Valentine

Nebraska Sand Hills ranch town, gateway to the Niobrara National Scenic River.

Valentine is the gateway to the Nebraska Sand Hills and the Niobrara National Scenic River — one of the finest canoeing rivers on the Great Plains. This small ranch town in northcentral Nebraska sits where six distinct ecosystems overlap, creating a landscape unlike anywhere else in the Midwest.

The 76-mile Niobrara Scenic River corridor west of town is the main draw. The western third alone has some ninety waterfalls, including Fort Falls and Smith Falls, which drops more than seventy-five feet from a Sand Hills ledge to the valley floor. Tens of thousands of paddlers float the upper reach every summer, passing through federally designated wilderness and a valley dotted with historic ranches that have been locally owned for generations.

Valentine also bills itself as the "Heart City" — its postmark is in high demand every February. But visitors mostly come for the outdoors: canoeing, tubing, fishing, and exploring the vast, empty Sand Hills that stretch to the horizon in every direction.

Guide

Getting There

Valentine is remote by any measure. The nearest commercial airport with regular service is in Rapid City, South Dakota, about three hours north on US-83. Driving is the practical option for most visitors: US-83 runs north–south through town, intersecting US-20 (the east–west highway across the Sand Hills). From Omaha the drive is about four and a half hours; from Denver around five.

There is no intercity bus or train service to Valentine. Rent a car before you arrive — there is no car hire in town.

Guide

Things to Do

Valentine's appeal is almost entirely outdoor. The town itself is small and unpretentious, but the landscapes surrounding it — the Niobrara River valley, the Fort Niobrara refuge, Smith Falls, and the rolling Sandhills — make it one of the most underrated wilderness destinations in the Great Plains.