HomeOmaha, NE5 Best Hiking Trails in Omaha, NE

5 Best Hiking Trails in Omaha, NE

Below is a list of the top and leading Hiking Trails in Omaha. To help you find the best Hiking Trails located near you in Omaha, we put together our own list based on this rating points list.

Omaha’s Best Hiking Trails:

The top rated Hiking Trails in Omaha, NE are:

  • Lauritzen Gardens/Kenefick Park – offers everyone engaging educational and aesthetic experiences
  • Prairie Queen Recreation Area – has a variety of fauna, wild grasses, and birds
  • Cunningham Lookout – provides a range of recreational activities
  • Chalco Hills Recreation Area – top outdoor recreation facility in the Metro area
  • Heron Haven Nature Center – includes a sizable Education Center where short courses and talks on natural history

Lauritzen Gardens/Kenefick ParkHiking Trails in Omaha

Lauritzen Gardens/Kenefick Park is an exceptional four-season plant display living museum that is kept up to the greatest standards in environmental stewardship. It offers everyone engaging educational and aesthetic experiences.

Escape to a serene and beautiful urban retreat to bask in the majesty of the garden. Find a secret haven in the middle of the metropolis. This living plant museum, conveniently placed amid the lovely riverbank hills, is a relaxing place to develop your mind.

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LOCATION:

Address: 100 Bancroft St, Omaha, NE 68108
Phone: (402) 346-4002
Website: www.lauritzengardens.org

REVIEWS:

“Absolutely superb botanical gardens. Very large and diverse park with plenty of shaded areas and well-kept paths. The whole park is quiet the walk but they do offer a tram experience so if walking is difficult you can still experience all the park had to offer. Also has a super neat model train exhibit that is a must-see especially if you have kids. Really cool place.” – Shawn S.

Prairie Queen Recreation AreaTop Hiking Trails in Omaha

Prairie Queen Recreation Area, the newest family-friendly outdoor recreation area in the Omaha Area opened its doors in March 2015. You can go boating on the lake and then watch a game or special event in Werner Park later in the day. On the four kilometers of paved trails that encircle the lake, you can go bicycling and hiking, have a picnic, and finish the day by taking in a fantastic live concert at the Sumtur Amphitheater.

This new Recreation Area has a variety of fauna, wild grasses, and birds that you can observe. Having a picnic, going on a stroll, riding a bike, fishing, or renting a boat at Prairie Queen is also a great way to unwind from the frenetic pace of modern life. When you combine efficient flood control with bettering water quality, this also contributes to the creation of fantastic recreational opportunities.

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LOCATION:

Address: NE-370 & S 132nd St, Omaha, NE 68138
Phone: (402) 444-6222
Website: www.papionrd.org/prairie-queen-recreation-area

REVIEWS:

“We walk here. Great paved trail that can be 2 or 3 miles or 5 miles if the whole route is done. The city of Papillion has done a good job of getting snow off trails this winter. Also fishing and picnicking, etc.” – Joan H.

Cunningham LookoutHiking Trails Omaha

Cunningham Lookout, visit Lake Cunningham for a unique outdoor adventure. They provide a range of recreational activities to help you have fun and connect with nature, whether you are strolling their trails, planning your picture-perfect vacation, or having an event at the C. Located in north central Omaha, Nebraska, Lake Cunningham is a 390-acre lake encircled by a 1,050-acre park.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the lake, which was made available to the public in 1977, as a flood control and recreation project. Tent camping, no-wake boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, picnics, and horseback riding were among the recreational pursuits.

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LOCATION:

Address: Glenn Cunningham Lk Pk Rd, Omaha, NE 68122
Phone: (531) 201-5754
Website: www.explorethec.com

REVIEWS:

“Very beautiful lake, hiking trails, football frisbee, small Beach area, rentals for sailboats/kayaks/canoes, boat ramp, fishing, camping.” – Mary D.

Chalco Hills Recreation AreaGood Hiking Trails in Omaha

Chalco Hills Recreation Area is the top outdoor recreation facility in the Metro area. You can go fishing, have a picnic, cycle, hike, or run on more than 7 miles of trails at Chalco Hills (North Loop is 4.5 miles, and Full Loop is 7.2 miles). The Papio-Missouri River NRD oversees the area. This public leisure area’s primary entrance is located at 154th and Giles Road.

Wehrspann Lake, a 245-acre flood control reservoir that is prominently located near Chalco Hills, is regarded as one of Nebraska’s top fishing locations as a result of anglers’ support for catch and release. One of the eight flood control reservoirs in the Papio Creek Watershed that surround Omaha is Wehrspann Lake. Fish including largemouth bass, catfish, walleye, sunfish, and crappie are plentiful in the lake.

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LOCATION:

Address: 8901 S 154th St, Omaha, NE 68138
Phone: (402) 444-6222
Website: www.papionrd.org/chalco-hills-at-wehrspann-lake

REVIEWS:

“Huge park with lots of fishing spots, playgrounds, trails, and deer. You actually can’t drive or walk through here without seeing a deer, they’re everywhere. All of the facilities are really well kept.” – Orion M.

Heron Haven Nature CenterOne of the best Hiking Trails in Omaha

Heron Haven Nature Center is a wetland fed by a spring and a wildlife sanctuary. Within Omaha’s city limits, the sanctuary contains one of the few Big Papillion Creek oxbow wetlands. Heron Haven is a valuable resource for the Omaha community in terms of education and research. The wetland is used by biology and ecology students from nearby colleges and schools to perform ecological research and surveys of local plants and aquatic creatures.

Additionally, Heron Haven includes a sizable Education Center where short courses and talks on natural history, photography, birding, and conservation are conducted. A modest natural history museum and a reference library with books, journals, and videos are also located inside the education center.

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LOCATION:

Address: 11809 Old Maple Rd, Omaha, NE 68164
Phone: (402) 493-4303
Website: www.heronhaven.org

REVIEWS:

“Beautiful place for a nature walk in the city. Literally in the middle of a neighborhood and you’d never know. Spent about an hour moseying the trail and boardwalk. We saw frogs, ducks, geese, fish, and beautiful flowers Arby’s plants in the butterfly garden.” – Kristin K.