Big Elk Park/Hole in the Rock Recreation Area
Three miles east of Macy are Big Elk Park and Hole in the Rock Recreation Area, which offer camping, hiking, fishing and nature observation. The area has 21 miles of trails for horseback riding or ATVs. Hunting and fishing are allowed with tribal permits. (402) 837-5391.
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Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge
"Three miles east of town, Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge is a restored three-mile river channel surrounded by 3,300 acres of grassland, woodland and wetlands. The area used to be an island of sand and sediments in the Missouri at the mouth of the Boyer River. The area has been planted with native grasses, trees and forbs to recreate an environment similar to that which was familiar to Native Americans and explorers such as Lewis and Clark.
The refuge has two short nature trails and a six-mile hiking loop through tallgrass prairie, woodlands and wetlands. Activities include fishing, photography, birdwatching and picnicking. It is open daily during daylight hours. To learn more, or to inquire about public deer hunts held here, call (402) 468-4313."
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Broken Arrow Wilderness
Broken Arrow Wilderness is a privately-owned site with cottages, primitive cabins, camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing and tubing. A chapel and reception hall are available for weddings and conferences. It is 1/8 mile north of town on Highway 14. (308) 536-2441.
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Brookey Bottom Park
Four miles northeast of town, Brookey Bottom Park offers Missouri National Recreational River access via a concrete boat ramp. Anglers fish for carp, channel and flathead catfish, drum, paddlefish, sauger and walleye.
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Buckskin Hills Wildlife Management Area
Two miles west and two miles south of town on a county road, Buckskin Hills Wildlife Management Area has 340-acres of prairie and woods, with a 75-acre lake. Wildlife includes pheasant, quail, rabbit and waterfowl. The lake has bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass and walleye. Motorboats are limited to 5 mph. Primitive camping is allowed.
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Chalkrock Lake Wildlife Management Area
Crofton has two other wildlife areas nearby. With 130 acres, Chalkrock Lake Wildlife Management Area is five miles north of the junction of Highways 12 and 81, then 1 1/2 miles east. The area has 90 upland acres with a 45-acre reservoir. The lake has largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish. Motorboats are limited to 5 mph, and no live baitfish are allowed. Wildlife includes dove, pheasant, rabbit and waterfowl.
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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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Cottonwood Lake
"Just below Gavins Point Dam on the north side of the river, Cottonwood Lake (also known as Lake Yankton) is a 250-acre lake with bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, pike and walleye. It’s a border water area with South Dakota, but a Nebraska permit is valid. Only electric trolling motors are allowed.
Except for the Weigand-Burbach area, which is closed to hunting, the rest of the recreation area is open to hunting starting the Tuesday after Labor Day. Game includes deer, pheasant, quail, rabbit, squirrel, turkey and waterfowl.
Birdwatchers find gulls, waterfowl and other birds near the dam. Bald eagles are present during migration seasons. The wooded shore of Cottonwood Lake also offers good birding.
Winter activities at the lake include ice fishing, skating, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Snowmobiles are restricted to area roads."
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Crystal Lake Park
The 60-acre Crystal Lake Park has a 30-acre lake with largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, pike, and rainbow trout in winter. The lake, which is stocked three times a year, was dredged in 2005 to improve fish habitat. No power boats are allowed. There is a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier. The park has 1.5 miles of hiking/biking trails, and is home to more than 200 species of birds. The park is northeast of the Highway 20 & 77 junction; the entrance on is on W. 39th St.
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Dead Timber State Recreation Area
"Despite its name, most of the trees are alive at Dead Timber State Recreation Area, four miles south of town. The 200-acre area is located on the Elkhorn River and has two ponds totaling 50 acres. In addition to 17 camping pads with electrical hookups, the area offers primitive camping, drinking water, picnic shelters, a playground and restrooms.
Wildlife includes deer, pheasant, quail, rabbit squirrel and waterfowl. Anglers catch bullhead, carp, channel and flathead catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie. Only electric fishing motors are allowed."
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Decatur Marina/Beck Park
"Decatur Marina provides river access, boat dock rentals, and a restaurant. It is open May-October. Beck Park is a riverside campground with shelter house, restrooms and showers, boat launch and fish cleaning station. A walking bridge connects the park to Decatur Marina and downtown.
For more information, contact the Decatur Community Club. (402) 439-5593."
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Diamond B Trout Resort
On Big Springs Creek, three miles north of town, Diamond B Trout Resort and Restaurant offers cabins, fishing and dining. (402) 893-3020.
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Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area
Choose from 20 small sandpit lakes on 280 acres at Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area, three miles west of town. The area is open year-round, with all services available Memorial Day through Labor Day. Activities include fishing, swimming, boating, camping and picnicking. The area has 200 electrical camping sites, 600 without electricity, and modern showers and toilets. Picnic areas, drinking water and trailer dump stations are available.
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Headworks Park
Genoa is near five different wildlife areas and a recreation area. Six miles west of town on Highway 22, Headworks Park is a 10-acre recreation area with electrical hookups for campers, picnic areas equipped with picnic tables, grills and fresh drinking water, fishing in small lakes and in the Loup Canal, and an all-terrain vehicle riding area.
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Island Park Campground
Island Park Campground has electrical hookups and showers, plus fishing, swimming, horseshoe and picnic facilities, tennis and sand volleyball courts. It one mile west of Main Street and Highway 77, and is open April 15-Oct 15. (402) 687-4188.
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Lake Babcock
"Lake Babcock is a 600-acre lake with bullhead, carp, channel and flathead catfish. It and nearby Lake North are open hours a day April through October. No power boating is allowed. A hiking/biking trail is open year-round. The lakes are four miles north of town on 18th Ave. (402) 564-3171."
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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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Maskenthine Reservoir
"Two miles northwest of Stanton, Maskenthine Reservoir is a 98-acre lake with camping, swimming, horseback riding, hiking, hunting and boating. Boats are limited to 5 mph. Anglers catch largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, pike, walleye and northern pike. There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier. Winter sports include skating and short-slope skiing."
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Missouri National Recreational River
"Ponca overlooks a unique portion of the river. Most of the Missouri has been either dredged and straightened for barge traffic, or transformed by dams into a series of reservoirs. Here the river still exhibits a dynamic character in its island, bars, chutes and snags; here the river forms the eastern gateway to the Missouri National Recreational River, a unit of the National Park Service. The park is mostly forested with bur oaks and other hardwoods (one bur oak is more than 300 years old). The distinctive calls of whippoorwills and barred owls are common during the summer months; bald eagles are present in winter. A birdwatchers’ list for the park and surrounding areas includes 297 species (see www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com). The park attracts many birdwatchers during the peak of spring migration (late April and early May).
The park has14 cabins, 73 electrical campsites, and more than 50 primitive campsites. Amenities include showers, water spigots (not hookups), a dump station, playground, picnic tables and fire pits. Modern facilities are open April through October, weather permitting. Primitive camping is available year-round.
Activities include a swimming pool, guided horse rides, cookouts and fish fries, fall hayrack rides, and one of the state’s most comprehensive outdoor education programs. More than 20 miles of trails wind through the park. Several mountain bike races are held here every year.
A concrete boat ramp provides river access. Anglers fish for carp, channel and flathead catfish, drum, paddlefish, sauger, and walleye. Archery deer hunting is allowed during the last half of archery season (special permit required). To learn more, contact the park headquarters at (402) 755-2284."
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Missouri River Tours
"Missouri River Tours is a private company offering hunting, fishing and birdwatching opportunities April through December. Guides, boat rental and camping are available. From town, go three miles north, two miles east, then one mile north. (402) 985-2216.
For more information, contact the Village of Wynot. (402) 357-2429."
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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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Pelican Point State Recreation Area
"Located along the Missouri River, Pelican Point State Recreation Area offers primitive camping (17 campsites, without electrical hookups) and river access. The area has large cottonwoods and isn’t heavily visited. It has a boat ramp and dock, pit toilets, a pavilion, and an electric well. Wildlife includes quail, rabbit, squirrel and waterfowl. Birdwatchers come to see migratory and breeding birds such as warblers, thrushes, orioles, flycatchers, woodpeckers and vireos.
Pelican Point is open year-round. A state park permit is required. To get there from town, go four miles east, then four miles north, then one mile east. (402) 374-1727."
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River Park
River Park offers more than a mile of Elkhorn River frontage, with RV and camper facilities, boat ramp, horse pens, ball fields, kids’ fishing pond and restrooms with showers. To find it, turn south at the stoplight in town.
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Scenic Park
Scenic Park, at 900 E. 6th St., has 85 camper hookups, Missouri River boat ramp, an outdoor pool, picnic shelters, tennis courts and ball fields.
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Summit Lake State Recreation Area
"Nearby, Summit Lake State Recreation Area offers boating, hiking, hunting, picnicking and camping on 535 acres. Wildlife includes pheasant, quail, rabbit, squirrel and waterfowl. The 190-acre reservoir has been developed for fishing, and offers largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish and walleye. Boats are limited to 5 mph. The lake also has a swimming beach.
Campers will find 27 camper pads (without electricity) and 41 other campsites. The area is open year-round. A state park permit is required. Summit Lake is three miles west of town on Highway 32, then 1 1/2 miles south. (402) 374-1727."
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Timmerman Park/Neligh Park
In town, ball fields are at Timmerman Park, and a swimming pool, small fishing lake and picnic shelters are at Neligh Park.
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Upper Missouri River Float Trip/Missouri National Recreational River
"A great way to see the river is by signing up for the park’s Upper Missouri River Float Trip, offered mid-May through September. A guide will take you through the river’s braided channels in an inflatable workboat dubbed “The Little Pearl,” in honor of a ferry that used to operate here. This is part of the Missouri National Recreational River, a portion of the Missouri that has not been dredged and straightened for barge traffic, and which still resembles the wild river that Native Americans and explorers like Lewis and Clark would have known. The cost is $16 for adults and $14 for children. Contact the park for reservations.
Though anglers go out on the river from three boat access areas, excellent catfishing can be had on the handicap-accessible fishing bridge that spans the Niobrara along the hike-bike trail. Archery deer hunting is allowed during the last half of deer season; a special free permit is required.
Wildlife viewing in the park is excellent. In addition to a large population of white-tailed deer, wild turkeys roam the hills, and beaver, muskrat and mink live along the riverbanks. Woodland birds include whippoorwills, and bald eagles and ospreys are present part of the year.
Summer office hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m., daily. Off-season hours are Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. A state park permit is required. (402) 857-3373."
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Victory Lake/Hormel Pak
" Anglers will find bluegill, bullhead, carp, channel catfish, crappie and largemouth bass. Lakes 7 and 8 also have muskie. Gas-powered boating is allowed only on Victory Lake and Lake 20. All others allow only electric trolling motors.
The area has three swimming beaches and a lake specially redesigned for personal watercraft. (402) 727-3290.
Nearby is Hormel Park, with ponds, marshes and trails leading through the woods to the Platte River."
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Whispering Hills Hunting
Whispering Hills Hunting is a private operation that offers spring-fed fishing ponds, cabins, guides, and hunting that includes pheasant, quail, deer, turkey, and coyote calling. 51149 888 Rd. (402) 668-2250.
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Willow Creek State Recreation Area
"Two miles southwest of town, Willow Creek State Recreation Area is a 1,633-acre area with a 700-acre lake. The lake has an unsupervised swimming beach, four boat ramps, waterskiing, and good fishing. The area has 100 camping pads, 84 with electrical hookups, as well as picnic tables and shelters, fire grates, water, showers and modern restrooms.
The area has two playgrounds and an eight-mile hiking/horseback trail around the lake. Horseback riders may also use park roads. During the winter, roads and the lake (when ice is thick) are open to snowmobiles.
Seven rock jetties provide good fish habitat. Anglers catch bluegill, bullhead, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, pike, tiger muskie, walleye, sauger and wiper. The eastern half of the lake is open to all boating and waterskiing; the wooded west end is restricted to wakeless boating. A wheelchair-accessible fishing pier is also available.
Parts of the area are open to hunting, beginning the first Tuesday after Labor Day. Game includes dove, pheasant, quail, rabbit and waterfowl. Deer hunting is allowed, but is restricted to archery and shotgun slugs. No rifles or handguns are allowed.
The area is open year-round. Showers and dump station are open May 1-Oct 1, weather permitting. A state park permit is required. (402) 329-4053.
Pierce Community Golf Course is one mile northwest of town. (402) 329-4790.
For more information, contact the Pierce Tourism Committee. (402) 329-6702."
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