Recreation and Wildlife

Platte and Elkhorn River

 

 

Public Access

PLEASE NOTE: Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area and Graske Crossing Recreation Area are temporarily closed due to high water flows in the Elkhorn River. No reopening date has been chosen.

 

Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area

Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area is located just east of the intersection of 252nd and Bennington Rd. in Douglas County. The site reopened in the fall of 2009, it now features much improved camping facilities and a more spacious environment.
No entry fee is required at Elkhorn Crossing. Camping will also be free, with a 14-day stay limit. The public-access site features a boat ramp, improved camping facilities, new RV pads (no electrical hookups), small playground, new hand-pump well, and new restrooms. The revitalized park provides a large-group camping location for local youth, families, river float trip enthusiasts and others. Camping is not available at many other river-access parks in this area. For safety and environmental reasons, the park will be glass free.

The boat ramp will be used by many as a put-in location for float trips to the river access site at W. Maple Rd or the NRD's Graske Crossing Park near W. Dodge Rd. These three sites facilitate short to moderate river float trips for tubers, canoeists, and kayakers. These activities have blossomed in our metro area due to the NRDs construction of river launch and landing areas. The NRD built the site at Maple Street that is now operated by the Village of Waterloo. The District opened Graske Crossing last fall.

The rustic, 23-acre Elkhorn Crossing park is managed by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District and was constructed in 1989 as part of a major riverbank stabilization project by the NRD and the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission.

Thousands of immigrants, bound for the west, camped near this area waiting to cross the river.

 

Hours

• Open 6 a.m. to 10p.m.
• Closed for winter Nov. 1 through April 1.
• Permits for special use may be granted by the NRD.

West Maple Site

Even with Elkhorn Crossing in place, public access to both the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers was lacking. A new Papio-Missouri River NRD plan to construct access points for canoeing, tubing or rafting on the scenic Elkhorn River began in 2006 with the completion of a site near the West Maple Bridge across from the Village of Waterloo. The village will maintain this area that features canoe launching and landing, picnicking, restrooms and parking. The land was donated to the Village of Waterloo by the Robinson family.

Graske Crossing

Graske Crossing, our newest access area, opened in the fall of 2008 and is near W. Dodge Rd. This area is about a two-hour float trip from the site at Waterloo. Land for this project was donated to the NRD by the G & G Manufacturing Company, owned by the Graske family. It also features canoe launching and landing, parking, picnicking and restrooms.

A third site is being evaluated

Both Graske Crossing and the site near Waterloo are open from April 1st through November 1st 6:00 a.m. thru 10:00 p.m.

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