Fort Falls drops about 45 feet (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) in Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, about 5 miles east of Valentine on NE 12. The Fort Falls Trail is a loop of about 0.8 mile, with steel walkways and about 40 metal stairs to the base; the upper trailhead is near the refuge visitor center and the lower one at the Bur Oak picnic area. The refuge is open dawn to dusk all year and is free. The trail is not wheelchair accessible, and the stairs can be icy in winter.