Bridges to Buttes Byway
Smith Falls State Park, NE

A National Historic bridge across the Niobrara River provides access for visitors to walk to the state's highest waterfall, Smith Falls. The falls are created where a small, spring-fed creek tumbles 70 feet (21 m) over a rock ledge to the Niobrara Valley below. The 30 mile stretch of the Niobrara River east of Valentine is home to a variety of birds, as well as plants.

The Jim MacAllister Nature Trail alerts hikers to the diversity of ecological systems present in the valley, which exists nowhere else in North America. Both wildlife and plants in the park are unique, making this stop one of a kind. There are 160 distinct species of plants and animals in the area. Because this area is so diverse, a 70-mile stretch of the Niobrara River east of Valentine is considered a National Scenic River. Water sports, especially canoeing, are popular on the river.