Platte River State Park
Wooded bluff hiking, an observation tower over the river valley, a shooting and archery range, and a great playground and summer sprayground — an easy family day out between Louisville and South Bend. Your Nebraska park vehicle permit covers Platte River, Mahoney, and Schramm the same day.
- Address
- 14421 346th St, Louisville, NE 68037 Open in Maps ↗
- Admission
- Park permit required
Known for
Tower views over the Platte and the summer sprayground
Look it up
Activities
- Observation TowerYear-round
The tower panorama over the Platte valley is the payoff — an easy climb with kids.
- SpraygroundSummer
The summer magnet — pack swimsuits and towels (you have beach towels from your unit anyway).
- Shooting Sports ComplexCheck hours
Archery and shooting sports — check hours before you go.
Trails
- Bluff TrailsVaries Easy–ModerateNatural
A network of wooded trails winding the bluffs between the river and the day-use areas.
Amenities
More beyond the gate
One of Nebraska's most-visited state parks, five minutes up the highway from the glampgrounds. Summer brings the aquatic center with its wave pool and slides; the Go Ape treetop course, horseback trail rides, paddleboats, and the observation tower run most of the season — and winter means sledding, ice skating, and the indoor activity center.
The Strategic Air Command's flagship museum — 40+ historic aircraft and spacecraft in two massive hangars with 300,000 sq ft of indoor exhibit space. The Cold War story told through icons like the SR-71 Blackbird, B-52 Stratofortress, and B-1B Lancer. Walk underneath them, stand in their shadows, peek into cockpits. Right off exit 426, minutes from the glampgrounds.
A drive-through safari run by Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo — bison, elk, pronghorn, and waterfowl from your own car windows along a 4-mile loop, then wolves, bears, and bald eagles along the walking trails at the end. Kids never have to leave their seats for the best parts.
The state-of-the-art Schramm Education Center — Nebraska-native fish in floor-to-ceiling aquariums — plus wooded bluff trails, a suspension bridge, and a fossil dig along the Platte River. The site of Nebraska's first fish hatchery, and one of the prettiest short hikes in the valley.