NE-12: The Outlaw Trail, Valentine to Ponca

The Route at a Glance

NE-12 runs along Nebraska's northern edge from Valentine toward Sioux City, signed as the Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway for the horse thieves who hid along it, Doc Middleton and Kid Wade among them. Vigilantes took Wade in February 1884, and he was found hanged from a railroad whistle post near Bassett.

From Valentine the road passes Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge four miles out and the turn for Smith Falls, then leaves the river for Sparks and Springview, runs a few miles north with US-183 and turns east across ranch country to Butte and Spencer.

Past Spencer it returns to the Niobrara through Ponca tribal land, and south of Niobrara town the Ponca Tribal Museum stands on the old agency grounds. The town has moved twice. Founded in 1857 near the river's mouth, it flooded three times in the spring of 1881 and was hauled building by building to higher ground. When Gavins Point Dam downstream raised the water table it moved again, and the present town was dedicated on July 4, 1977. Niobrara State Park looks over the Missouri's 39-mile reach, and SD-37 crosses into South Dakota on the Chief Standing Bear Bridge.

East of town the highway crosses the Santee Sioux Nation's reservation and runs on through Crofton, where NE-121 goes north to Lewis and Clark Lake, and St. Helena and Wynot, to Ponca, where a spur climbs to Ponca State Park on the bluffs. The drive runs about 226 miles, five hours without stops.

The Drive, Stop by Stop

4 stops along the route, in driving order from Valentine, Nebraska to Ponca, Nebraska. 2 of them sit off the road itself — the distance is noted on each.

1. 1

   Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge

   Valentine

   Four miles east of Valentine on NE-12; the visitor center is just off the highway.

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2. 2

   Smith Falls State Park

   Valentine

   3.6 miles off the route

   A few miles south of NE-12 east of Valentine, on the Niobrara.

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3. 3

   Ponca Tribal Museum and Old Ponca Agency

   Niobrara

   2.5 miles off the route

   About two and a half miles south of NE-12 at Niobrara, on the old agency grounds.

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4. 4

   Ponca State Park

   Ponca

   The end, north of Ponca on Spur 26E.

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That's the drive. Take your time, pull over often, and let NE-12: The Outlaw Trail, Valentine to Ponca do what it does best.