When it comes to natural beauty, Nebraska is something of a pleasant surprise to folks who haven’t spent much time here. Even lifelong Nebraskans are always finding splendid new places that they never realized existed – this is just one of them.

Tucked away on the border between Brown County and Keya Paha County on the Niobrara Valley Preserve is a truly beautiful natural place.
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This is Norden Chute, a small but powerful rapids on the Niobrara River. Here in the Niobrara Valley, surrounded by ponderosa pines and lovely vistas, this small area is well known to local anglers.
YouTube/Sugar Creek Photos
Most people who visit the area head for the more well-known places like Smith Falls or the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. Make the effort to find this spot next time you're in the area, though - you will not be disappointed.
Here the river undergoes a stunning change in only a short distance. It goes from calm and smooth upriver to surprisingly rough and turbulent at the chute...
Wikimedia (public domain)/Ammodramus

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...to completely pleasant and calm downriver.
Wikimedia (public domain)/Ammodramus
If you're a tuber, canoeist, or kayaker traveling the river, an angler hoping to do some fishing, or a nature enthusiast looking for a stunning place to enjoy the outdoors, this is an important spot to know.
YouTube/Cody Christ
Beautiful as it is, Norden Chute is also quite dangerous. Visitors are warned not to enter the water near the rapids. If you're traveling on the water, take out upriver and follow the seasonally posted instructions to portage safely.
YouTube/Sugar Creek Photos

The water here gets very deep and very turbulent very suddenly.

If you take the necessary care to enjoy Norden Chute, it is an unforgettable experience. The mist rising from the powerful water forms spectacular ephemeral pictures in the air. The sound of the rushing water is both calming and invigorating. You’ve got a good chance of seeing some wildlife here, particularly beavers who make their home on the river.

Camping and fires are not allowed here, but the banks of the Niobrara near the Norden Bridge are perfect for an afternoon picnic. If you have the chance to be here for a sunset, it’s highly recommended. What a beautiful view.

Just a bit downriver from the rapids, past the recently-replaced Norden Bridge, is one of the best places in the state to catch channel catfish. The water is so perfectly calm and clear here that you can often peer into the water and watch them swim around.

You can find Norden Chute easily from the Niobrara Valley Preserve on the south side of the river, a few miles east of Valentine and north of Johnstown. Walk there from the trailhead near the Conservancy mailbox or drive over the bridge to a small parking area on the north side of the river. You can read more about the Niobrara Valley Preserve here.

Have you ever visited this little-known place? For a nearby town that’s just as breathtaking, read this article from the archives.

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Norden Chute, Johnstown, NE 69214, USA