Eugene Mahoney State Park

Mahoney State Park is such an amazing. It is so fun and there is so much to do. The reason I’m only giving it 4 stars is because the bathrooms are terrible. We don’t ever use the campers shower because we can only use so much water before we run out so we always use the public bathrooms. Once I dropped my white washcloth on the floor and when I picked up it was brown. It is such a nice park for crappy bathrooms.

Easily the best State Park in Nebraska. Lots of activities, especially in the Summer. There’s the standard walking, hiking, picnicking, camping, and fishing. On top of that there’s an indoor activity center with a nifty crawl-​through playground, a restaurant, a hotel, cabins for rent, ice skating, horseback riding, paddle boats, and on and on. The place can get pretty packed during holiday weekends and over the Summer. So, make reservations if you want a choice campsite.
A Nebraska State Park permit is required for vehicles entering the park. You can purchase a daily pass or an annual pass. Fishing Permits are required for anyone over the age of 12 who wants to fish.
Alcohol CAN be consumed in the park. Only three rules are you have to be 21, containers must be smaller than 1 gallon, and no drinking after 10PM.
The restaurant at the lodge seems to play musical ownership and menu. There is a separate Unilocal listing for rating and reviewing whichever place is currently operating there.
Be sure to check out the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum just outside the park grounds. Admission is separate from the park.
Nearby tasty restaurants, not including the one at the park lodge, include Parker’s Smokehouse and Round the Bend Steakhouse.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Stop staring at your fellow campers!!! It seems every time I am out here visiting when one of my relatives is camping here I look up and multiple people are making eye contact with me. It’s as if every over-​50 camper has decided that they’re going to pass the time staring at us. Sometimes they will be lined up 6 across in chairs blatantly staring at us. We’re not being loud and obnoxious, we’re not doing anything crazy or weird, our campsite isn’t dirty, our camper isn’t noteworthy, and we’re not dressed oddly. We’re just sitting around a campfire BS’ing. Does no one have any respect for privacy? Was no one taught the social norm that it’s rude to stare? It only seems to be middle-​aged and senior citizen campers that do it too. I’m sorry your own camping experience is so dull and your fellow campers so boring that you have nothing better to do than stare at people you don’t know. It goes beyond people watching. It’s just plain nosy STARING. If you come here to camp then I suggest you bring some tarps and rope to create walls around your campsite.

Whenever I visit Mahoney State Park I am always reminded that I need to come back more frequently. A day pass will run you five dollars and there are many activities that you can do for absolutely no cost. They have large playgrounds simple hiking trails an observatory deck to climb if you are afraid of heights, miniature golf, paddleboats, horseback riding and more. In the past I haven’t been overly impressed with some of their food options so I recommend packing a meal, but overall if you decide to spend the day here you won’t be disappointed.

Great rv sites m, and the trail rides are awesome! Also they have a really good Sunday brunch in their lodge :). The staff is always friendly

Love Mahoney. I come here every year and it seems every year they do something new that makes the place a little bit better. They have tons of options for things to do including: arts and crafts, fishing, play places for kids, horse back riding, putt-​putt, frisby golf, and an outdoor water park to name a few. In addition, they are recently renovating some of the cabins. It is $ 5 for a day pass which in my opinion is quite modest. Great place to have a get together once a year.

Large park that has lodging options-​which is not common for many parks here. We drove past the cabins and they were quite nice. There are also camp grounds and RV parks for people to stay. Activities here range from horses to crafts to mini golf and hiking. Swimming in the warm seasons, fishing and kayaking in the marina. Entrance to the park was $ 5 for our car of three people.
We spent a Sunday here to explore the observatory and do a little hiking– great place to see the fall foliage if you’re interested. It overlooks the river and gives a nice outlay of the banks on either side. Also, maybe self explanatory but it is dog friendly and our dog loved the trails.

I haven’t really heard much about this hidden gem. Why? This is probably the best park I have been to in Nebraska so far. They have something for everyone. Horseback riding, pools, waterpark, an outdoor ice rink (during the winter), an indoor playground, camping, paddleboating, cabins, golf, mini-​golf, and probably more things that I have missed. The facilities are fairly modern and not overly packed. The pool and waterpark are the main attractions but this place has a lot of offer.

I want to thank the wranglers at the trail rides — they were amazing! I greatly admire the huge responsibilities they take on, especially when it is 90+ degrees! They were so kind to my mom, who is a senior citizen. She rode for the first time in years, and had the best time. It was a wonderful experience and all because of the outstanding staff.

Come here every year for a family reunion. This was the first year we had a few issues… and the park staff was great.
They were very attentive and helpful. Couldn’t ask for better service. Definitely recommend.

Melodrama at Mahoney State Park. Super fun for all ages. Cheer the hero and throw popcorn at the villain. Get there early to sit in the front rows. The pool is also fantastic with a great wave pool. We don’t camp and haven’t stayed in the cabins so I won’t comment on those.

Pretty awesome for a state park. We stayed in one of the cabins. Fairly secluded, spacious, and clean. Lots to do at the park. Paddle boat rides, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, swimming, waterslides, etc. The staff at the lodge were very helpful getting us checked in and out. We will definitely be back.

I made a reservation to stay here about 5 pm. It was snowing so I decided to not travel in the dark. There web site said TV, Restaurant and Internet. I arrived at 5:30 to find out I had prepaid, The Restaurant was not operational, The TV system wasn’t working and the Internet had so little signal strength that I could not go online.
When I asked why they didn’t tell me all these problems existed when I called they had no answer. I can’t believe this place is being run like this.
I think this place is beautiful but I suggest asking a lot of questions before booking.

Took my son to the water park. It was a fun time. Well worth the time spent. One note, you can’t take in water or food. I understand the food park, but water. Really.

Pretty nice state park. $ 5 bucks for a day pass. Lots of stuff at the park including a golf course, driving range, pony riding, a garden, a large playground for kids, hiking trails, and an observation tower to climb and see an awesome view of the Platte.

Nice campground but very noisy at night. Good shower facilities. The SAC museum is right net door… a great collection of aircraft.

My kids look forward to me taking them here every year. We usually just come to go swimming. The only down side is they close the swim park from 5−6pm and then it reopens from 6−8pm. Plan ahead or you’ll be stuck in line to get food somewhere outside the swim park.

Great deal of things to do — ice skating, paddle boats, mini golf, fishing, etc. buy the $ 25 annual pass and keep coming back.

I have gone to Mahoney every summer since I was six months old. It is a really great time for all ages, and it has been fun for me to watch the park develop and remodel. I have always stayed in the cabins, which are great because you can bring your own food and cook it there, with a full service kitchen. The tree top cabins are my favorite because they have two sets of bunkbeds in one room and are a lot of fun for kids! The pool has grown substantially and it’s been so fun over the years to come back and see the new wave pool and better accommodations. They also have an arts and crafts center, many hiking trails, a botanical garden, a climbing tower, fishing, bike trails, tent camping, a lodge with housing accommodations, meeting rooms, a game room and restauraunt, and more!
Many of my fondest childhood memories take place at Mahoney as it is a great experience for everyone and families especially. I have heard the camping areas are clean and great. Check it out and bring the family :)

This place is beautiful! We went here for the first time for my husband’s birthday in february. I’m sure there’s a lot more things to do in the summer, but he was wanting a vacation where he could do pretty much nothing. Just sit back and relax! So, I booked a cabin here! It was great! The cabin sat in the middle of the «woods» near the river. It was great. The cabin was comfortable and definitely felt like a home away from home. We enjoyed ice skating while we were there and nature watching of course. I can’t imagine what this place looks like in the summer though. They have a little water park and everything! We will definitely come again.

Advice: Go between Memorial Day & Labor Day.
I visited Mahoney a few times growing up & liked the horseback riding & waterslides. I recently spent a weekend there for a weekend getaway with my boyfriend. We stayed on the 2^nd floor of the lodge, which is much more hotel than camping. It had a loft bedroom, antenna TV, a small table & chairs, pullout couch, a clean bathroom, and a tiny balcony. I liked it, & it’s cheaper than the cabins. I reserved the room online, & that worked very well.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to do there when we visited in late April. Horseback riding, the pool, and most all of the prime activities run only Memorial Day-​Labor Day. The activity center was open that day… but we were too late. They also have a theatre with live performances.
Despite the lack of activities, we had fun. We hiked along the Platte River on one of the trails and had dinner in the lodge, overlooking the river.
One gripe: The restaurant sucked. We ate dinner and breakfast at the buffet. Everything was fried or fatty & sitting under a heat lamp. It wasn’t very appealing, but if you’re a fan of Golden Corral or USA Steak Buffet, you’ll probably be ok with it. View was great. Food was not. They would do themselves a favor by having the restaurant privatized… which it seems they’re trying to do: (
). If you’re tent/​cabin camping, it’s more fun to cook over a campfire anyway, right?
Despite the gripes, I will definitely be back — during the summer.