Celebrate National Trails Day on June 6

LINCOLN – Enjoy any of the thousands of miles of Nebraska state park system trails to commemorate National Trails Day on June 6.

A priority of National Trails Day is to make people aware of trails and promote their use as healthy outdoor activities. Nebraska’s state parks trail system has more than 1,250 miles of some of the most diverse land and water trails to be found anywhere. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s state parks have natural trail settings that allow users to discover native wildflowers, view wildlife in their native habitats and take in great vistas, all while getting some exercise.

Activities to commemorate the day are scheduled in Nebraska on June 6. A trail restoration project is scheduled at Indian Cave State Park (402-883-2575) at 9 a.m. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking volunteers to help work on the trails. Lunch will be provided.

There will be a 2-mile hike at Ash Hollow State Historical Park (308-778-5651) near Lewellen at 9 a.m. Hikers can learn about the western migration of settlers as they walk the Oregon-California Trail.

The Oregon Trail can also be followed along at Rock Creek Station State Historical Park (402-729-5777) near Fairbury. Starting at 9 a.m. on June 6 and June 7, the park will have a day of horseback riding events, mule pulling contests and trail activities.

Ponca State Park (402-755-2284) will have a guided hike on a different trail each day from June 1-7. Each hike will feature a different theme taken from the namesake of the trail.

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (402-944-2523) is holding a ColorFoam 5K run on the park’s interior walking trails.

The American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day is the nation’s largest celebration of trails. Events will take place in every state and will include hikes, bicycle and horseback rides, paddling trips, birdwatching, geocaching, gear demonstrations, stewardship projects and much more.

For more information on trails in Nebraska, visit OutdoorNebraska.org and then click on Trails. The site includes an interactive map of trails in the Nebraska state park system. A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering a Nebraska state park area.