I absolutely loved Indian Cave State Park. It had everything: history, nature, fun activities -…read moreeverything you could want in a park! The entrance to the main cave is located right on the river, so you get a beautiful view of that to begin with. You can climb up a neat wooden boardwalk to get right up to the cave wall and see prehistoric ancient petroglyph carvings. There are also tons of activities you can do in this park - swimming, fishing, hiking, camping. You can also walk through the old ghost town village of St. Deroin, which is super interesting. This is honestly one of the most interesting natural/historic places I've been in Nebraska!

Once reservations were made on line we got to Indian Cave State Park and again paid for park pass…read more Web site lets you believe water and electricity and at your camp site.......not so. Beware. When you arrive you must go and fill water tanks then back to your campsite. Very inconvenient. Then if you wish to use their showers, you'll pay 75 cents for every 3 minutes, so just about anything you want there is going to cost you!!

This has got to be the best lake in Lincoln. If it isn't, please let me know. I love this lake for…read moremany reasons; its beauty, how much easy exercise you can do by simply walking around the lake, it's maintained well, and there's plenty of parking. There are also bathrooms available, picnic tables, benches, many areas to fish for those who have their fishing license, etc. there's even a playground for littles! What I love most is you can do 2 loops around this lake and easily get your 10k+ steps in.

This has the best walking trail in Lincoln. It is roughly 2 miles around the lake interspersed with…read morebenches and parks. Want to lose weight and get in shape in nature? Here you go!!

To Everyone reading - This location should definitely receive more love and appreciation for its…read morebeautiful views! After living for 8 years in Kansas City, this was the year I actually got to know about it and I had to immediately visit. Loess Bluff National Wildlife Refuge has a 10-mile one-way auto route to see the stunning views from different angles, which is absolutely breathtaking. There are also sections for viewing eagles, then snow geese, and many more spots along the way. The refuge area is well kept and very peaceful. The auto loop is really useful because hiking the whole area would honestly take a very long time, so the loop sections make it easy and educational to explore. The stops are clearly marked and there are many pit stops where people can take photos or simply enjoy the wildlife. I was very lucky to see thousands of snow geese along with one bald eagle. I also saw white swans, ducks, and our regular city geese just chilling out there haha. March is the main time to see migratory snow geese. I have also heard that from December to January there is a bald eagle season where people can see thousands in a day only if you are lucky and I honestly can't wait to revisit... Overall, I loved how calm the drive felt with the open land and skies, and so many different types of birds. Whether you are a birdwatcher or not, you will definitely enjoy this place. Amazing spot to just relax and unwind. Note: Bring food and water since the loop takes some time to complete if you stop at each section to enjoy the views. Also bring binoculars or a zoom lens camera if you want to see the birds up close.

I'm going to be real and say my review for this is quite incomplete, but I still want to put…read moresomething out there. I was taking work calls as I cruised down the highway and decided to venture over here to see what it was all about, and hopefully see an eagle or two. So the reason I say it's incomplete is I was on that work call and didn't really stop, get out, get the lay of the land, or even know what I was looking at. I sort of just started driving where the road led me and did a big loop around the lake. I saw swans, and some massive gaggle of smaller white birds, but can't say what they were. It was nice, although sometimes I got stuck behind someone going 1 mph. Next time I will be a bit more intentional and read up on it, hike a bit, and be more single-minded. It's definitely a cool spot and I know the migratory birds often set up here late in the winter, so that would be a fun time to get out and see it.

Cute kids playground Good spots for the campers. It's quiet…read more The bathroom facilities are great! Nice loop for rent camping. Easy to find Privacy is good.

We camped in a cabin for couple of nights at Waubonsie State Park near Hamburg, Iowa. It's about…read moreten miles from Nebraska City. We had cabin #4 which at one time was part of a Girl Scout camp that got added to the existing park in the Loess Hills. For $60 a night we rented a two bedroom cabin. We could also bring our dogs. It didn't have running water or a bathroom but conveniently, a vault latrine and outdoor water pump were in close proximity. A regular bathroom with showers was a short walk away. There were two sets of bunk beds in one room and a full-sized bed in the other. Renters must provide their own bedding, pillows, towels, toiletry items, cooking utensils, pots and pans, and dinnerware. With a microwave and coffeemaker but no other appliances, some cooking was done outdoors. It did have a couch, a couple of chairs and a dinette set, as well as a picnic table outside. Waubonsie is a hikers paradise with lots of trails including equestrian trails and camping. If you're into fishing, Lake Virginia is 7 acres with largemouth bass, bluegill and channel cat. You can launch your boat (electric motor only) or peacefully canoe. Waubonsie is not for you if you like an action-filled vacation. It's a beautiful, quiet and peaceful retreat from stressful living. Not surprisingly, do watch out for ticks in the spring.

The sunken Gardens is a gorgeous part of town, and feels a bit tucked away. It's so peaceful and…read morebeautiful to walk through. A wonderful place to spend your time with the weather is good.

Very pretty! Wide variety of plants, flowers, and trees plus some sculptures. This place could be…read moredescribed as a hidden gem. Even though it was built as a public works project in 1930, it continues to be well-maintained and relevant. Despite being located next to a busy city street, it feels peaceful and serene. It's a perfect site to meander and thoughtfully contemplate the beauties of life.

Jamaica North Trail is located on the abandoned Union Pacific Corridor train track and connects…read moredowntown Lincoln Haymarket and Pinnacle Bank Arena area with rural Nebraska south of Lincoln. The rails have been removed and converted into a trail with the addition of ground limestone. The limestone is soft underfoot for running but firm under the tire for biking. The trail proceeds south through Wilderness Park and then south across Saltillo Road where it becomes the Homestead trail which extends to Beatrice. If you're in the south, I recommend picking up the trail at Saltillo Road, where there is trailhead parking, allowing one to run either north through miles of forested wilderness area or south through the fields.

This place is great! Two large fenced areas are divided between large and small breeds. Both have a…read moredog and a human water fountain. There's enough room to walk around the park for exercise, if people desire. There are benches and several trees. If your dog likes water, there is a gate to the lake next to the park which is fenced in with the fence running down to the lake. This allows your dog to go for a swim. It's a really nice park in the middle of Papillon. There is a small amount of parking (4-5 cars) and during my time there, 4 other dogs were in the park.

Walnut Creek RA is pretty nice. I enjoy hanging out there. The main reason I go is for the dog…read morepark. It's a big dog park, with lots of space to run, and a fence separates the large dog area from the small dog area. Didn't see a water station, but maybe I overlooked it. WCRA is listed as a Lakeside green space with a boat ramp & fishing pier, plus hiking, biking & equestrian trails. I have seen the boat ramp, and seems to be ample parking. There are some trails, but calling them "hiking trails" is a stretch. Walking paths would be more appropriate. The big no swimming sign is strange to me. I'm not from Nebraska, so I'm finding it hard to believe there are so many no swimming areas. Maybe someone can explain this to me. Overall, good to walk around, fish, and I guess boat. Very pretty compared to most of Nebraska, which seems to be deforested.

Unfortunately I was let down that we made the stop. First you have to make it thru the abandon…read moreghost town then up the steep hill road to a one lane hill road to something creepy out in the middle of nowhere. There was no marker saying what I was looking at. Thank goodness I didn't have to use the restroom since there was none for miles.

As stated by others you do drive thru an abandoned town, and up a steep gravel road, then u get to…read morea little platform but the nice things are, there is a very nice handicap ramp, no stairs, but I was more concerned with the reliability and durability of the platform. The view was gorgeous, in July, but don't see all of the "4" states and no river. The platform as stated was very rickety & unsafe--needs some upkeep & I didn't stay long as we were almost taken alive by wasps & flies. This could use some upkeep & it would be absolutely beautiful

Saint Joseph's only privately owned public park! The owner/caretaker was there maintaining some…read morecement steps so we got to learn a little about the area. There used to be a school (no longer there). Two of the four picnic tables are new (but they all look brand new to me). He has maintained the open pavilions above the tables too. The grounds and structures are well maintained and everything is clean. This is a great place for a little picnic! Be aware that you need to walk up a few stairs to get to the nice, flat, level area.