This quaint community is next door to the city limits of Omaha and the Omaha airport. Several parks…read moreopen to the public is available. If you want to have a good view of the lake, barbeque, have kids play basketball, use the skateboard park, or BMX bike course, visit Mabrey Park located on the corner 9f Willow Drive and 18th Street. They close by 10 pm and allow watercraft to be lowered by the ramps into the lake. Outdoor picnic seating is also available around the park area. No swimming is allowed at this park. You will have to visit Wavecrest Park for that.

Carter Lake is a former channel of the Missouri River and was formed by flooding of the Missouri…read moreRiver in the summer of 1877. The city of Carter Lake, Iowa takes its name from the lake and there is an interesting background story to this lake located near the Omaha Airport. In 1930, Carter Lake was incorporated as a city in the state of Iowa, a status it has retained ever since but there has been lots of fighting over it. Carter Lakes Colorful History states that "Carter Lake was once called Cut-Off Island - a fitting name for a place torn between two cities and two states, yet connected to neither." Iowa and Nebraska constantly battled for the city named Carter Lake and it's water feature born of a change of course of the Missouri River. The ensuing legal battle over whether Iowa or Nebraska had jurisdiction over Cut-Off Island went to the Supreme Court. In a 1892 ruling, the court sided with Iowa on the basis that state lines remain the same when a river avulsed, or dramatically altered, its path in 1877. Therefore, the land had never left Iowa, despite its position on the Nebraska side of the river. It is weird driving through the area, as you are in Nebraska one minute and Iowa the very next. Carter Lake has not escaped water pollution problems and in 2005, the lake had reached a crisis level. Due to a number of factors, the lake water level was both dangerously low and polluted with toxic algae. Placed on Nebraska's Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters for elevated concentrations of nutrients, the lake was no longer a place for recreation and beauty, but a haven for floating contaminants. Interested citizens formed the "Carter Lake Environmental Assessment and Rehabilitation Council," and a community based watershed plan was organized to help improve the water quality. Now Carter Lake is a recreational hub for the area. The park is a great place to launch a boat for water sports and fishing, and also has baseball and football fields, basketball courts, and areas for picnics and larger gatherings. It is a beautiful gem of a lake and worth 5 YELP STARS.

Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs has something for everyone who loves the outdoors. Have a…read moreboat? Launch it in the 753 acre oxbow lake for sailing, canoeing, or water skiing. Paddle boats are available to rent. Swim at the lifeguard protected swimming beach. Fish from the dock or from a boat in a quiet backwater. The campground offers modern bathrooms. There are hiking and biking trails that connect to the trail system in Council Bluffs. The picnic area has shelters for bigger groups and the Dream Playground is a wonderful place for kids with abilities and disabilities to really let loose and have fun. Lake Manawa is truly a great spot to enjoy being outside with family and friends.

This is probably the best park we've been to in a while! I love all of the slides and hidden…read morefeatures! Our kids are 2 and 3 and they loved it!

Pamela and her husband Kirk run the great airboat rides and Skipper Kirk (or is it Capt Kirk?)…read morewe're amazing hosts! We gathered at their property, got on board and got our safety briefing. Life jackets and ear muffs were provided. Then we shoved off to the river where we saw fish jump and Eagles fly. Two Eagle nests!!! Capt Kirk stopped on a sand bar in the middle of the river so we could all hop out and frolic in the ankle deep warm water. when we returned, our grandkids said, "Let's do it again!" So it was a big hit on this Sunday afternoon. Strongly recommend it!!!

From the owner: Take a Stinger Airboat ride on the Platte River on a uniquely designed pontoon style airboat. Relax…read morein style while viewing the beauty of nature all along the Platte. Open from end of May until Labor Day!

We went on the wood boat ride on the river front. The driver was friendly. Price is reasonable at…read morejust $4/person. They provided bread to feed the ducks, geese, and swans on the river. It was a peaceful tour around the river past a beautiful fountain and back.

I had my first experience with Heartland Gondolas Inc. last night. We had a reservation at 8:30pm…read morefor 4 people on the private Gondola. Mike, the owner, had told me on the phone that it would be $10 per couple. When we got there our boat driver (who wasn't Mike), told me it was $20 per couple. I informed him that was not what I was told by Mike. He walked about 100 yards away to talk with Mike and then came back to inform me that Mike thought there was only one couple that I booked, but he would go ahead and do it for $20 but I could tell he was super angry. The gentleman (I don't know his name) then proceeded to give us the cold shoulder the whole ride. Wouldn't answer questions unless asked several times and then just gave one word answers. He scowled the entire ride. I felt bad because of the confusion so I apologized again after we got off the boat. He looked away from me as I was talking and drank a big swig of his gatorade and then LITERALLY turned his back on me without a word. My family proceeded to thank him for his time and he didn't acknowledge any of them either. At this point I was furious. No matter how you feel you should never treat people this way. I immediately went over to Mike by the big boat and had a talk with him. Barely did I get my story out when Mike said he completely remembered our phone call and he had told the "boat guide" that our rate was $20 flat. So the boatman LITERALLY LIED TO US and then made us feel terrible and uncomfortable the entire ride with the grand finale of completely ignoring us at the end when I was only 1 foot in front of him. Mike was super nice and asked if I wanted my $20 back. I declined but I want to report this because the gentleman under his payroll was absolutely terrible and needs to be removed. He is most likely trying to scam all of us unsuspecting guests. If I hadn't talked to Mike I wouldn't have found out the truth. This ride would have been an amazing experience if it hadn't had been for the boatman. The view of the city and the fountain are breathtaking. I highly recommend doing a tour at sunset.

I enjoyed the disc golf course at this place! It is not directly location on the lake site, but…read morejust one road over. It's an open area with a fun course with lots of obstacles and the occasional turkey crossing! I wish the parking lot was a little bigger as when it gets busy it's hard to maneuver. Overall good course for Omaha!

Prairie Queen Rec Area is wonderful, a nice little 4 mile loop around the perimeter with no forks…read morein the path that will confuse you (talking to you, Walnut Creek and Chalco Hills, hah). This a perfect place for a run, walk, or bike ride with nice wide paved paths. The lake is good for small boats, kayak, paddle boarding, and fishing. There are some exit points around the perimeter that clearly go into the adjacent suburbs. Not many trees (aka little to no shade), but a nice peaceful walk regardless.

I purchased a Moomba surf boat from Victory Marine in 2021. It was quickly apparent that the boat…read morewas improperly prepared by the technicians at Victory. The decal letters on the side of the boat quickly came off due to improper adhesive work and had to be replaced. Plastic vent inserts were improperly installed and had to be repaired. This past season, we entrusted Victory Marine to store our boat for the winter. Without our permission, the staff at Victory pulled our boat from storage and displayed it at their boat show. Our boat was returned to us with damage to the hull and trailer, and Victory assumed no responsibility. We also received our boat with two dead batteries, which is the second year in a row this has happened. These infractions resulted in a better business bureau claim, during which Victory claimed that I gave them permission to show the boat, which is an outright lie. In addition, we had multiple warranty issues that needed to be repaired this season. When I went to pick up my boat, Victory staff stated that all repairs had taken place. However, it was only after I inspected the boat closer that I discovered several items that had not been taken care of. When I brought this to the attention of the staff, they told me those items were not covered. If you're in the market for a new boat, do your homework. A warranty is only as good as the company providing the service and the manufacturer providing the support. I will never do business with Victory Marine again.

Tim went out of his way to give great customer service. We appreciated his amazing follow up.read more

This is a nice place for a picnic lunch near "nature." Unfortunately, all of the 6 picnic tables…read moreare grouped under a pavilion-great if you have a group of 50 people and a reservation, but disappointing if you're an individual or small family and aren't the first one there. Boating, cycling, fishing, and walking are the main activities. The lake looks tiny at first, but it's 34 acres. There's a nice boat ramp for access. There is no playground. This rec area is run by the city of Papillion, unlike most local rec areas which are managed by the Papio NRD.

Best fishing guide in the metro area. I truly recommend this cat fishing guide service. He does…read moreeverything he can to put you on fish great captain great guide. Very knowledgeable To give you the best opportunity to land catfish And big catfish..

From the owner: We are a world class fishing charter on the Missouri River at Omaha,Nebraska. We are the #1…read morefishing charter on the Missouri River. We fish for trophy catfish on the Missouri River as well as offer boat tours of the Missouri River. The best fishing guides, boats, and equipment in the industry. Experience the Missouri River like never before when you book a fishing adventure with us!