Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
"Two miles west and six miles north of town, Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park is both an important fossil site and an area of natural prairie beauty. Twelve million years ago, a large group of mammals died at a watering hole following a massive volcanic eruption. The skeletons of rhinos, three-toed horses, camels and other animals were eerily preserved in a thick layer of ash. Most have been left in place inside the handicapped-accessible Rhino Barn. Excavation is ongoing and can be observed by the public. Nature trails wind through the surrounding prairies.
Ashfall is open in May before Memorial Day weekend from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, Mon-Sat, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m. After Labor Day to the second weekend in October the site is open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students. Park entry permit required. (402) 893-2000."
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Cottonwood Cove Park
Lewis and Clark camped near what is now Cottonwood Cove Park in 1804, celebrating Meriwether Lewis’ birthday with an extra “gill” of whiskey and a dance. The 4.5 acre park has a public boat ramp, camping, shelter and play equipment. From Highway 77, turn east on Highway 35 into town, continue on Broadway to 14th Street, then south on Hickory. (402) 987-3448.
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Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
"Decades before Nebraska Territory opened to settlement, Fort Atkinson served as the first United States fort west of the Missouri River. In the 1820s, the fort played a major role in Western expansion and fur trade. Years earlier, in 1804, the location was the site of Lewis and Clark’s first council with Native Americans – the “Council Bluff.”
Today, in the town known as Fort Calhoun, the reconstructed fort is open as Fort Atkinson State Historical Park. Inside the log walls of the stockade, buildings such as the armorer’s shop, barracks, and council house are open to the public. Bronze statues commemorate the Lewis and Clark council. The visitor center and interpretive facilities are open weekdays Memorial Day-Labor Day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Grounds are open in summer season 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; 9 a.m. to sunset the rest of the year.
Living history events, with costumed re-enactors, portray life in an 1820s military fort [May 1-2, June 5-6, July 3-4, July 31-Aug 3, Sept 4-5 and Oct 2-3] from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Pre-arranged tours are available from mid-April thru mid-November. To get there, go one mile east of Highway 75 at 7th and Madison Streets. A state park permit is required. (402) 468-5611.
Nebraska wines are featured at Too Far North, a wine-tasting room and art gallery inside a restored 1904 brick building at 111 N. 14th St. (402) 468-WINE."
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Lewis & Clark Lake State Recreation Area
"For years, Crofton has proclaimed itself the “Best Town by a Dam Site.” Lewis & Clark Lake State Recreation Area is about 10 miles north on Highway 121. Thirty-five miles long, and with 90 miles of shoreline, it is Northeast Nebraska’s largest lake, and the second largest in Nebraska. It takes its name from the famous explorers who camped near here in 1804.
The recreation area on the south shore includes five areas, with a total of nine housekeeping lakeside cabins, 150 camping pads (30 electrical), a full-service marina, nature trails, an unsupervised swimming beach, shelter, restrooms, showers (at the Weigand-Burbach area), dump station, and a fish cleaning station.
Boating on the lake ranges from speedboats to pontoon boats to personal watercraft. The marina includes a pump-out station and 24-hour gasoline using a credit card. Boat slips are available for seasonal rental.
The lake is popular with anglers. Jetties at the Weigand-Burbach area create especially good fish habitat. Species include walleye, sauger, largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish."
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Mulberry Bend
"Mulberrry Bend is part of the Missouri National Recreational River, a unit of the National Park System. The overlook, near the Newcastle-Vermillion Bridge on Highway 15, offers a spectacular view of the Missouri River. Handicapped accessible for a good portion, the paved walk to various lookouts is moderately strenuous, but well worth it. Interpretive panels tell local stories."
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Niobrara State Park
Heading west along Highway 12, Niobrara is where the land takes on a wilder, more Western appearance. The rolling farmland ends and the road descends into the Missouri River valley near the mouth of the Niobrara River. It is a region of hilly grassland, bottomland woods, and wetlands so extensive that they are sometimes called “Nebraska’s Everglades.” Niobrara State Park is at the junction of the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers, a mile west of town on Highway 12. With 1,234 acres, it has more than 12 miles of hiking trails and a two-mile hike-bike trail that follows an old railroad grade and which crosses the Niobrara on a vintage iron truss bridge.
Camping facilities include 69 camping pads with electrical hookups, 50 non-pad sites without electricity, and 19 cabins on high bluffs overlooking the river. Cabins are open mid-April through December 31. Grounds are open year-round for day use and primitive camping. Drinking water, modern restrooms and showers, dump station, picnic tables and grills are also available. The park offers guided horseback rides, playground equipment and a swimming pool, and hosts bison stew cookouts on Saturday evenings Memorial Day through Labor Day."
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