Niobrara National Scenic River receives recent national attention for Quiet Trail designation

VALENTINE, Neb. - The Niobrara National Scenic River is once again making waves—this time for its rare and peaceful distinction. As News Channel Nebraska first reported last year, the Niobrara became just the second location in the world—and the first in the U.S.—to earn a Quiet Trail designation from Quiet Parks International. The first site to receive the honor was in Taiwan.

A team from Seattle spent several days analyzing and documenting the area’s natural soundscape before awarding the designation.

Now, that recognition is gaining more national attention. In recent days, both MidwestLiving and Travel + Leisure have published features on the designation.

MidwestLiving offered a first-hand perspective of floating the river, with reporter Matt Crossman describing the experience as not always quiet, but always peaceful.

Meanwhile, Travel + Leisure wrote about how the Niobrara is not only peaceful and quiet, but it's also where six major ecosystems converge, supporting roughly 160 plant and animal species.

“The presence of a diversity of wildlife only makes the waterway’s role as a quiet escape even more important; quiet places benefit all living things, not just overstimulated humans.,” reads the Travel + Leisure article.

In addition to the recent press, the designation has also been written about on several other websites and news outlets, including the Arizona Daily Star, TheTravel and the Wisconsin State Journal.