[3] First known as Arikaree Falls,[4] the waterfall bears the name of Orrin B. Smith, a pioneer in the Seven Creeks area (1885 State Census).

The site was subsequently owned by Fred Krzyzanowski, who purchased it in 1941, adding a picnic area and campground to capitalize on its popularity among tourists.

As the canyon is narrow and sheltered from direct sunlight, it is much cooler than the surrounding landscape; this allows a unique set of flora to grow that is atypical for the Sand Hills of Nebraska.

The ice age climate supported boreal forest trees like birches, spruces, and aspens, all of which currently predominate in Canada.

The spruce trees did not survive in Nebraska; the nearest extant population is in the Black Hills of South Dakota.