80 Nebraskaland • April 2021
or many, those trails, covering more than
22 miles, are the prime attractions at
Indian Cave State Park.
They follow spring-fed streams, the river
bottom and ridgelines in the park, which
stretches more than 4 miles from end to e nd in
the forested bluffs along the Missouri River in
the state's southeastern corner. The climb to
the ridgetops will test the mettle of an out-of-
shape flatlander. But it's worth it to take in the
sweeping views of the forest and river valley.
Other than on busy fall weekends, or during
the spring when morel mushrooms hunters
descend on the park, you may not meet another
hiker. Throw a tent or sleeping bag on your back,
and you can stay in the backcountry, picking
from one of 20 Adirondack shelters or primitive
campsites scattered around the park.
Autumn in the forest, the largest oak
woodland in the state, is another big draw at
the park. Dubbed a "miniature Ozarks," it puts
on a colorful display of purples, yellows and
reds not found elsewhere in the state, thanks to
the diversity of trees at the northern or western
edge of their range.
The forest is relatively new, replacing the
tallgrass prairie that covered these hills when Otoe
Indians called the area home. It may have been
the Otoes who carved images of elk, buffalo and
other symbols on the walls of the cave for which
the park is named. Legend has it that trappers,
outlaws and others took shelter in the cave.
More recent history found at the park is the
town of St. Deroin, established by Joseph Deroin,
the son of French trader, and his Otoe wife
in 1853, the year before Nebraska became a
territory. There, visitors can watch living
historians demonstrate blacksmithing and make
candles and lye soap on weekends from late May
through October.
The town is also the halfway point on the
Haunted Hollow Hayrack Ride, part of the
Halloween festivities held at the park on October
weekends since 1996. The park's campgrounds
are brimming on those weekends, both with
campers and trick-or-treaters. But you are never
far from a trail, where you can escape into the
quiet and splendor of the forest.
N
Pick a Trail, Any Trail
F
