We finally made it! Our last stop on our tour of wedding venues in the Siouxland area, but the only one located in the great state of Nebraska. Ponca State Park is an amazingly beautiful
We finally made it! Our last stop on our tour of wedding venues in the Siouxland area, but the only one located in the great state of Nebraska. Ponca State Park is an amazingly beautiful treasure located just half an hour east of Sioux City. A place where you can stretch your legs and enjoy nature, this venue is the perfect destination for couples wanting a quiet retreat and reprieve from city life.
Comprising of 2,400 miles of wilderness, Ponca State Park is expansive and impressive, offering picturesque backdrops of some of the most scenic Loess Hills views you’ll come across in your journey through Siouxland. In fact, during my drive along Highway 20, I kept admiring the rolling hills, and how much it reminded me of a Grant Wood painting.
From Capitol Hill to Loess Hills
Getting its name from Ponca Chief Standing Bear who took his fight to the legislature and won a court battle demanding that the Native American shall be declared a “person” under American law. This act of bravery ensured Chief Standing Bear would go down in history as one of the rallying voices to fight for indigenous people’s rights.
This is why having this state park here is so important to the well-being of the land and its people. Protected from development, this stretch of land consists of 20 miles of trails, allowing visitors a glimpse of how the land looked hundreds of years ago.
Shop and stop…and learn
Arriving at the visitor center, I was impressed with all of the souvenirs, from t-shirts and baseball hats, to magnets and coffee mugs. Past the gift shop is an interpretive center which educates visitors of the first inhabitants of this land, settlers seeking out new territory, and the prehistoric fossils found in the river bed.
I even found my way to a dimly lit theater that showed on repeat a 10-minute film illustrating how important the Missouri River is to the ecology of the land and environment. From fishing, to snow geese migration, this unchanneled 59-mile stretch of the Missouri River is really a relic of the past. The film goes on to explain how the river stays constant while the world around it changes, which is why it is so important to educate our youth of its importance. In fact, the state park rangers teach workshops to young adults educating them on how to recognize snow tracks of the different species of animals native to this area and when certain species of fish are spawning.
Hiking is hill-areas
After watching this short film, I walked outside and around the visitors’ center, then got back into my car and started exploring the park. Along the way I came across the Towers of Time, which stands at the entrance of Ponca State Park. The stone sculptures stand 27 feet tall and depict the faces of the indigenous people that first inhabited the area, wildlife native to this region, and also prehistoric sea creatures and mammals that roamed this very land millions of years ago. Today however, instead of woolly mammoths, you may spot a barred owl, wild turkey, coyotes, foxes and even wintering bald eagles!
In addition, visitors can relax on nearby benches and listen to the man-made waterfall which cycles the water down a stream to small pond, then back up again. And if you stick around for sunset, you’ll see the pillars and pathways illuminated with landscape lighting. For a more in-depth read on Nebraska’s largest single gift of art to ever be donated to the state, check out this website (https://www.imagesinbrick.com/towers-of-time).
Past the park entrance is the waterpark which is only open during the spring and summer months, but would be an excellent source of entertainment for the children in your group. Further down, the road forks in the middle, and you can loop around to the left or right allowing you views of the natural landscape from every direction.
Camping is in-tents
On your drive you’ll come across primitive campsites, to fully furnished cabins; 27 of them being year-round! Personally, I love the idea of having your wedding here, then driving your “just married” go cart up the hill to your honeymoon suite, and maybe even having some close friends and family rent out the surrounding cabins to make it a cozy little neighborhood of mischief and exploration.
And after your big day, enjoy a mini-honeymoon here in the park with horseback riding, fishing, golfing, kayaking, and if you book in the fall, maybe even a hayrack ride! There is truly so much to do in Ponca State Park, and the best part is that you’re out of the city with little to no light pollution, allowing you to admire the beautiful stars after the sun sets.
To keep up to date on upcoming events at and around the park, visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PoncaStateParkNE), and for more reading material regarding cabin rentals and this history of Ponca State Park, visit the following lings:
- http://outdoornebraska.gov/ponca/
- https://nebraskastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/ponca-sp/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NE&parkId=230143
- https://visitnebraska.com/ponca/ponca-state-park
- https://missouririveroutdoorexpo.com/ponca-state-park/
- https://stateparks.com/ponca_state_park_in_nebraska.html
- https://www.imagesinbrick.com/towers-of-time
402-755-2284
88090 Spur 26 E.
Ponca, Nebraska 68770
Hours of Operation:
Mon – Sun: 8am to 8pm
