Platte River State Park

Visitors To This One Of The Nebraska State Parks Can Sleep In A Native American Tepee

Platte River State Park is 418 acres of mainly forested land on the rolling hills of Cass County in Nebraska. It has some beautiful views of the Platte River on which the park is located.

The Platte is a tributary of the Missouri River and is probably the major river of Nebraska.

In terms of its history it is one of the most important rivers in the United States as it was the route for a number of major trails that the settlers took in their westward journey across America.

The routes that used the valley of the River Platte included the Bozeman, Oregon, California and Mormon Trails. The river flows slowly over the vast plains of Nebraska and it typically took a number of different channels in its course and created numerous small islands. It was usually too shallow and unpredictable for even a canoe to travel for very far along its waters.

Sunset Over The Platte River In Nebraska

But the river provided much of what the pioneers required on their westward journey. There was water and good grass for the livestock and plentiful buffalo to shoot for food and the "buffalo chips" turned out to be excellent fuel for the fires. It is estimated that nearly half a million travellers took these routes through the valley of the Platte River.

Many of them would have passed by what is now the Platte River State Park where they hark back to these old times by letting visitors rent a tepee to stay in during the summer months. Sleeping up to eight people, the only way these homes differ from the traditional style is that they have wooden floors.

A Native American Tepee

Unfortunately there are no facilities at the camp for either primitive or RV camping. However, there are 21 fine cabins which can be rented all year round. These cabins are all fully equiped with everything you will need for your vacation but another 31 other cabins called "camper cabins" are only equiped with a refrigerator and you have to share centalized restrooms.

There is a lodge at Platte River S.P. which is ideal for group meetings for up to 150 people. Known as Mallet Lodge it has wireless internet and its own kitchen. As well as this lodge there is a visitor center and an outdoor amphitheater where campfire programs take place during the summer.

Other facilities include a small restaurant, only open in the summer months, an arts and crafts center, tennis courts, swimming pool and a shooting and archery range. The park has ten miles of wonderful trails for hikers to enjoy whilst horseback riders can hire a horse and take rides with an experienced guide.

Entrance Sign For The Platte River S.P.

Other attractions in the area around Platte River State Park include the Strategic Air and Space Museum, a Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari and another great Nebraska park, the Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.

Here is the address and contact details for the park -

Platte River State Park
14421 346th Street
Loisville
Nebraska 68037-3001

Phone - (402)234-2217

This is a county map of Nebraska with the position of the park indicated with a star.

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