Parks

Celebrate Halloween at Ponca State Park For more than two decades, Ponca State Park’s Hallowfest has thrilled guests of all ages. The park modeled its event after Indian Cave State Park’s festival, starting out with just one weekend of haunted hayrack rides in 1998 and expanding its offerings to two weekends full of Halloween activities. This fall festival has become a tradition for families, many of whom begin booking their cabins and campsites a year in advance. Hallowfest 2020 falls …

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Cedar View Campground at Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area was slated to close on Sept. 9, 2020 for upgrades to campground amenities. The campground will now temporarily close for public access beginning on Sept. 28, 2020 due to a delay in construction. Cedar View Campground, located about 15 miles west of Kingsley Dam on Highway 92, will be available to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis until Sept. 28. Upgrades to the campground will include the …

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Cedar View Campground at Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area will close temporarily for upgrades to campground amenities. Cedar View Campground, located about 15 miles west of Kingsley Dam on Highway 92, will temporarily close for public access beginning on Sept. 9, 2020. The upgrades will include the installation of a replacement shower and restroom facility and accessible campsites. In the event that the campground may be re-opened safely during or between construction projects, the Nebraska Game …

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has launched an outdoor discovery adventure at its Venture Parks system, a network of four parks nestled in the Platte River Valley between Omaha and Lincoln. This adventure was designed to take participants to all four parks — Eugene T. Mahoney and Platte River state parks and Louisville and Schramm Park state recreation areas — to discover six of their unique gems and find the answers to clues revealed in the …

Trash. A large amount and variety of trash. Plastic bottles. Plastic grocery bags. Fishing bait containers. Spent fishing line. Cigarette butts. Banana peels. Food wrappers. Diapers. Broken lawn chairs. Old tires. Now, add single-use face coverings and rubber gloves plus empty hand sanitizer containers. Whew! The list of trash items seems endless. So many people are visiting outdoor places and spaces during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In Nebraska, fishing and state park permit sales are up. Float trip outfitters report …

Story by Eric Fowler Photos by Alex Wiles View Eric Fowler’s featured July article on Platte River State Park Bike Trails HERE. When it comes to photography, “light is everything.” That’s what Jon Farrar, who spent four decades filling the pages of Nebraskaland with spectacular photographs, once told me. That simple statement is so true. Capture an image of the most striking landscape in the world in harsh mid-day light and you will likely have a photo that is average …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A health alert for harmful algal blooms, also known as toxic blue-green algae, remains in effect at Wagon Train Lake in Lancaster County. Visitors to Wagon Train State Recreation Area should avoid full-body contact activities that could lead to swallowing water, such as swimming, wading, skiing, jet skiing, etc. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping are OK. Dog owners are urged to keep pets out of the water and not allow them to ingest lake …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Select state park area service centers will reopen to the public July 1 for customer service, information and permit sales. Amenities such as interpretive displays and gift shops will not be available. Restrooms may be open. All park service center visitors must wear a face mask. A list of service centers opening on July 1 can be found at OutdoorNebraska.gov/healthinfo. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is continuing to make services and amenities available and is committed …

Big Changes at the Big Lake Nearly everything about Lake McConaughy is big. At 30,000 surface acres, it is Nebraska’s largest reservoir, its dam is among the largest of its kind in the world, and its fish grow to trophy proportions, accounting for several state records. Even its nickname, “Big Mac,” reflects its size. Located 8 miles northeast of Ogallala, Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area is known to most Nebraskans and residents of neighboring states as a great place for …

Mountain bikers have been riding the trails carved into the bluffs at Platte River State Park for decades, its hills and rocks providing a challenge many yearn for, with the scenery providing the icing on the cake. Now they have a new set of singletrack trails loaded with unique features all for themselves as part of an addition to the park that could become a mountain bike destination for riders from across the country. Along with 4.4 miles of new …