JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
itting high on top of rolling hills, Niobrara
State Park holds a commanding view. Its
Eagle View Group Lodge off ers just that
— a stunning, panoramic scene of the Missouri
and Niobrara river confl uence, as well as Chief
Standing Bear Memorial Bridge to the east.
Visitors come to Niobrara State Park for
the summer buff alo cookouts and guided
horseback rides, and they stay for the quiet
and comfort. Many of the park's camping and
lodging locations off er wide, sweeping vistas.
A basic equestrian campground and 120 acres
of free-range riding is available to those who
trailer their horses.
Fourteen miles of hike/bike trails take
visitors to the park's most scenic locations
and overlooks, where you might spot white-
tailed deer and wild turkeys. Short hiking trails
downhill will lead visitors to water, where
beaver, muskrat and mink call home, and where
bald eagles often are spotted fl ying above
the river valley.
Fishing opportunities include a lake stocked
with panfi sh. Boaters and anglers may access
the Missouri and Niobrara rivers at Verdel and
Niobrara landings nearby.
The park's Outdoor Education Rendezvous
draws hundreds of students each spring.
Buff alo cookouts during the summer months
bring in cowboy poets and storytellers, as well
as regular visitors year after year. Ashfall Fossil
Beds, where prehistoric animals lie preserved
for 12 million years, is just down the road.
Considered a crowning jewel of northeastern
Nebraska, Niobrara State Park strikes a balance
between remoteness and familiarity.
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April 2021 • Nebraskaland 141
A view from a scenic overlook at Niobrara State
Park near sunrise: the Missouri and Niobrara river
confl uence and Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge.
Our Northern Vista
