Visit Cherry County for wide-open adventure
Located in north-central Nebraska, Cherry County is a diverse region with quiet lakes, grassy sandhills, secluded waterfalls, a national forest, two national wildlife refuges, big ranches with real cowboys and one of the 10 best canoeing rivers in the United States.
Nearly 6,000 people call Cherry County home, and the county seat, Valentine, is the “metropolis” city with 2,800 residents.
Traditionally, “frontier” was defined as a place with less than six people per square mile. Cherry County isn’t nearly that crowded — it averages one person per square mile. But residents and visitors of the area know that it has much to offer.
Visitors to Cherry County can experience the sea of grass known as the Sandhills, the largest tract of stabilized dunes (held down by grass) in the western hemisphere. Originally thought to be an inhospitable desert, the Sandhills have proved to be valuable rangeland for cattle.
Regionally, cattle outnumber people, and Cherry County has more beef cows than any other county in the nation. The Sandhills sit atop the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest sources of groundwater in the world.
Cherry County is also home to the Niobrara River, one of the 10 best canoeing rivers in the United States, according to Backpacker magazine. the National Geographic lists a trip down the river as one of its top 100 adventures. Depending on ambitions, trips down the Niobrara can last anywhere from an hour to several days. The river is managed by the National Parks Service, but much of the land along the river is privately owned.
In the Sandhills, the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest has about 5,000 acres of woodlands and 110,000 acres of prairie grassland. The result is a stunning blend of scenery and wildlife, and activities like fishing, hiking, mountain biking and bird watching.
The Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, 20 miles south of Valentine, and the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, five miles east, offer similar adventures. Admission to both is free.
To learn more about Valentine or Cherry County, call 1-800-658-4024 or go online to www.VisitValentine.com.