Mother Nature’s fall spectacle expected to peak this weekend at state parks

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) — At Indian Cave State Park, a popular spot for viewing fall colors, Superintendent Jan Alexander is expecting Mother Nature to do her autumn thing this weekend.

The peak of when leaves turn color is typically around Oct. 15, but it’s arriving a tad late this year at the park, located in the Missouri River bluffs south of Brownville in southeast Nebraska.

“We have some yellows, but not much orange or bright reds yet,” Alexander said Monday. “I don’t think we’re quite at the peak yet. I’m expecting it this weekend or early next week.”

This weekend is typically the biggest weekend of the year at Indian Cave, so named for the Native American carvings in a sandstone cave that faces the Missouri River.

The park, a popular spot for camping, hiking and sightseeing because of its forested bluffs, goes all in on Halloween-related activities.

This weekend, there’s a “haunted hayrack ride” down a scary hollow infested with spooks — already sold out this weekend — a pumpkin roll, a pumpkin carving competition, a campsite decorating contest and a trick-or-treat event hosted by a Volkswagen car club.

There’s also a fund-raising “Pink Pumpkin Walk” for cancer research at 11 a.m. Saturday, with a balloon launch scheduled for cancer victims.

Alexander said Indian Cave hasn’t seen a frost yet this year, which, along with warmer weather, has slowed the shift from green foliage to fall yellows, reds and oranges.

Because of the popularity of Halloween events at the park, she said, an overflow camping area is opened to accommodate an extra 130 campers.

The delayed fall color show is also evident at Ponca State Park, another Missouri River bluff area in northeast Nebraska.

That park is also hosting a series of “HallowFest” events, including a haunted hayrack ride and pumpkin decorating and pumpkin roll contests.

For information about fall color hikes and events at Nebraska state parks, access this link

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