| Advertisement |
March 29 (UPI) -- Quiet is scarce in the United States, even in some of the country's most remote national parks and forests, where noise caused by humans -- the sounds of air traffic, military exercises or mining operations -- is heard. After the January thaw, the Niobrara National Scenic River in Nebraska is reopening with the designation as the first "Quiet Trail" in North America.
Advertisement
The river, situated in Lincoln, received in October the "Quiet Trail" award from Quiet Parks International, an all-volunteer organization that provides research, education and certifications for public and private entities.
This is notable because a 2017 study by scientists at Colorado State University and the National Park Service found that outside human-created noise in 21% of U.S. parks was "surpassing levels known to disrupt wildlife behavior, fitness, and community composition."
Niobrara National Scenic River Superintendent Susan J. Cook has floated the entire 76 miles of the river and calls the area a "magical place."
"Within its 76 miles, you can be floating, especially on weekdays, by yourself with all the sounds of nature without the interference of man-made sounds like cars or even planes," she told UPI.
"You'll hear the water rippling; you'll hear many kinds of birds; you'll hear the insects buzzing, animals moving along the banks, beaver sliding into the water and even the call of mountain lions or coyotes."
Cook said the designation as an International Quiet Trail is more than just hearing nothing. "You hear nature in its splendor," she noted.
Vikram Chauhan, co-founder of Quiet Parks International, which officially launched in 2019, and said organization was the first to focus on quiet as a value and the benefits of quiet.
"The world could do with some quiet right now. Quiet is important for birds and animals too -- not just humans. In quiet, we discover who we truly are," he said.
Jenna Bartja, an adventure travel specialist who lives in Lincoln, told UPI there's a noticeable difference in parks and nature reserves that have quiet policies.
Bartja, who spent five years working at Grand Canyon National Park, said it takes effort and intention to seek out quiet, even in federally protected lands.
"If you are in a National Park, for instance, you have to get far away from other visitors and the main thoroughfares, which are often the most famous points of interest," she said.
During her time working at the Grand Canyon, she said she avoided the two most traveled (Bright Angel & South Kaibab) so she could experience quiet. "Even then, the silence gets broken periodically by the sound of helicopter tours and, unfortunately, sometimes other trails users," she said.
The Niobrara is the second Quiet Trail in the world to be honored by Quiet Parks. The first came in 2022, when the organization recognized Cuifeng Lake Circular Trail, which runs around Cuifeng Lake between Taiping Mountain and Dayuan Mountain in Taiwan.
Covered in a thick moss, the Taiwan forest is filled with cypress trees and includes the longest trail in the Taiping Mountain National Forest Recreation Area at 2.45 miles. The actual 'Quiet Mountain Trail' part of one situated between mileage markers 2.2 and 3.7 kilometers.
In Nebraska, the Niobrara National Scenic River is home to one of the largest grass-stabilized dune regions in the world, known as the Sandhills. The area, which drains into the river also includes a staggering 230 waterfalls featured in its western stretch.
"The river valley hosts a unique mix of six ecosystems, which has resulted in a special mix of about 160 plant and animal species surrounding the river," Bartja said.
"When you peel back all or most human-made noise, what you get are the exquisite sounds of nature itself: layers of birdsong; the trickle of a creek; the babbling of a brook; the yip of coyotes in the far distance; an orchestra of crickets in the night; even the wind has a million ways to whistle."
The site received another honor in 2022, when the Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area in the north-central portion of the state of Nebraska received a Dark Sky area designation.
The region has also been called the "best grassland bird place in the United States" by the American Bird Conservancy. Starting in July, the park plays host to the Nebraska Star Party, an annual event that welcomes families to the Merritt Reservoir's Snake Campground.
One caution while floating the river: Under Nebraska law, children 12 and under must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, and anyone over 12 must have one. Those who rent equipment can obtain them from the outfitter, according to the National Park Service.
