We’ve lived in Omaha for almost 4 years and the fact that we ended up here still surprises both of us. We love big experiences and feel our most selves when we are hiking mountains or swimming in lakes or oceans and Omaha doesn’t necessarily have any of the above in close proximity. HOWEVER we have recently started embracing the outdoor experiences that we DO have within driving distance of us and we have been surprised at the places we have found! Our most recent little weekend trip took us on the Loess Hills Scenic Byway which offered a combination of bluff views and rolling hillsides and landed us at Preparation Canyon State Park.
where we stayed
Preparation Canyon offers ten dispersed camping sites that are first come first serve. When we planned this trip we were feeling more of a car camping vibe (camping where your car is more accessible vs. backcountry where you have to carry everything into the woods) but next time we will for sure do the dispersed camping situation. This time though we booked a last minute reservation at a little mom and pop campground called Loess Hills Hideaway just outside the park.
The campground had 6 rv/tent sites available with electric hookups. The campground also had a couple of rustic cabins that could be rented. There was a community shower house/ bath house that was well maintained and very clean. There was wood for sale and even a washing and dryer if you needed it! The campsites were $15 a night and although they were very close together we lucked out with a spot on the end and didn’t have any neighbors. Worth noting it is cash only and there isn’t reliably someone there to give you change — so bring exact cash. The campground itself is very quiet which was exactly what we were looking for. It’s about a 7 minute drive to the southeast parking lot of Preparation Canyon so you can quickly hit the trails even if you opt to not stay at the state park. We didn’t have time, but there are also a few trails that you can access directly from the campground.
The hiking
Preparation Canyon State Park is nestled in the Loess Hills and it’s only an hour straight north of Omaha.
Whether you’re going up for the day or planning a camping trip in the area I highly recommend throwing on some hiking boots, a camel back, and some snacks and hitting the trails. A few things worth noting — as with a lot of central Midwest hiking, the park and trails are not marked as well as they could be. But do not be deterred, it’s still 100% worth your time. I just wish we would have had a little more guidance before we went.
We struggled to find parking when we just followed the google directions to get into the park so I would suggest parking by the dispersed camping parking lot on the southeast side of the park.
what we cooked
This trip was short and sweet and although I’d love for every meal to be photo-worthy I knew for sanity sake I had to keep the meals for this trip simple.
Dinner
We’re relatively new to camping still (only about two years of experience) and are still finding out camping groove, so we decided to try making foil packs for the first time. If you’re unfamiliar it’s a super simple camping meal that’s literally just chopping up veggies/potatoes and whatever protein you want, tossing it in olive oil, sprinkling it with salt, wrapping it in foil, and throwing it on the fire. The cleanup is minimal and the flavors that result from the food cooking together is just top notch. To make things even more simple I chopped all my ingredients before we left the house so as soon as we were ready to eat I could just toss everything in the foil!
We used squash, potatoes, and onions for our foil packs and they were super delicious!
Dessert
Keeping with the super simple theme, but knowing we would want something sweet, I packed a chocolate bar and a jar of PB to satisfy that post-dinner craving. Keep your chocolate in the cooler to ensure it doesn’t melt!
Breakfast
When we left for this trip I was trying my darned to not go to the store so our breakfast situation is a little random. I grabbed a bad a Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi, sautéed it in some coconut oil, added in some mixed greens once the gnocchi was all crispy, and then topped it with some sunny eggs. Super random, but it was truly so filling and satisfying.
The sunset spot
Loess Hills Overlook was a stunning place to watch the sunset. There’s a trail that is accessible from the overlook which we are certainly going to do next time. We went to the overlook in the middle of the day and took in the gorgeous rolling hills and wildflowers and knew we needed to return for sunset.
When we arrive for sunset there was a group already hanging out at the top of the overlook so we decided to just back up our car, pop the trunk, and lounge in our car to have more privacy. I truly was blown away by the incredible sunset colors.
If you’re in need of a little getaway from Omaha or just wanting to immerse yourself in nature I can not recommend this area enough!
