What are the hours at Niobrara National Scenic River?

Mon: All Day; Tue: All Day; Wed: All Day; Thu: All Day; Fri: All Day; Sat: All Day; Sun: All Day (Floating and paddling standard hours)

Does Niobrara National Scenic River require a reservation?

No timed-entry or vehicle reservation is required to enter Niobrara National Scenic River. Individual tours, campgrounds, or backcountry permits may still need to be booked separately.

Home / All parks / Niobrara National Scenic River

Is Niobrara National Scenic River open right now?

Q: Is Niobrara National Scenic River open right now?

As of October 14, 2026, Niobrara National Scenic River is open. Life Jackets Required!

National Scenic River · NE

Open

Niobrara National Scenic River is open.

Why this statusLife Jackets Required!

Last checked Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:00:58 GMT

Official NPS page ↗ ← Back to the map

With a little something for everyone, the Niobrara National Scenic River is a destination for crossing adventures off your bucket list.

Type: National Scenic River
State: NE
Nearest town: Valentine

About Niobrara National Scenic River

With a little something for everyone, the Niobrara National Scenic River is a destination for crossing adventures off your bucket list. Most popular for river recreation, you can float the Niobrara River on a canoe, tube, or kayak as a beginner and have a blast. Hiking, biking, and wildlife watching keep our visitors busy. Oh! And we haven't even told you about the waterfalls yet.

Read more on Wikipedia ↗ Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.

Visitor info

Address214 W US Highway 20, Valentine, NE 69201

Phone(402) 376-1901

Websitewww.nps.gov/niob/index.htm ↗

Hours

Mon	All Day
Tue	All Day
Wed	All Day
Thu	All Day
Fri	All Day
Sat	All Day
Sun	All Day

Floating and paddling standard hours

Getting thereMost visitors start their trip in the city of Valentine, Nebraska. Valentine is 76 miles south of I-90 (Murdo, SD Exit) on Hwy 83; or 130 miles north of I-80 (North Platte, NE Exit) on Hwy 83. The nearest major airports are in Rapid City, SD (220 miles); Denver, CO (391 miles); and Omaha, NE (300 miles)

ReviewsSee ratings & reviews on Google Maps ↗

Parks near here

Missouri National Recreational River 118 mi
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site 130 mi
Badlands National Park 143 mi
Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail 145 mi
Nebraska National Forest 170 mi
Wind Cave National Park 185 mi

More in Nebraska

All Nebraska parks & beaches →

How we read this status

We derive Niobrara National Scenic River's status from the National Park Service's own alerts and operating hours, refreshed hourly — this is our reading, not an official determination. As of the last check: Life Jackets Required! Full method: how we check park status.