Sitting at the gateway to the Missouri National Recreation River, this picturesque park offers outdoor recreation and education for the entire family!
The Setting
This state park offers a multitude of activities in heavily forested, rolling hills as well as Missouri River bottomlands. The superbly scenic area offers park visitors all the amenities of a modern state park. The park is two miles from the northeast town of Ponca. Both the park and the town are named for the proud Native American tribe that once inhabited the area. It was the famed Ponca Chief Standing Bear who fought and won the court battle to have the Indian declared a “person” under American law. Here, too, Lewis and Clark passed through during their epic journey up the Missouri. The National Park Service has designated Ponca State Park as part of the Lewis and Clark Historical Trail. The dense woodlands offer a haven for many types of woodland wildlife and the park is an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society.
The Facility
There are 16 modern, two-bedroom cabins, 73 campsites with 30/50 amp electrical hookups, 27 sites without electricity, 60 non-pad sites and 5 hike in sites. The park encompasses over 2,200 acres and can keep everyone in the family active and entertained during their stay.
- Guided horseback trail rides
- Swimming pool (Lifeguard on Duty)
- Over 20 miles of hiking/mountain biking trails
- Boat ramp access to the Missouri River
- Picnic Facilities
- Modern restrooms
- Showers
- Dump station
- Outdoor Education Programs
- Interpretive Center
- Fishing
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- Fossil hunting
- Golf Course
- Playground
- Conference facilities
- Catering for special events
- Special events such as cookouts, Hallowfest, Missouri River Expo, Father’s Day weekend event
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Park Features
Ponca State Park features one of the state’s most comprehensive outdoor/environmental education programs. Onsite staff and volunteers help guide and educate visitors on the history, biology, ecology, astronomy, geology and archeology of the area. Many how-to programs on outdoor recreation are also given, including fishing, backpacking, wilderness survival, cooking and others. The over 20 miles of trails provides hikers and mountain bikers many opportunities to explore the park’s backcountry.
Experienced wranglers guide organized horseback rides through the scenic woodland bluffs and river overlooks. The woodlands come alive with sounds and sights of migrant and resident songbirds in the spring and the prairie ridgetops burst into bloom from late April to early June.
The oldest tree in Nebraska sits within Ponca State Park and bald eagles are seen roosting, soaring and nesting along the river. The combination of facilities, educational and recreational activities, and natural beauty has made Ponca State Park an annual family vacation or weekend outing for many generations a family tradition. Ponca State Park, located in northeastern Nebraska is truly the place “where families and nature meet.”
Address
Ponca State Park
88090 Spur 26E
Ponca, NE 68770
Learn more about this park and book your reservation online 
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