Area Info

Valentine, NE

  • City of Valentine
    • The Valentine Post Office stamps approximately 10,000 Valentine’s Day cards with their special cachet each year and then re-mails for people who want their valentines post marked from the Heart City.
    • Miller Field Airport at Valentine has 4,700 foot runway to accommodate jets.
  • Cowboy Trail
  • Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge
    • Fort Niobrara National Refuge is located near Valentine and consists of 19,131 acres with 9 miles of Niobrara Scenic River frontage for public access. It has a buffalo herd and prairie dogs. There are also nature trails, a scenic overlook plus the waterfall named Fort Falls.
    • Cherry County was named after Lt. Samuel A. Cherry, a West Point Military graduate who was assigned to Fort Niobrara in 1880. On May 11, 1881, he was shot while leading a search party.
  • Golfing
    • Frederick Peak Golf Club is located on the northeast edge of Valentine. It is a unique 10-hole  community golf course.
    • The Prairie Club is located 17 miles SW of Valentine on Hwy 97 also known as Merritt Dam Road. It features two 18-hole courses, the Dunes and the Pines, along with the 10-hole Horse Course.
  • Merritt Reservoir
    • Merritt Dam creates a lake consisting of nearly 3,000 surface water acres and 44 miles of sandy beach shores. Merritt holds several Nebraska state fishing records and is one of the state's best walleye fisheries. It is also a water recreationist's dream for boating and watercraft.
    • The Merritt Reservoir area is home to the Nebraska Star Party but stargazing is available most nights.
  • Niobrara Scenic River
    • The Niobrara River is a designated National Scenic River and part of the National Park Service. The national designation stretches from Valentine to 76 miles east of the town. Niobrara is an approximation of the Omaha-Ponca Indian name for the river. American Indians called the river Ni obthatha ke, which means “Spreading Water River.”
    • The Niobrara River is a popular destination for tubing, kayaking and canoeing.
  • Niobrara Valley Vineyards
  • Rosebud Casino
  • Samuel R. McKelvie Forest
    • Samuel R McKelvie National Forest consists 115,000 acres of public hunting and access.
  • Smith Falls State Park
    • Smith Falls, located 15 miles east of Valentine, is the highest waterfall in the state. Its water falls about 70 feet before feeding into the Niobrara River.
  • Snake River Falls
    • Snake Falls is Nebraska's largest volume waterfall.
  • The Sandhills
  • Valentine City Park
    • The Minnechaduza Creek, which runs through the City Park before emptying into the Niobrara River, is also based on an American Indian word meaning “Murmuring Water.”
    • The park offers picnic areas, tent camping and a playground.
  • Valentine Disc Golf Course is located in the Valentine City Park.
  • Valentine State Fish Hatchery
  • Valentine Wildlife Refuge
    • The Valentine National Wildlife Refuge includes 72,000 acres. It has public hunting and some of the best Sandhills lake fishing in the state.

Martin, SD

  • Arthur Bowring Ranch
  • Brooks Memorial Park
  • City of Martin
  • Cottonwood Lake
  • Hodson Park
  • Lacreek Wildlife Refuge
  • Martin Golf Course
  • Oyata Trail
  • Pine Ridge Reservation
  • Rosebud Reservation
  • The Badlands