Platte River State Park is Mahoney’s quieter, woodsier sibling, five minutes down the road — and many locals prefer it. The park climbs through oak-hickory bluffs above the Platte, with ten miles of trails leading to a small waterfall, the river, and the 85-foot Lincoln Journal Tower, which is worth the climb for the valley panorama alone.
The lodging is the draw: modern cabins, camper cabins, and glamping tipis (May through October) that sell out to families who want the outdoors without the tent poles. Kids get a two-tier spray park, a playground, paddleboats, and an archery range with T-Rex targets. Scott Lodge’s restaurant serves bison specialties in summer.
It’s first-come, first-served camping much of the year, with full-hookup concrete pads — an easy Friday escape from either metro. Fall color here is excellent, and the crowds are a fraction of Mahoney’s.