Smith Falls, a 63-foot waterfall on the south side of Nebraska’s Niobrara River, is the state’s highest waterfall and the centerpiece of Smith Falls State Park. First known as Arikaree Falls, it later took the name of pioneer Orrin B. Smith; his stepson Frederick Smith claimed nearby land in 1889. The site became a tourist destination before Fred Krzyzanowski bought it in 1941 and developed picnic and camping facilities. A state park was established there in 1992 through a lease with the Krzyzanowski family. Its cool, spring-fed canyon preserves unusual plant communities, including paper birch and relict aspens from a colder postglacial era.