Has marshes and other open areas on the river that are little changed in centuries. A winding driving route shows you what the land crossed by the Missouri once looked like before farms and development forever changed things. It's 18 miles north of Omaha near Fort Atkinson. Recent record flooding means that the refuge is sometimes closed.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge
Nebraska
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.44 MILES
The riverfront along the Missouri River celebrates the waterway's past and present. Highlights include the architecturally stunning Bob Kerrey Pedestrian…
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
15.75 MILES
The world's largest indoor desert? Check. The world's largest nocturnal exhibit? Check. America's largest indoor rainforest? Check. An aquarium showing…
14.41 MILES
Just across the river from Omaha in the cute little downtown area of Council Bluffs, IA, this highly interactive museum tells the story of the world's…
13.88 MILES
The soaring art deco Union Station train depot is a sight to behold with its cathedral windows, geometric chandeliers, ornate ceilings and reliefs of…
12.6 MILES
Entering into this three-story arts center (a former mattress warehouse) is like diving down the rabbit hole into an alternative universe ruled by…
12.96 MILES
This sinuously graceful 3000ft-long bridge links walkways on both sides of the Missouri River. The views are spectacular; at night it's lights are…
16.7 MILES
Once a separate city, South Omaha was the center of the Omaha stockyards starting in the late 1800s. Today it's a hub of Omaha's thriving Hispanic…
11.41 MILES
Dynamic 19th-century expedition duo Lewis and Clark get their due on the east side of the Missouri River at this hidden gem of a park high up on a bluff…
Nearby Nebraska attractions
1. Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
3.15 MILES
Preserves the first US military fort built west of the Missouri River. It was erected in 1820 on a recommendation of Lewis and Clark, who, besides being…
2. Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters
8.05 MILES
From 1846 to 1890, thousands of Mormons migrated to Utah from the eastern US. For the first two decades they went by wagon trains. Omaha was a major stop…
11.41 MILES
Dynamic 19th-century expedition duo Lewis and Clark get their due on the east side of the Missouri River at this hidden gem of a park high up on a bluff…
12.6 MILES
Entering into this three-story arts center (a former mattress warehouse) is like diving down the rabbit hole into an alternative universe ruled by…
5. Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
12.96 MILES
This sinuously graceful 3000ft-long bridge links walkways on both sides of the Missouri River. The views are spectacular; at night it's lights are…
6. Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Center
12.99 MILES
Omaha's riverfront is home to this visitor center, which has some exhibits and a bookstore. As the regional NPS headquarters, it's a good place to plan…
13.2 MILES
This admired and architecturally imposing museum has a great collection of classic and contemporary European and American art. There's also a good…
13.31 MILES
Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark landed here in 1804 on their legendary US expedition looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean…