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.

Beautiful rolling hills, nature and water. The East Butler High school clears a path for the cross…read morecountry team that is great for walking or running. It's a nice uphill 3 mile loop. I saw deer, turkeys, butterflies, and a ground squirrel. Nice breeze.

Whether it's Frisbee golf camping running hiking or bicycling, there's always something to do here!…read more A Corps of Engineers park that has been thoroughly restored, offering a marina, barbecue spots, and boat rentals for the lake. The 10 km path around the lake is perfect for relaxing or working out. Cannot say enough positive things about this location. A pretty and restful spot just outside the city.

If it wasn't for moving out to this area of town I probably wouldn't have a clue that this…read morebeautiful lake and park existed. Of course, I've seen the sign along the highway and my boyfriend had mentioned it before but none of that made much of an impression as the actual place did. Our first visit here was to break in our new bicycles. We entered on the west side of the lake where there is a pier for boats. There is another pier on the other side of the lake close to the camp ground but where we entered it was near a nice covered picnic area. We rode our bikes along the path twice here and enjoyed every bit of it. Since then I've gone a few times with my bike to ride and I loved every second of it. The staff here does a great job maintaining the path, piers, frisbee golf area and the ensuring the trash cans are all taken care of. I haven't camped on their campground yet but it always looks to be pretty tidy. I know my nephew has stayed there for a cub scout camp weekend and I didn't hear any complaints from their experience. One of the things I like about this area is there is a designated day camp area, they also have a lot of events going on here. I've noticed a couple of triathlons here. I appreciate having this gorgeous lake, park, camp area, close by and well kept. It is such a hidden gem just on the other side of the highway. I look forward to spring and summer next year to break out our bicycles again and maybe even spend a weekend camping here. If you have yet to check this lake out I highly recommend that you do! The path is almost seven miles with a good amount of benches along the way so you can also just sit back, relax, and enjoy being amongst nature!

Nice little gem to enjoy peace and quiet and good scenery. Good place to get away from people and…read moreenjoy a hike. Good, clear trails and a great view of the lake as you approach.

Fun place to take the kids and cast a lure or two. The small lake is stocked with various game…read morefish and is very convenient for someone who lives in Lincoln.

Much nicer since they updated the fishing area. A decent small lake in the middle of air park with…read morefishing areas available. Also small boats with no motors can be on the lake. Some upgrades to the roads in from NW 48th could be done and other care to make it as nice as the new docks. But overall it's not a bad area lake.

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!