Ponca

Jesus Rodriguez

I loved the park, the views are incredible, the paths are well marked and the landscapes are very beautiful.

Sarah Cleveland

A. Absolutely Beautiful way to spend a day in nature. The views are gorgeous. There are so many hiking trails, many of them quite easy. The people in the park office were really helpful and so nice. We had never been before, but we're planning on renting a cabin and coming back in the future!

Samantha Larson

We love Ponca! The cabins are comfortable and pretty well appointed. The trails are fun to explore and we always hit the pool a few times. The nearby town of Ponca has some great little shops. The main office of the state parks does lots of little events and programs at free or low cost. We’ll be back next year!

Jim Raymond

The cabin was very nice and clean.The grounds were very clean I was very impresse, Employees don't know what river runs through their park Also at any cabin in the park. If you decide to go to the boat dock Or river, there is no signs at all Telling you which way to go, Once I spotted the river then I saw a sign. That said boat dock with an arrow pointing Towards It, I was on my bike so it took me a couple 3 hours to find it Everything else no complaints at all,

Cassie Predmore

Have camped here a few times. The last time we stayed in the Oak Bluff campground. I know Ponca get hot in the summer, but the shower house was always hot. Even going in at 6am it felt like a sauna.

Veronica Shukla

Great hiking for the area. So many birds! I feel that Iowa and Nebraska take the complete opposite approaches to their state parks. Iowa being free entry and little to no effort in maintaining, promoting, educating, or growing. Nebraska being quite a large entry fee ($14 for a single day for out of staters) and being IMO excessively built up (with an actual water park, shooting range, and golf course and many “mini-lodges” that offer city-like living within the state park). Most of the trails here were well-maintained. The visitor center is nice. As a resident of Sioux Falls who often goes to Stone State Park for longer hiking options with more elevation gain, I’m considering adding a NE state park pass to my annual collection so we can hike at Ponca more often. The bird variety alone is spectacular.

Autumn Frank

My first time staying in a cabin at a park! I wasn't sure what to expect and it was beyond what I thought! I've always loved coming up to Ponca and decided to stay here up on scout hill loop, further in the park. It was fully furnished, fully stocked kitchen, bedding provided, full bathroom, 2 bedrooms, and even a grill and patio! They were very kind and helpful, and refilled our propane tank during the burn ban so we could still grill! I definitely want to come back! We came up for the hiking, archery range, and foraging. We found a huge dryad saddle! Can't wait to come back :) (pardon our mess in the kitchen, this was taken on our last day 😆)

Amber Johnson

Ponca State Park has a variety of activities available for the whole family. Each day, there are several activity options offered for free or low cost. Last year, we dissected owl pellets, which my kids really enjoyed. We also learned how to make mini pizzas over the campfire! (There's also kayaking, hiking, classes, fishing, etc.) There is a lake that is well stocked for quality fishing, great trails for mountain biking (with different difficulty levels), multiple playgrounds (one large park and a few mini play areas scattered throughout the park), etc. When you're deep in the woods, it is absolutely ethereal and beautiful; it is definitely a great photo setting and a wonderful place to relax. In regard to camping options, there are several which are great (primitive, tent, camper spots, and 4 different cabin varieties). There is a small convenience store about 5 minutes away as well as a few restaurants (just in case you don't feel like cooking). The main office at Ponca has clothing, snacks, drinks, small camping essentials, coffee, bait, and souvenirs. There's also a nice bathroom and a few animals to see. Cabins have a large propane grill. There are charcoal grills around the parks and storm shelters available. We stayed at the conference cabin by the lake and it was fantastic. Air conditioning was top-notch, lots of space, impressive water pressure, lovely scenery, a great kitchen space, very close to the lake, a lot of outside seating options etc). My kids enjoyed the shooting range tremendously. FYI, each category of weapon is only available at certain times. The weekly schedule will let you know the dates and times. The pool was a lot of fun. There's a rock wall and diving board in the deep end. There is also a fun slide and a zero entry area. My kids liked the affordable snack options at the pool. This year, we found Sasquatch! He moves around and occasionally can be difficult to spot. I highly recommend Ponca State Park.