On day 96 of “The Ultimate USA Road Trip” we drive from Niobrara to Valentine. This is the 2nd part of the ride on Nebraska's “Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway Highway 12”. The journey on the “Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway Highway 12” provides a beautiful picture of the state of Nebraska, full of friendly people, scenic sights and the history of Indian tribes, bandits, cowboys and pioneers.

Along the route there are several small villages and neighborhood communities where a variety of accommodations and dining options are offered for breaks, food and possibly an overnight stay.
During the year there are also events along the OTSB that are worth a visit, these range from rodeos and Pow Wows (a gathering where Native Americans dance, sing and party) to winery tours and arts and crafts shows. There are a number of museums and murals along the route. This region of Nebraska offers seasonal opportunities to hunt fauna or flora with guns or cameras.
“Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway Highway 12” crosses three excellent state parks: “Ponca State Park”, which we visited on day 95, “Niobrara State Park”, “Smith Falls State Park” we visit today. Enjoy this part of this “Scenic Byway” through the varied landscape of the state of Nebraska.

We make sure the bikes are fully fueled and also take something to eat and drink with us for a lunch picnic in “Smith Falls Park”. The first stop is about a 20-minute drive at Niobrara State Park, a public recreation area located at the confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara rivers. There is a Visitor Center in the park where you can learn more about the history. We explore the park along more than eleven kilometers of roads, with several nice places to stop along the route.

A particularly beautiful place to visit is the Niobrara River Bridge, a decommissioned railroad bridge that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nice stop to take some photos.
The park is home to a variety of animals, especially white-tailed deer and wild turkey, which roam the park during the day, as well as nocturnal animals such as coyotes and whip-poor-wills.
The park also has a swimming pool, RV parks and campsites, as well as cabins with river views. For hikers, there are fourteen kilometers of hiking trails.

About 3 miles south of the park is the Powpow site of the Ponca tribe in Nebraska. There is a nice walking trail on a quiet property and a life-size bronze statue of Standing Bear overlooking the Ponca Cemetery. Definitely worth a visit, especially if a Powpow is planned, a Powpow is a tradition among Indians from the United States and Canada. It is a festive ceremony where Indians gather to dance, sing and make music.

We continue our drive on the Scenic Byway that follows the course of Ponca Creek, we cross this river several times, along the way you can enjoy the beautiful green landscape of Nebraska. We plan a short break in Spencer for something to drink.

The next stop is planned at the “Smiths Falls State Park”, where you can view the “Smith Falls” waterfalls, which at 19 meters are the highest waterfall in the state of Nebraska and the centerpiece of the Smith Falls State Park. Access to the falls is via a footbridge over the river from the north side of the park.
The waterfall, first known as Arikaree Falls, bears the name of Orrin B. Smith, a pioneer of the Seven Creeks area (state census of 1885). The park also has a campsite and a picnic area, where we eat our lunch.

We leave the park via the winding Allen Bridge Road and we stop briefly at the Allen bridge from which this road takes its name. The bridge is also known as Bell Bridge or Niobrara River Bridge. It is a historic bridge that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It is a “Pratt through Truss” truss bridge that was built in 1903. It is one of only four bridges in Cherry County to survive a flood in February 1916 and is known as one of Cherry County's oldest, longest and best preserved bridges. Highly recommended to stop briefly to photograph this bridge.

We drive through the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge to the Fort Niobrara Visitor Center. The site was selected by General George Crook in 1879 and the fort was built in 1880 on the south bank of the Niobrara River, for which it was named. After the Great Sioux War of 1876, “The 7 Bands of Lakota” (Brulé, Oglala, Itazipco, Hunkpapa, Mnikoju, Blackfoot, and Two Kettle) were confined to the Sioux Reservation. The site of the fort can be visited today, with the exception of one barn, unfortunately little evidence remains of its historical past.

We cross the Niobrara River via the Cornell Bridge to drive to Valentine, the end point for the day. In Valentine we stop at the Security First Bank to take photos of the beautiful brick “Murals” designed by Lincoln artist Jack Curran. The upper “Mural,” depicting longhorn cattle running north, symbolizes the cattle industry as it moved into the Sandhills from the southern plains.

In Valentine, visit the Cherry County Historical Society Museum, a virtual treasure trove of Cherry County history, starting with how it was settled and by whom. The museum has a variety of exhibits devoted to early ranchers, Fort Niobrara, Native Americans, American wars, and daily life of the pioneer era. An archive library contains historical newspapers and genealogical data. We will spend the night in one of the hotels or lodges in Valentine.