A month after my first to Spirit Mound Historic Prairie, I'm still in awe of the peacefulness and…read morenatural beauty. Visiting the second week of August was perfect-the yellow daisies were in full bloom. What made the experience even more special was that we had the place to ourselves around 4:00 p.m., making it feel incredibly serene. We had so much fun taking photos of the vibrant flowers, including close-ups of a bee and a butterfly, adding to the magic of the moment. I got so caught up in the beauty of the prairie that I did not read the interpretive signage to learn more about the history. Next time!

What a nice little stop on our road trip! There's a great amount of history here, make sure to read…read morethe informational plaques. If you happen to go on a nice sunny day the views are spectacular! You pass a stream on your way up to the mound. Once you get to the mound you can see views far and wide, no wonder it was a great spot chosen by the expedition party. We brought our dogs with us so they could enjoy the walk as well, there were others with their dogs too so I would say this place is dog friendly. No bathrooms per se, only a port-a-potty that badly needed cleaning. There was plenty of parking. We went later in the day but this place still seemed a little busy.

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.

This spot is made for all hikers, adventurers, and those who may not want to hike, but want a quick…read moreday trip for some scenic views. Murray Hill Scenic Overlook is just an hour North of Omaha up I-29. I discovered Murray Hill after a few quick Google searches for hiking spots. Murray Hill is one of two trailheads for Brent's Trail, which is a challenging hike across 8 miles. Be careful though, this is not a loop trail so one trailhead to the next is 8 miles alone. We hiked 5 miles total, turning back at 2.5 miles. The 5 miles alone was a great workout and featured some amazing views. I can't recommend this scenic overlook enough! Can't wait to return in Spring!

A great place to do a little hiking with a beautiful view. Picnic table to eat lunch or supper…read morewhile enjoying nature and gazing over the hill for a quite breathetaking view.

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

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

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.

This park holds a ton of memories for me. My family would venture here often when I was a child. I…read moreremember having larger family gatherings here from time to time. It's very well maintained and has a few 'indoor' restroom options. There's a very long main loop around the lake that is about 3mi and VERY hilly. I know there's hiking path and such as well. A few small paths exist. It's a lot of fun on bikes and quite kid friendly. Two large playground areas and a couple fishing docks. Also plenty of parking. The dog park is newer and very nice. Can be very busy, tho. It's so clean. I'm proud of SIoux City and surrounding citizens for keeping this place so nice. Totally free; no entrance fee. Can kayak on the lake, but it's too small for boats. Maybe a paddle boat. I'm sure the shelters can be reserved but I don't have information on that. A couple water fountains are available. Don't forget sun screen!!

This nearly 3 mile walk around the lake is really beautiful. Moderate hills and dog friendly with…read moreadjacent dog park. Highly recommended.

Went out for a hike. We liked the look of this place on the SD State Parks site. You don't really…read moresee the park at all while driving up to it, and after all the farm fields and flat land, the trees and ravines are rather surprising. It was $4 for 1 adult, $6 per carload to enter the park. We first visited the playground and had a picnic lunch. The playground is very nice. There are only pit toilets available there. We did not explore much of the campground area at all. We drove on and parked at the end of the road and started on the Woodland Trail. We went down a steep hill and entered onto the Turkey Trot trail which connects over to the multi-use (horse, bike, hike) Blue Diamond Trail. We ran into a few sets of horseback riders on the Blue Diamond, and were warned of some bees in the area so we turned around. By this time it was naptime for our daughter (she did sleep in the pack a little bit) so we decided to head back. The uphill portion was moderately strenuous and took us about 10 minutes. There were a lot of families out as well as some ROTC groups. Overall had a nice hike. Will be back, if only because it's such a different landscape than the rest of the area.

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.