In my opinion this is the most beautiful place on Earth. It is beautiful lush and magical in the…read moregreens and blues of the summer. Lots of beauty and nature and a great trail. We have never seen other people here when we go during a weekday getaway.

Amazing views! My kids and I love to have picnics here and hike the trail. You can see all the way…read moreto Nebraska, absolutely beautiful.

First hike of the season turned into an amazing adventure! First, you will get lost unless you type…read morea physical address you find from their website. Don't type Loess Hills State Forest in your maps. You will find an "Hills Have Eyes" or "Wrong Turn" type of atmosphere. This is after you drive by the tarp covered shed with a spray painted sign stating, "Enter Here!!!" Ohhhhhhh snap!! The State Forest is comprised of 4 sections so do some research prior to going! We found an awesome trail (close to the overlook area) which runs by two ponds and was a total of 1.8 miles. Had some steep inclines and some open fields, it worked decent for 7kids who enjoyed the adventure. The overlook observatory area has its own trails and has great views extending miles out! Hint: take a picture of the map sign- it's easy to navigate! Bathrooms were accommodated at the trailhead!

Beautiful rolling hills and nature. A great place to take a walk while enjoying nature.read more

Absolutely gorgeous park with stellar views of Iowa and Nebraska!…read more Easy to navigate and offers a lot of great trails. Parking is all over with multiple trail head entrances. Offers peaks and valleys and I was lucky enough to see a sunset, and really enjoyed my time here. I would come back again.

We had a lovely hike thanks to all trails. Only a $5 fee and you have access to this beautiful…read morenature center. We took the chute and heritage trail loop. A little under three miles and brings you to the top of a ridge for panoramic views, deep forestry and ends with an awesome "chute" trail. The trails were marked clearly and maintained. I felt very safe and had service the whole time. It's also dog friendly. Can't wait to return for more adventures.

We had a fantastic time exploring Fontenelle Forest! Walking along the main boardwalk trail was…read morepeaceful and beautifully maintained, making it an incredibly scenic and accessible way to take in the trees and nature. Bird sanctuary was really well maintained! It was cool to see all the owls, hawks and falcons up closer.

First time visitor Free parking…read moreEntry fee based on member non member membership kid prices Friendly staff - explained all the look for and what to expect Shop Raptor refuge Exhibits Downstairs rattlesnake turtle kid friendly area Adventure treetop wasn't open while there but it was certainly a neat spot to zip like climb cargo nets do obstacles and in a forest setting, there is also an acorn area for kids to play in a acorn inspired playground Forest filled with trails flat hilly wraps around well defined - each trail with a little of history - boardwalk leads to overlooking the Missouri Plenty of signs to figure where you are at - very safe for solo and group travelers The raptor refuge was a pleasant surprise and also sad as multiple birds have had some type of Incident occur that would not allow them to go back into the wild but really glad they are taken care of by passionate staff individuals Steve shared with us Aero - great storyteller indeed Really would recommend to anyone who just wants to explore the outdoors and see a little bit of everything from water to bridges and tree line paths and hear the silence to enjoy the scenery Due note if you have to leave, you are able to come back (so yes to in and out privilege)

On my cross-country drive, this was a good area to stop in and I stumbled across Stone State Park…read moreand its adorable camping cabins. The cabins have to be booked for 2 nights so I had to book it the day-of. I barely made it in time to check in but I did - many thanks to the ranger for being patient! I recommend bringing cash if you try to same-day stay. The place was really adorable and cozy! There's an AC unit, a dehumidifier, a microwave, and a decent sized minifridge, along with a small table, bunk beds, and a futon. I was happy to be on a bed and just used my sleeping bag for sheets. As for the park, it has beautiful hills and sweeping views. I didn't take a longer hike but would absolutely not hesitate to stop by, for camping or hiking.

Beautiful state park. Lots of places to hike but also a lovely drive. Great views where you can see…read moreNebraska and South Dakota. There's a beautiful old building you can rent for events. Plenty of picnic tables for a day visit. There are campsites in the park too. Its a gem in northwest Iowa.

Pioneer Park is one of the best attractions in Nebraska…read more This park has it all (puts on SNL Stefon voice): -History (the pillars that were part of the original treasury building) -Culture (the statue and story of Red Cloud) -Nature (the beautiful scenery and ponds) -Wildlife (the buffalo/deer/etc) And it is just a few minutes from Lincoln and a short drive from Omaha! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a relaxing, but still adventurous, activity!

I was looking for another fun park to do some exploring. I found this and decided to check it out -…read morethere is so much here to see. I really wish I had known and found the older exploratory part of the park earlier in the day - I spent too much time on the picnic-y parts of the park, but I enjoyed it. The signs were a little bit misleading - there are parts of the exploritory area that are closed to the public but there was no warning of that when you were heading that way. I actually really enjoyed the bird observatory and the bridge. It was such a hot day but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

What a great not-so-little trail located in the heart of Westfield, Iowa! I had the pleasure of…read moretaking a stroll here the day after Thanksgiving as part of the #optoutside effort with my partner, whose folks live in the area. If you find yourself in this neck of the woods, I can't recommend this trail enough. Five Ridge Prairie features beautiful landscapes, and each ridge overlooks the rolling hills of the western side of the state. Even in fall, when things are much less green, and certainly not blooming, we really enjoyed this hike. It's a workout, too! Those ridges are no joke.

A wonderful State Park along the valley of the Platte River that provides amazing views in the…read moredrive there. The bottom area provides a place to stop and have a picnic, feed some fish and check out a "archaeological" area. It also provides some great hiking trails. They provide 2 trails that can be combined to give you a nice 2 mile hike. The trail follows down to a cool suspension bridge and you can get down into the creek area and explore the rocks. The trip back takes you through the forest to a high area of pine trees. They also have a nice playground and picnic pavilion up the hill as well. Take a moment on your road trip and stop and visit this amazing place.

This is a wonderful center for kids of all ages. The tinker/maker space is fantastic. There is also…read morea campsite creative play area that has great props to promote play.

Wanting to get our dogs away from the fireworks over the 4th of July weekend, we booked a 2-bedroom…read morecabin a year in advance (holiday weekends sell out really quickly!!). We ended up in Wood Duck in the area of cabins not too far from the entrance and park headquarters office. Some fireworks could still be heard in the distance from Ponca but nothing on the scale of what it was like back home. The best place would have been the cabins further away in the Scout Hill Loop but those were already taken at the time I booked. Still, we were very happy with our cabin. The two bedrooms were on either end of the cabin with the kitchen, living room, dining area, and bathroom in the middle. Either end had a door and a small deck. I would advise to bring your own camp chairs to sit outside. Pots, pans, coffee maker, dish soap, shampoo, bar soap, silverware and utensils were provided but I'm glad we brought our own scrubbie, paper towels, conditioner, and plastic cups. The AC in the cabin worked great for anyone wondering. Our girls are old so we didn't do much hiking but rather stayed on the paved areas and drove thru the park several times making stops at scenic places along the way. I spent some time visiting the beautiful Resource and Education Center and attended a "Critter Corner" event designed mostly for kids but I enjoyed it, too. The knowledgeable young park staff showed various animal pelts, skulls, antlers, horns, and a few resident turtles and snakes. The Center also had some books, puzzles, souvenirs, snacks, t-shirts, and other items for sale. There's a convenience store, small grocery and couple restaurants in nearby Ponca in case you forgot anything or wanted to get a pizza. I also visited the Aquatic Center one hot afternoon. It was a real nice heated zero entry pool with a diving board and 100 foot water slide. We really enjoyed our stay and already plan to return for a long weekend in the fall.

Had my daughter's graduation in one of the cabins and rented cabins for out of town guest for both…read moredaughters graduation. They could not have been more appreciative of the park and cabins. They still talk about how much they loved staying there