Nebraska’s Niobrara River Named America’s First Silent Trail

The Niobrara National Scenic River stretches 76 miles and features more than 200 waterfalls. It is home to six overlapping ecosystems, creating hybrid plants and animals.

“We’re here to protect all of these species and protect the quality and quantity of the water,” said Niobrara Superintendent Susan Cook.

In October 2023, Quiet Parks International named the Niobrara National Scenic River the first “Quiet Trail” in the United States. Only two other trails have received this designation in the world. The Cueifong Lake Circular Trail in Taiwan received the first distinction in 2022, and in May, the Montanas Vacías Bikepacking Trail in Spain also received the honor.

Quiet places must first be designated and then evaluated by field recorders from Quiet Parks International. Quiet Parks is a volunteer-run nonprofit that seeks to find and protect quiet places around the world. For the Niobrara, Cook said there must be a minimum of 15 minutes without any human-made noise throughout the four-day trip down the river.

“You almost don’t realize it’s quiet, because the quiet is really just hearing nature,” Cook said.

She said the quiet comes from the working ranches that surround the river and prevent further development.

“It’s very rare that you can float down a river and be one with nature because it’s all around you,” Cook said. “There’s no cabins and houses and all that stuff on the banks.”

Since the property received the designation, Cook said there have been more visitors seeking to experience the quiet, including visitors from around the world.

Alli Zimmerman of Lincoln traveled to Niobrara earlier this month with a group of friends before learning of the designation. Her friend, Jeanette Greer, had connections with a nearby Airbnb owner and encouraged the group of friends to venture north.

During their weekend trip, the group of five spent six hours tubing down part of the river and exploring some of the nearby trails.

“On a lot of trails in Lincoln, even in the middle of Wilderness Park, you’ll hear cars, planes and trains going by, and you don’t hear anything like this,” Greer said.

The group of women have plenty of experience hiking through Lincoln as they all met through a group called Lincoln Girls Who Walk. The group has a few thousand members who meet weekly in small groups to socialize, exercise and get some fresh air. The National Scenic River was a completely different getaway for the group.

“It was beautiful,” said group member Victoria Lahm. “The landscape is so different from this end of the state with the hills and it doesn’t really feel like the same state.”

Occasionally the women would meet other groups on the river, but because they went in the morning, when it was cooler, there were fewer people on the water.

Although the river is busy year-round, July and August are the busiest months, when visitors go tubing, kayaking and canoeing on the river. Saturday is also a wild and noisy time to visit the river, according to Cook, who says it’s party central.

“The rest of the week, you might only see a few people around you,” Cook said. “You have a lot of opportunities to be alone.”

Visitors can access the river through public access sites or campgrounds. Cook said it takes about four days to descend the entire river.

“It’s very rejuvenating for the mind, body and soul,” Cook said.

The first half of the river is 2 to 3 feet deep, allowing for easy floating and plenty of waterfalls.

“The first day is beautiful and quiet, the second day is a little more adventurous,” Cook said. “When you get halfway through, it’s very different.”

The third and fourth days of navigation feature narrow trails and shallow braided channels that sometimes require more effort from visitors. In these areas, the water averages only a foot deep.

Many nearby trails wind along the river banks and through woods with an abundance of wildlife such as deer, bison, otters and eagles.

“Once you get out on the river or walk along the roads and things like that, away from people, it’s very peaceful out there,” Zimmerman said.

It was a very different experience for Greer, who had visited Niobrara 25 years ago with all of her nieces and nephews. This time, she was able to truly enjoy the serene sounds of nature.

“You can hear the water running, the wind and just the river,” Greer said.

The beauty doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, either. In addition to the lack of man-made noise, Cook said the minimal development means no light intrusion.

“It’s just breathtaking to see the stars,” Cook said. “I’ve had several people tell me this spring that they didn’t really realize how much of the Milky Way you can see.”