POTTER’S PASTURE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL ROWE SANCTUARY SYDNEY WALSH/AUDUBON South Central Ready to see quintessential Nebraska? The Kearney Water Trail invites you to drop a kayak or canoe into Turkey Creek. Choose Cambridge’s Medicine Creek State Recreation Area for lakefront cabins, swimming, fishing and boating. Every spring, the great Sandhill Crane Migration brings nearly one million sandhill cranes to the Central Platte River Valley. Join the flock at Crane Trust Nature Center in Wood River and Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon. In Red Cloud, the never-plowed Willa Cather Memorial Prairie is ideal for sky-viewing — picnics and birding, too. CAMP YOUR WAY PRIMITIVE CAMPING Two Rivers State Recreation Area in Waterloo offers a variety of camping opportunities, including dozens of primitive campsites. Elm Creek’s Sandy Channel State Recreation Area features primitive sites for a camping/fishing combo. RECREATIONAL VEHICLE CAMPING Go for a lakeside RV camping adventure at Marsland’s Box Butte Reservoir State Recreation Area . For the perfect Sandhills camping destination, consider Valentine’s Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area , the state’s first International Dark Sky Park. Southwest Wide-open spaces and lake escapes await in Southwest Nebraska. Brady is a haven for mountain bikers. Ride through 1,200 acres of native grasses, hills, tree groves and canyons along the 100-mile Potter’s Pasture Mountain Bike Trail . McCook’s Red Willow Reservoir State Recreation Area is a favorite among water lovers, anglers, hunters and campers. Boating, swimming, water skiing and relaxing on sandy beaches are just a few options at Ogallala’s Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area ; the neighboring Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area is prime for paddling and fishing, too. 20 EQUESTRIAN CAMPING Fairbury’s Rock Creek Station State Recreation Area offers horse corrals and six miles of riding trails. In Crawford, campsites blend with horse pens and 20 miles of trails at Fort Robinson State Park . GLAMPING Reserve a fully furnished cabin equipped with Wi-Fi, fireplace, gas grill and full kitchen at Ponca State Park in Ponca. With a variety of cabins, camp and glamp your way at Louisville’s Platte River State Park . VisitNebraska.com/outdoors-nature
Nebraska Official State Travel Guide The Official 2025 Not-At-All What You Thought State Travel Guide: Page 20
