfitters. I was also there in March (was birding in Kerney) so I was unable to tube, but I did see several outfitters listed on Trip Advisor.
Written August 21, 2019
Are well mannered LEASHED dogs permitted on hiking trails?
Written May 17, 2019
I am not sure. There were limited hiking trails. I would contact the refuge directly at their web site.
Written May 21, 2019
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