Niobrara State Park sits where two rivers become one, and the location does all the heavy lifting: cabins perched on bluffs above the confluence, sunset views down the Missouri River bottom, and some of the darkest night skies in eastern Nebraska — northern lights photos come out of here.
It’s a full-service park with a personality: a small bison herd roams the grounds, the summer buffalo cookouts are a genuine tradition (reserve ahead), and guided horseback trail rides run seasonally. Fourteen miles of trails cover hiking, biking, and equestrian use, and the handicap-accessible fishing bridge over the Niobrara is excellent for catfish. Lodging ranges from modern cabins to furnished tipis and yurts.
The tent camping loops wind through hilly, cedar-dotted ground along three miles of one-way road — scenic but not for big rigs; RVers should take the Riverfront Campground with its 69 electric pads. Come in September for the cookouts without the July heat.