Nowhere Like Nebraska

NEBRASKA

Everything you didn’t expect in a state that’s flat-out surprising

Buffalo National River

Petit Jean State Park

Mount Nebo State Park

Ouachita National Forest

Pinnacle Mountain

Cossatot River State Park

Arkansas

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NoWhere Like

Petit Jean State Park Arkansas’s first state park with first-class views of the Arkansas River Valley. Hike to the spectacular 95-foot Cedar Falls after a good rain. If you’d prefer the view without the work, take the barrier-free walkway with wayside exhibits that leads down to the Cedar Falls Overlook.

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Ouachita National Forest Sed iusto cupiditate est modi sequi ut quaerat enim eos saepe quod sed eligendi esse vel sunt voluptas. Qui impedit quae sed corporis voluptas non voluptas ullam ea voluptate consequatur aut ipsam enim 33 internos galisum eos beatae dolore! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

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Mount Nebo State Park Sed iusto cupiditate est modi sequi ut quaerat enim eos saepe quod sed eligendi esse vel sunt voluptas. Qui impedit quae sed corporis voluptas non voluptas ullam ea voluptate consequatur aut ipsam enim 33 internos galisum eos beatae dolore! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

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Pinnacle Mountain Sed iusto cupiditate est modi sequi ut quaerat enim eos saepe quod sed eligendi esse vel sunt voluptas. Qui impedit quae sed corporis voluptas non voluptas ullam ea voluptate consequatur aut ipsam enim 33 internos galisum eos beatae dolore! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

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Cossatot River State Park Sed iusto cupiditate est modi sequi ut quaerat enim eos saepe quod sed eligendi esse vel sunt voluptas. Qui impedit quae sed corporis voluptas non voluptas ullam ea voluptate consequatur aut ipsam enim 33 internos galisum eos beatae dolore! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

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FPO

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Biking

Water Adventures

Natural Wonders

By BRIAN HIGGINS and Presented by

When you see the imposing formations of Scotts Bluff rise improbably out of the surrounding plains, you might get the impression they were hurled from the Rockies by some long-forgotten giant. The real answer involves less lore and more limestone, but the monument’s recent history is pretty interesting too: The towering formations have been important markers for both Native cultures and Western emigrants. Hike the moderately challenging 3.2-mile Saddle Rock Trail for a close-up view of the namesake bluff (including a tunnel through the rock) and sweeping views of the surrounding formations, towns, and plains.

Not done hiking? Hit the Turkey Run Trail in nearby Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area.

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Scotts Bluff National Monument

The Pine Ridge is a 100-mile-long escarpment of sandstone bluffs and the main geologic feature of northwest Nebraska.

FUN FACT

This trail will knock the whole “Nebraska is flat” notion right out of your head, one vertical foot at a time. Located in the Nebraska National Forest, the Pine Ridge Trail has more than 4,500 vertical feet over its roughly 40 miles. The rollercoaster of an elevation profile travels through ponderosa pine forests, over creek beds and streams, up and down steep canyons, across scenic ridgelines and grasslands, and through some sections of wildfire regrowth. The trail’s length, scenery, and difficulty make for a great three-day backpacking trip. Shorter sojourns can be enjoyed from several access points.

Pine Ridge Trail

The Bison Trail takes its name from the Bison antiquus, an extinct form of modern bison whose fossils can be seen at the park’s Hudson-Meng Research and Education Center.

fun fact

It’s fair if the moonlike hills and hoodoos of Toadstool Geologic Park don’t fit your vision of Nebraska; they probably don’t fit your vision of Earth, either. Trek through the heart of the namesake toadstools and other unique badlands formations by setting out on the one-mile Toadstool Loop. It's a short but unforgettable look at the amazing work of time and erosion, and it may even reveal a fossil or two. You’ll also have an option to add on the three-mile (one-way) Bison Trail, which winds through badlands and canyons before opening into the wide expanse of the Oglala National Grassland.

Toadstool Geologic Park

Your day pass also grants access to the Neale Woods Nature Reserve, north of Omaha.

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An oasis of woods and wildlife just south of Omaha, Fontenelle Forest is home to 17 miles of easy and moderate hiking trails. The trails are marked out in short segments, most of which are less than a mile. This allows lovers of adventure and/or paper maps to choose their mileage by combining segments through wetlands, past waterfalls, over ridgetops, and along the Missouri River. A $15 day fee helps support area conservation efforts, like the raptor conservation and education program.

Fontenelle Forest Nature Center

The Schramm Education Center has aquariums and exhibits with more than 60 species of freshwater fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians found in Nebraska.

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Dedicated peak baggers might think of Schramm Park as more of a walk than a hike, but when you retreat to this shady Shangri-La on a hot summer day, you won’t care. Enjoy a peaceful stroll through the canopied woods on the bluffs of the Platte River, choosing between a 1.5- or three-mile loop and adding the short River View Trail. The longer loop is especially cool, featuring a unique suspension bridge that travels over a leafy creekbed canyon. The park is popular with local runners thanks to the gentle terrain and shady trails.

Schramm Park State Recreation Area

Spend a quiet afternoon at Big Mac’s wake-free neighbor, Lake Ogallala, a celebrated rainbow trout fishery.

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Aptly named “Big Mac,” Lake McConaughy, at 30,500 surface acres, is the largest reservoir in the state. Thanks to that size and the lake’s proximity to I-80, it’s a popular hub for watersports. You’ll find plenty of local outfitters with daily boat and jet-ski rentals and plenty of room to play on the water. Fishing is also popular—anglers will find healthy amounts of walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, and bass in the lake’s cool, deep waters. For the best camping experience, opt for a beach site. They’re easier to reserve (30-day window vs.180 days for campgrounds) and offer a unique, choose-your-own-beachfront-property experience.

LAKE McCONAUGHY RECREATION AREA

Don’t leave Chadron without doing the Black Hills Overlook Trail, considered one of the state’s most scenic hikes.

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Nebraska’s first-ever state park is your scenic base camp for adventures in the Pine Ridge region. Between the park’s trails and those in the surrounding Nebraska National Forest, you’ll have a new path to wander every day. And when you’re done exploring the craggy buttes, deep canyons, and lush pine forests that lie beyond the campground, you’ll have a seemingly endless array of activities to enjoy. Between pickleball, disc golf, volleyball, tennis, archery, tomahawk tossing, basketball, paddle boating, and horseback riding, it’s a rest-day paradise. (If you remember to actually rest, that is.) Reserve a cabin or stay at a tent-only or electric campsite.

Chadron State Park

There are 226 U.S. rivers in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, which was created in 1968 to preserve outstanding waterways.

fun fact

Rather than towering over the surrounding forest, the highest waterfall in Nebraska seems to simply appear out of the trees. At 63 feet tall, Smith Falls doesn’t use overly imposing size to wow you. Instead, visitors marvel at the water’s path as it cascades over the rocks, creating a unique shape fitting for a state with such unexpected and underrated natural beauty. The park is also located along the National Wild and Scenic River stretch of the Niobrara River, making it an excellent starting point for an unforgettable day of paddling. There are two tent-only campgrounds with sites available for reservation.

Smith Falls State Park

During peak migration season between late April and early May, Ponca is listed as a top birdwatching area by the National Audubon Society.

FUN FACT

With over 20 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails along the bluffs of the Missouri, Ponca State Park offers plenty of exploring. But the park’s soul lies more in preservation than play. Ponca’s motto is “where people and nature meet,” and its forested bluffs, rich wildlife, and scenic river views create the ideal place to make such an acquaintance. Fittingly, Ponca boasts a comprehensive slate of daily environmental and outdoor education programs for some easygoing adventures away from the campsite, cabin, cottage, or mini-lodge. Cabins and lodges are available by reservation, and campsites are split between reservable and first-come, first-served.

Ponca State Park

Enjoy some downtime disc golf with a scenic nine-hole course that features wide-open fairways and rolling hills.

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Named for a large cave with prehistoric Native American petroglyphs, this rugged yet accessible park is a hub of outdoor activity. Twenty-two miles of hiking trails travel through dense hardwood forests, along the Missouri River, and (of course) to the namesake cave. And if you don’t want to leave the trail, you don’t have to. Several first-come, first-served hike-in sites and shelters are located throughout the park, giving you a secluded base camp as you explore the surrounding hills and forests.

Indian Cave State Park

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The Cowboy Trail is a key part of the Great American Rail Trail, a planned route connecting Pennsylvania to Washington. In Nebraska, planned segments cross the entire state.

Fun fuct

All aboard! This 187-mile crushed limestone trail follows the path of the old Chicago and Northwestern rail route, a.k.a. the “Cowboy Line,” through the heart of the Sandhills. Between Norfolk and Valentine, you’ll cross over 200 scenic bridges, including a towering 148-foot-high historic bridge outside Valentine that spans a quarter-mile over the Niobrara River. Pick and choose your sections or bikepack it all—many towns along the route have camping or lodging for Cowboy Trail riders. The trail is known as a hot spot for goatheads (a.k.a. puncture vine), so plan ahead and bring plenty of extra tubes.

Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail

Tranquility Park is managed by Trails Have Our Respect (THOR), a local nonprofit dedicated to building and maintaining trails in the Omaha region.

Fun Fact

If you were surprised to learn that Nebraska has mountain biking, you’ll really be shocked to hear that it has mountain biking in its largest city. Tranquility Park, in northwest Omaha, is one of the most popular mountain biking areas in the region, boasting a ten-mile intermediate singletrack loop that’s fast, fun, and flowy, with plenty of unique features that match the perfectly Nebraska quirkiness of trail riding in the city. Along with a healthy dose of jumps, berms, log crossings, and gullies, you’ll encounter sudden patches of pine and trails dug out of old construction sites. Only in Nebraska.

Tranquility Park

Join the MoPac East “Nacho Ride” from Lincoln on Tuesdays between May and September. This beloved bike-to-the-bar ride is now in its 18th year.

For Nebraska cyclists, escaping the city is as easy as picking a trail. That decision isn’t quite as easy—rail trails branch out in almost every direction from both Omaha and Lincoln. Omaha has more than 120 miles of paved trails alone, and Lincoln’s network stretches all the way to Kansas. Cyclists can even connect the two cities with a 75-mile ride that’s almost entirely trail. Bike it all in one day, or crash halfway at a cabin in Platte River State Park. Start from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, a 3,000-foot cable bridge that crosses the Missouri to Iowa, and head toward the MoPac East Trail via the Omaha, Keystone, and West Papio Trails.

Urban Trail Networks

The High Plains Byway passes by more than ten other destinations in this collection!

A.k.a. the “Tour de Panhandle” this 357-mile route covers two of Nebraska’s most unique and scenic regions, Pine Ridge and the Sandhills. The route begins near Scotts Bluff National Monument in the Wildcat Hills before traveling north toward Toadstool Geologic Park and the Oglala National Grassland. From there, it turns east through the Nebraska National Forest and the vast expanse of the Sandhills toward Valentine. The route travels mostly on unpaved back roads and features many shadeless sections, so pack, prepare, and plan accordingly. There are several WMA and Forest Service campgrounds along the route for multiday riders, but whether you tackle all or part of the route, it’ll be an unforgettable way to experience these incredible Great Plains landscapes without a windshield.

High Plains Byway

Check out the Oxbow Trail System in Ashland for more expert and intermediate riding in the area.

Extend Your Adventure

Along the bluffs overlooking the Platte River, you’ll find more than 20 miles of fast, flowy singletrack and plenty of happy bikers. Considered the most diverse mountain bike destination in the state, Platte River State Park is a haven of intermediate and expert trails ranging from steep, technical affairs to feature-rich flows. It’s fun enough to put a smile on your face and tough enough to mix in more than a few grimaces. The recommended route through the park covers 22 miles and features almost 2,000 feet of elevation. How’s that for flat ol’ Nebraska?

Platte River State Park

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Cycling

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Bikepacking

Ever gone scuba diving in Nebraska? Home to exceptionally clear waters, the sandy Channel State Recreation is a popular spot for local divers.

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All the water with no equipment required, unless you count bathing suits (park rangers sure do). Of Nebraska’s 73 state parks and recreation areas, 29 offer swimming in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, or pools. Off I-80 near Lincoln, it’s easy to enjoy the cool waters and sandy beaches of Pawnee or Branched Oak State Recreation Area. As you travel west along the freeway, you’re never far from a beautiful park and refreshing water. Some highlights include Mormon Island, Johnson Lake, and Lake Maloney.

Swimming

The Elkhorn River’s modern name comes from Lewis and Clark, who called it “Corne de Cerf.”

Fun fact

Things getting heated on the family road trip? Try an afternoon of tubing. There’s no better way to cool off on a hot summer’s day, and even though there’s no livestock tank involved, maybe everyone just needs some time to float their own way for a while. You’ll find great local outfitters all along the banks of Nebraska’s 79,000 river miles. For the best combination of convenience, scenery, and relaxation, book a trip down the Elkhorn River, outside of Omaha.

Tubing

Achieve a Trout Slam by catching and releasing all four species of trout in Nebraska—rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook.

Nebraska’s mightiest rivers might get all the attention, but the legendary waterways that carve their way through the state are far outnumbered by the creeks and streams that feed them. Unsurprisingly, these quieter tributaries offer excellent fly-fishing. East Verdigre Creek, tucked away in the state’s northeast corner, is a true gem. Its cold spring-fed waters are home to a well-stocked population of rainbow and brown trout, beginner-friendly fishing, and the kind of quiet surroundings anglers dream of. Long Pine Creek, located in the scenic Pine Ridge, is another well-loved trout fishery.

Fly-Fishing

UUp for a real challenge? Take on the Dismal River in the Sandhills. nicknamed Divorce River and chronicled by Outside contributor Carson Vaughan in 2020 (still married).

Nebraska’s 518 miles of designated water trails make it a paddler’s paradise. Start by setting off down the Missouri National Recreation River. This 100-mile stretch of the Missouri, managed by the National Parks Service, is dotted with campable islands (permit required), old-growth forests, and abundant wildlife. Looking for whitewater? Hit the Niobrara River (mellow to sporty, depending on flow), which has its own 76-mile section of peaceful, protected river. And if you’re looking for some tranquil flatwater, retreat to the scenic bluffs of Lewis and Clark Lake.

Paddling

Experience winter tanking with the Polar Bear Tank Race along the Middle Loup River in Mullen. This extremely competitive race usually takes place in March.

Extend Your Adventure

There are plenty of ways to get down a river, but the most Nebraska way is tanking. All you need is a river, a livestock tank, a few friends, a couple hours’ worth of refreshments, some card games, and paddles. (Pro tip: Paddles can be substituted with a sense of zen-like acceptance.) Whether you’re steering or slacking, tanking is a quintessentially Cornhusker way to enjoy the river and its surrounding scenery. Tanking outfitters can be found wherever there are cows and rivers, but a trip down the gentle currents of the Calamus River in the Sandhills might be your best bet.

Tanking

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Extend Your Adventure

Travel the 272-mile Sandhills National Scenic Byway (Highway 2) from Grand Island to Alliance. Make sure you see Alliance’s top attraction: Carhenge.

Extend Your Adventure

If you’re on a Nebraska adventure tour, you’ll wind up in the Sandhills no matter what. But while you’re exploring this massive region (roughly 20,000 square miles) in north-central Nebraska, take some time to appreciate the uniqueness of the seemingly untouched prairie around you. You’ll be looking at both the largest sand dune formation in the Western Hemisphere and the most intact swath of temperate grassland in the world. Stabilized thousands of years ago by prairie grass, the Sandhills might not look like the sandhills you’ve imagined. But a lot of things in Nebraska aren’t quite what you expected.

Sandhills Region

Visit during the Nebraska Star Party (July 20-25, 2025), a weeklong event with speakers, classes, and nightly observations.

Merritt Reservoir is located in a scenic river valley and boasts some of the state’s best muskie fishing, but those aren’t the only qualities that make it a natural wonder. To experience the best of what Merritt has to offer, you’ll have to wait until after dark. In 2022, the area was designated an International Dark Sky Place by DarkSky International, an organization dedicated to preserving starry-sky parks and communities, and offers the best stargazing in the state. Visit on a clear, moonless night in summer to see the Milky Way at its most visible.

Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area

Make sure to check out the Ethel & Christopher J. Abbott Visitor Center to learn more about the lives of Western emigrants and try your hand at packing a covered wagon.

Extend Your Adventure

As you marvel at how Chimney Rock rises dramatically out of the surrounding plains, know that you’re in good company. Throughout the ages, Chimney Rock has stood as an important marker amid the unending grassland, first for Native Americans and later for Western emigrants and fur traders. For those traveling to Oregon, California, and Utah, this lonely sentinel was their first taste of the landscape of the American West. Chimney Rock was so striking, in fact, that it was mentioned in more historic emigrant diaries than any other landmark along the Oregon Trail.

Chimney Rock National Historic Site

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, only an hour south, is home to 270 bird species and dozens more species of mammals and reptiles.

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Sometimes the natural wonders of the world need our help to stay that way. Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, described by the National Parks Service as a “crossroads of biodiversity,” was established in 1912 by Teddy Roosevelt to protect native bird populations. The result of this effort speaks for itself. Today, Fort Niobrara is home to more than 230 species of birds, some of which exist only in the region. Elk and deer are also abundant—among 75 other animal species—and you can even spy a herd of 350 bison, which were introduced in 1913.

Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge

Experience migration on bike with the Sandhill Crane Ride in Grand Island in late March.

Extend Your Adventure

Maybe you’ve never considered Nebraska as a travel destination before, but to sandhill cranes, it’s the place to be. From March to mid-April, roughly 1 million sandhill cranes stop to rest and refuel in the Platte River Valley on their way north to Canada and Alaska. That’s 80 percent of the world’s sandhill cranes, all in one region, all at one time. Fort Kearny State Recreation Area might be the best spot to see this incredible display—the walking bridges that crisscross over the Platte River put you right in the thick of things.

Sandhill Crane Migration

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If you’ve ever thought something like, “It’s just corn out there,” we’re gonna enjoy telling you how wrong you are. Nebraska is home to otherworldly rock formations. Bluffs that tower over both rivers and grasslands. Documentary-worthy wildlife migrations. And, of course, people floating down rivers in livestock tanks. So it’s not just corn, and when it comes to surprises, Nebraska’s got more than just Carhenge (which is exactly what it sounds like). Whether you’re into hiking, floating, riding, camping, natural wonders—or all of those—use this guide to plan an adventure like no other.

Yes, that Nebraska. Listen, we’re not here to convince you that purple mountain majesty is out. We’re just saying that the fruited plain has more than meets the eye. Especially if you just rolled that eye.

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