The cave is the namesake: a big sandstone overhang carved with prehistoric petroglyphs, reached by an ADA-accessible boardwalk. (Be honest with yourself about the vandalism — it’s been carved over by modern visitors too, which is its own sad commentary.) But the park around it is the real story: 3,000 acres of Missouri River bluffs, oak-hickory forest, and 22 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.
This is the Nebraska that surprises people — steep, wooded, riverine. The fall color here is legitimately the best in the state, and the October Haunted Hollow event leans into the season with hayrack rides and decorated campsites.
Campsites run from electric to primitive, plus Adirondack shelters along the backcountry trails and a dedicated horse camp. It’s a haul from anywhere — south of Nebraska City, east of Auburn — so make it an overnight.