Woody was an amazing tour guide! He knew where all the eagles were and had some interesting…read moreknowledge on facts and animas. He was very kind, accommodating, and overall a joy to have as a guide. The scenery was beautiful as well. Would definitely recommend.

I've been on a few different airboat tours/rides and Woody's ranks right up there at the top! We…read morehad a group of 8 and booked for a 2 hour sunset ride. Woody (JC) was organized and got us all on the boat in time after completing the require paperwork. Woody made sure to stop and show us eagles nests which is cool but I also liked that he asked if I preferred to keep boating or stop for more eagle viewing. I like to keep moving (haha) so he made sure to please everyone! Even saw a few deer crossing the river. Super fun evening and we will be back for sure! Thanks Woody!!

I visited Branch Oak in Spring (when it was a little too cold for water sports, but not too cold…read morefor walking around and enjoying the nature). It's quite a large body of water (the 9th largest in Nebraska!), so there's a lot of space to boat and fish when it is the season. The last time we were there, we saw a duck migration and got some cool photos from that, so there's definitely some cool naturey things to see. Aside from that, there's not too much to do here, but it's a nice place to relax and get some light exercise (or do some boating, swimming, or camping when it's nicer out!)

We don't own a boat, so we weren't able to boat like a lot of revieweres, but we did find a big…read morepublic beach and set up shop for the day. We did have a seadoo, which was able to be put in near by and then we anchored near our spot. It was warm, and had a lot of shallow areas. Be aware of the sand/mud as it can pull you in and if you're not a great swimmer and cause panic, so just be careful. We camped across the lake and it was very pretty to watch the sunset and sunrise from our site. I look forward to coming back.

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

Kyle was the man on the boat !! Best customer service for any boat service you need. Go to valley…read moremarine for any winterizing etc.

I have owned boats for 30 years and live close to Valley Marine. Every few years I try their…read moreservice and get disappointed again. It was very simple service and they told me it would take a week. After 9 days I called and then they started working on it. The price seemed very high when they said it was just a blown fuse. When I asked why $130 in labor for a blown fuse? They brought the tech out to explain it. He was really upset he was even being asked and said he had to take the GD front end of the boat apart to fix it right. Very hostile. I paid my bill and thought, no more Valley Marine service. It wasn't the price, but they way they handled it.

Beautiful place to fish, walk, or picnic. Nice little tackle shop with bait and basic snacks…read more Beautiful areas to walk around the lake and also to camp with a great view of the scenery. Really nice and shady and green. A beautiful restaurant that overlooks the marina so you can overlook boats coming and going while you have a drink or food on the patio. Such a nice area!! Must have a park permit!!!

John, the owner of the marina, is truly a great person. We had a situation last year and our boat…read morereservation got cancelled because of a mechanical error. We are from Chicago but my sister lives in NE. Anyways, we came back a year later and John made it right for us and comped the boat for us. Really great people and the GM Mike and two Dylan's were super helpful. Thanks everyone! We has a terrific time thanks to you! Nancy

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!

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.

NP Dodge park is sort of a hidden gem of a park. Tucked away near Hummel park it's vast green and…read moreit's location butted up to the Missouri river make it a versatile park for multiple uses. Since living in the area for the past few years I've visited several times for different reasons. The park is large enough to take a nice stroll and walk your dog, there's trails near by that you can begin in the park and keep exploring. There are several soccer fields and open spaces to let children play as well. I also like that this park has several different parking lots so finding a spot is easy. One of the things I was wondering was how security is and if the police drive through to make sure there's no issues going on. I hope so! The park is kept in great condition. It's clean, there are a few different restrooms and the people I've come across seem respectful. Most recently, my boyfriend and I did the Florence Days 5K that began at NP dodge park! It was such a fun run and great to see the community come out to this area of Omaha! There's so much history out here as well as natural beauty that's easy to miss with the hustle and bustle of daily life. If you have yet to trek down this area I highly suggest that you do. Especially in the morning, it's absolutely gorgeous!

(NOTE: The NP Dodge Park Pavilion is currently closed because of the riverfront flooding. I called…read morethe parks department and they said it may be reopened in the future, so I wanted to sing its praises for when it reopens!) We held our wedding reception at the NP Dodge Park Pavilion. It has a wood cabin ambiance that fit perfectly with our naturey/rustic theme, and the best part - it was HUGE. It easily accommodated our 100+ guests, tables, chairs, dance floor, Photo Booth, etc! The best part is that it's literally just the venue rental, which may sound weird to say that's the "best part" - but it means that you can use your own caterer and decor, and not have to get stuck with all the set vendors that so many venues only allow you to use. There is also a cute little pond outside, that was perfect for a few more formal group shots, during golden hour. They allow you to have beer and wine for your event with the license you get, but that was fine with the guests we had. There's also a whole kitchen and bar area that was perfect for our caterer's needs. If they do open up the Pavilion again in the future, and you're looking for a cost-effective and beautiful event space, definitely check it out!

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!