South Dakota Canoe & Kayak Association to host Niobrara River trip April 17-18
VALENTINE, NEB. – SDCKA member Pete Larsen will lead an overnight trip on the Niobrara River on April 17.
Participants will meet at 9:30 a.m. on April 17 near the dam located about 5 miles east of Valentine, Neb. on Highway 12. Paddlers then will shuttle vehicles to Smith Falls State Park, the location of Saturday night’s camping spot.
Pete said he hopes the trip will start at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday. The first day’s travel will take about four hours. Camping is available Friday night, so if anyone wants to meet Pete a night early to prepare for the next day’s travel, feel free to join in and camp near the location before the cruise begins.
Bring your Dutch ovens for a community cookout on Saturday night at the park, if you are an enthusiast of this style of cooking. There is no requirement to do so, but participants must “fend for themselves” when it comes to food on the trip.
On Sunday morning, the vehicles will again be moved down river, this time to Rocky Ford Campground. This will be the site of the trip’s conclusion. Everyone should be back to their vehicles and ready to roll home around 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon, April 18.
There is no cost to take part in this event, but you must provide your own canoe or kayak, camping gear, food, and water. There’s a $4 fee for camping at Smith Falls and a daily park fee of $4 per vehicle. In the past, river volunteers have collected a $1 fee for paddlers and tubers, but due to the early season nature of this trip, there may not be anyone there to collect it.
To make this cruise event successful, Pete hopes to get confirmed numbers on participants prior to April 15.
Direct any questions you might have about this trip to Pete, who you can call during the day at 605-934-1995 day or in the evenings at 605-934-2338. Or e-mail him at leisuresports@alliancecom.net.
Information on the Niobrara River is available online at these links:
National Park Service Web site on the river
http://www.nps.gov/niob/index.htm
Google photo collection of the area
http://tinyurl.com/yhc6z5w
Valentine, Neb. Web site with river information
http://www.visitvalentine.com/attractions/Niobrara.aspx
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