Small Town Beauty in Nebraska

Ashland is a small town for nature lovers and is the home base for a handful of golf courses.

A top attraction is the Strategic Air and Space Museum with authentic space and air machinery.

Visit the Eugene T. Mahoney State Park and enjoy the walking trails.

See the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. The park includes scenic prairies and wetlands featuring dozens of native North American animals among them bison, elks, cranes, and the new Wolf Canyon overlook.

The town of Aurora has many historical, architectural, and natural sites.

Visitors enjoy the Egerton Exploratorium Center, an interactive learning and science center.

History lovers like to visit the Plainsman Museum to learn about the history of people who lived and worked in the Hamilton County region.

Brownville, founded in 1854, is a historical small town. There are many hiking and biking trails to choose from and visit the surrounding vineyards.

Enjoy the music of bluegrass artists at the Brownville Concert Hall.

Surrounded by plains and places to see wildlife, Chadron is a small town for nature lovers.

Chadron State Park and the Pine Ridge National Recreation Area have campgrounds, hiking trails, and bodies of water for fishing and swimming.

Located in southwest Nebraska, McCook is a friendly town with historical sites and lovely public parks. It is in an area surrounded by four main prairie lakes, a river, and walking trails.

The local farms offer hands-on experiences of produce picking, cattle cutting, and a look at how the pilgrims once lived.

Visitors also enjoy seeing the Frank Lloyd Wright Sutton House.

The small town of Dodge is a friendly and strong community.

During the summertime you can enjoy swimming and fishing in the Elkhorn River.

Outdoor adventurers like the Dead Timber State Recreation Area.

The town of Nebraska City loves trees and makes a big celebration on Arbor Day.

Enjoy the tree-themed parks:

Arbor Day Farm is a landmark that includes the Tree Adventure, where visitors can explore a unique Treetop Village, hike forested trails, and learn about conservation techniques.

It also houses Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, which was once the home of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day. This estate features an arboretum, walking trails, and a tree-themed playground. The park is known for its beautiful gardens and diverse plant life.

Riverview Nature Park offers a serene environment with walking paths and natural landscapes, perfect for enjoying the beauty of trees and native plants.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there is the Steamboat Trace Bicycle Trail that weaves along water.

With a historic front street looking like it did in the days of the Wild West, Ogallala is an intriguing small town to visit.

See the little Catholic Protestant church.

You can enjoy having a picnic and birdwatching at Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala.

Visit the Ash Hollow State Historical Park to find out about the history of the regional geology, paleontology, ancient Native American life, fur trappers, and more.

The tiny town of Red Cloud is known for being the hometown of American writer Willa Cather, who is known for her novels of life on the Great Plains. She is one of America’s greatest Pulitzer Prize-winning writers. She established the Willa Cather Foundation, which offers a tour through seven important buildings.

Among them are Cather's childhood home, which is a National Historic Landmark, and other notable buildings like the Burlington Depot and the Red Cloud Opera House.

Visit the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie, a beautiful wide space that inspired many of her novels.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the town of Valentine offers amazing adventures. Recreation includes hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, horseback riding, camping, and more.

Explore the area around the Niobrara River and

the large Sandhills region with hiking opportunities.

Enjoy the Arthur Bowring Ranch State Historical Park, where visitors can get an interactive feel for ranching.