Niobrara Valley Preserve
Brown/Keya Paha/Cherry Counties
Biologically Unique Landscape: Middle Niobrara River Valley. An example of a prairie-forest ecotone, where semi-arid forests meet grasslands.
Looking for Butterflies: There are three locations that should give the viewer a possibility of seeing most of the butterflies present here. The first is a trail originating just west of the mailbox/driveway (42.783024, -100.035176). It has a several loops to take a hiker through a number of habitats including sandhill prairies, open oak woodlands and stream sides. A second site is a hillside prairie north of the river with a good variety of prairie skippers have been found (42.79063, -100.06507). There is no trail. A third site is Middle Creek just east of that location (42.79052, -100.05654) where one can expect to encounter wetland/riparian species. Care should be taken at this site as there are numerous stream channels, some old and some active, that make for uneven terrain not visible under the vegetation.
Special Instructions: Stay out of fenced areas as there are cattle and bison herds on the preserve. Be aware that you may encounter rattlesnakes in the area. Poison ivy is also locally common.
Links for More Information: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/niobrara-valley-preserve/
Other sites nearby: Smith Falls SP, Fort Niobrara NWR
Butterflies Present (NENHP S Rank):
- Juvenal’s Duskywing – S3
- Horaces’s Duskywing – S3
- Mottled Duskywing – S2
- Uncas Skipper – S2
- Colorado Skipper – S3
- Ottoe Skipper – S2
- Crossline Skipper – S3
- Long Dash Skipper – S3
- Northern Broken-Dash – S3
- Little Glassywing – S2S3
- Arogos Skipper – S1
- Hobomok Skipper – S3S4
- Taxiles Skipper – S2S3
- Broad-winged Skipper – S2
- Two-spotted Skipper – S3
- Dun Skipper – S3
- Dusted Skipper – S3
- Oslar’s Roadside Skipper – S2
- Strecker’s Giant Skipper – S3
- Southern Dogface – S3
- Coral Hairstreak – S3
- Banded Hairstreak – S2S3
- Striped Hairstreak – S2
- Juniper Hairstreak – S3
- Regal Fritillary – S3
- Silver-bordered Fritillary – S1S2
- Fulvia Checkerspot – S2S3
- Silvery Checkerspot – S3
- Gray Comma – S3
- Weidemeyer’s Admiral – S3
- Northern Pearly Eye – S3
- Eyed Brown – S3
- Inornate/Ochre Ringlet – S2
- Monarch – S2
