NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/923510
opes courses and water playgrounds … state- of-the-art aquariums and touch tanks … these are just a few of the exciting attractions coming soon as part of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Venture Parks complex. Yet excitement isn't the Commission's only goal. After the opening of Platte River State Park's Crawdad Creek in the fall of 2016, Owen Roberts-Day visited with his daughter, Hattie. Owen watched his daughter happily playing in the water, where children are encouraged to get wet and learn about the creek's resident fi sh and frogs. She repeatedly pulled the trigger on her water pistol, shooting water into the creek. "As a teacher, I know many families who can't afford to go on lavish vacations, but can afford the $6 it takes to get a carload of people into one of our state parks for a day," said Roberts-Day, who frequently visits Nebraska's state parks with his family. "Plus, it's right here in our own backyard." Since 1921 when Nebraska's fi rst state park opened near Chadron, Nebraska's state parks and recreation areas have provided families and individuals the chance to hike, fi sh, camp and enjoy Nebraska's great outdoors. Over the years, as park visitors' tastes have evolved, Nebraska's state park system has responded by offering larger and more modern lodging, more electrical sites, and wheelchair- accessible fi shing piers, among other features. But Crawdad Creek, with its picturesque pools that invite park guests to get wet, is new territory. It was the very fi rst feature to be completed as part of the Venture Parks complex, which aims to meet the needs of a new generation of park visitors who expect more activities and amenities. Venture Parks will bring innovative, educational, exciting and often unexpected features including a treetops ropes course, a climbing wall, glamping cabins and much more to four southeastern Nebraska parks – Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, Platte River State Park, Schramm Park State Recreation Area and Louisville State Recreation Area. "We wanted to look at our parks differently – to use them differently – to introduce people to a safe environment where they could experience nature," said Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Director Jim Douglas. Crawdad Creek is just the start. R "The most exciting parts for me about the Venture Parks complex is meeting the needs and wishes of the next generation of parkgoers in a way that leads to a greater appreciation for the outdoors, and watching the combined enthusiasm of all the people that are making this happen." — Jim Douglas, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Director SPLASH PAD concept rendering for Platte River State Park. NEBRASKAland Magazine • VENTURE PARKS