| Situated astride the picturesque Missouri River bluffs in northeastern Nebraska, Ponca State Park is at the eastern gateway of the Missouri National Recreational River, a 59-mile section featuring the only unchannelized section of the river bordering Nebraska.
Designated under the Scenic River Act in 1978, this section of river gives visitors a glimpse of how the untamed river looked before modern man changed it forever.
The park is two miles from the town of Ponca. Both the park & the town are named for the proud Native American tribe that once inhabited the area. It was the famed Ponca Chief Standing Bear who fought & won the court battle to have the Indian declared a "person" under American law. His achievement won him a place not only in history but also the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
Here, too, Lewis & Clark passed through during their epic journey up the Missouri.The National Park Service has designated Ponca State Park as part of the Lewis & Clark Historical Trail.
Ponca State Park encompasses nearly 1,400 acres of heavily forested rolling hills & Missouri River bottomland. The superbly scenic area offers park visitors all the amenities of a modern state park. Established in 1934, the first 200 acres were donated by local citizens, sponsored by the Ponca American Legion Post. |
Campground: Ponca State Park in Ponca Nebraska *
