Louisville SRA -- Lovely tranquility!
Written: Jan 09 '01
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Pros: picturesque; far from city lights; STARS!
Cons: weather can be hot and humid; mosquitoes!
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This is a LOVELY State Recreation Area that I have stayed in both with my husband and with my young son when he was growing up in the 1980s. The area is relatively flat and well groomed with tall cottonwood trees enhancing the skyline. This would be great for folks who enjoy a gentle bike ride or a nice walk. There are 5 small lakes within this park, which can be enjoyed with either a non-motorized boat or a boat with an electric motor. It is on Highway 50, approximately 10 miles south of I80, an interstate that runs east and west through the center of the United States.
The park is far enough from the city to be able to see MILLIONS of lovely stars in the night sky. Unfortunately, there is a train that runs alongside the edge of the park. As there are no nearby crossings, the tooting of the horn is kept at a minimum, but you can still hear the rumbling. As it can be hot and humid during the summer months, bring along Off, or something similar to keep the mosquitoes and biting flies away. Ticks did not seem to be much of a problem, and I don’t believe we have chiggers here. There is a sleepy little town, Louisville, with a grocery store within a mile of the park, along with a restaurant or two and a gas station. My husband and I tend to camp off season and avoid crowds whenever, where ever we camp, avoiding Memorial Day and Labor Day like the plague.
The park features modern facilities such as indoor plumbing (YES!) and showers, which are open from May through the end of October. Swimming is available at one of the lakes. There is a moderately well stocked grocery type store in the park which stocks items such as ice, snacks and bait, which is open from May until the end of October, weather permitting. There are also fire grates and a playground for the kids to work off their pent-up energy. Although this is CLEARLY out in the country, I have noticed very little wildlife there in the forms of deer or raccoons, etc.
The sandpit lakes are rather on the small size, which is just the way I like them. They are very picturesque and waves, if any, are kept to a minimum. Total lake area is 50 acres in this 192-acre park. When I was last there, in September, they discouraged fishing in one of the lakes, as they had just put a chemical in it to kill the fish as some unwanted varieties of fish had appeared. There is basically one road, which runs the length of the park, with loops at either end. The park stocks such fish as carp, catfish, bluegill, crappie and walleye. There is canoe access to the Platte River from this park and the Platte River State Park is close by, which I have not been to yet.
Fees are as follows: Day Pass: $2.50; Annual pass: $14.00; Summer Camping with Electricity: $11 00 ---without: $8.00; Winter Camping with Electricity: $8.00 -- without: $5.00. If the park ranger is not at the facility, passes can be purchased at the Texaco Gas Station about 1/2 mile down the road for an additional 25 cents. Winter camping is considered Mid October through Mid April. The dates are subject to the weather and the “modern facilities” are only available during the summer months. Rates for residential fishing are: $12.75 plus $5.00 for an aquatic stamp; Out of State 3 day pass is $10.00 and an annual Out of State license is $35.00. There are 75 units on non-designated sites, 84 all weather units without electricity and 145 all weather units for RVs.
Nearby, there is the Ak-Sar-Ben (Nebraska spelled backwards) Aquarium and yet another lovely diversionary park in the same area whose name escapes me (it has been over 10 years...)
Additional information on this park can be found at:
http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/parks/lville.html
A map of the park can be found at:
http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/parks/lvillmap.html
Come visit us here in Eastern Nebraska! You would be surprised how few cowboys you will see and how much corn,wheat and alfalfa you WILL see! This will be a welcome change of pace if you are from the crowded city. Omaha is approximately 15 - 20 miles away and takes approximately 20 minutes to cross on the rolling hills of the Interstate. Omaha offers LOTS of shopping and a variety of authentic ethnic, chain and independent restaurants in this area of approximately 500,000 people. There is gambling about 30 miles away in nearby Council Bluffs, Iowa; an outlet mall in nearby Ashland, Nebraska (5-10 miles away). Weather: the lows can be as low as -20 degrees in the middle of winter to humid upper 90s and perhaps over 100 in the summer with most rainfall happening in the evening. I hope to have a review of our restaurants and things to do in the coming weeks. There are already several excellent reviews of Omaha on Epinions.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
remnjava
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Carol
Location: Hildegaard 4-96/04-06 I MISS YOU!
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Zekiah born 11-3-03 6lb 14 oz 19 3/4" dark curley hair blu eyes
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