Banner Park

Banner Park Address:
52nd and Virginia Street
Bellevue Nebraska
Park Size: 23.5 Acres

Whether you prefer to call it Banner Park, or Hastings Banner Park, the entrance sign to this Bellevue Nebraska park identifies it as H W Banner Park.

This park is only 23 and 1/2 acres in size, but offers ball fields, soccer field, playground equipment, jogging trails, picnic area, shelters, and parking, according to the Welcome to Sarpy County Website.

Though rather small, the playground should offer enough more than enough equipment for a family outing. A picnic table is located near the playground area. If you are planning a picnic or other event there on a hot Nebraska day, be advised that there is a lack of shade.  A few smaller young trees are growing, so perhaps someday shade will be better.

Keystone Trail bicycle riders in this area will pass by Banner Park. Of importance to bike riders may be the small porta potty between the parking lot and the connector trail. I am unsure as to whether or not this restroom is available year round.

Walnut Creek Lake

Walnut Creek Lake Address:
I-80 Exit 439, E. 5 mi., S. 1 mi., W. 3/4 mile
Papillion Nebraska
Park Size: 450 Acres. Lake Size: 105 Acres

Walnut Creek Lake is part of the Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District, and is a worthwhile location for a walk, a bike ride, fishing, RV camping, or a picnic. You won’t find trash cans here. Bring it in, take it out! The main entrance to this recreation area has a playground for kids, both the main entrance and the boat launch entrance have bathrooms. No, they are not flush toilets, but they are better than nothing.


Confused by the address? From Omaha head South on 84th Street till you get to Highway 370. Turn right. Keep going till you see the sign for Walnut Creek Lake (it’s on the left side of the highway). If you take a left here and drive past the main entrance to Walnut Creek Lake, don’t worry, you can go a bit further until you reach Schramm Road, turn right, and you’ll get to the boat launching entrance to Walnut Creek Lake.

Walnut Creek Lake Trail is three miles long, about ten feet wide, concrete surface, and nice and smooth! Signs advise hikers that is about a one hour walk.  The trail has a few steeper slopes in some areas.

Along the trail we did see a good sized snake (don’t they always look big?). We did not see it till next to it, and it let out a warning rattle as we passed by. Research tells us there are 29 species of snakes in Nebraska, including four venomous snakes: timber rattlesnake, prairie rattlesnake, copperhead and Massasauga.

If you are patient enough (and lucky enough) you may get a few pictures of airborne waterfowl at this Nebraska lake. If not, you can just sit back on one of the many benches along the trail and enjoy the outdoors.

Walnut Grove Park

Walnut Grove Park Address:
15050 Q Street
Omaha Nebraska
Park Size: 55 acres. Lagoon Size: Unspecified

Not a huge park, but a nice park.

Walnut Grove Park has nice concrete trails, lots of shade, picnic areas, and mature trees.

The lagoon was quite muddy the day we were there. I don’t know if the muddiness was the normal state, or just something temporary.

Muddy or not, a child and his father were spending some time fishing here, though we never saw them hook anything, and it appeared they left empty handed.

Wehrspann Lake

Wehrspann Lake (Chalco Hills Recreation Area) Address
156th and Giles
Sarpy County, Nebraska
Park Size: 940 Acres. Lake Size: 250 Acres

 A simple to remember way to get to Chalco Hills Recreation Area and its Wehrspann Lake is to head south on 144th Street from West Center Street.

Chalco Hills Recreation Area is a place worth multiple trips. There’s too much to see in one day unless you have a high energy level and don’t pause too often to admire the lake or wildlife you may see. Keep your eyes open for white tail deer! You won’t see them every trip, but you’ll never know when one or more will appear.
In my opinion, this is one of the best places to spend a few outdoor hours in the Omaha area.

If you like to walk, jog, or bicycle, the seven miles of trail here should be more than enough. Overall, the trails are smooth, wide enough for bicycle traffic and hikers to share, and you can circle Lake Wehrspann on the trail!

Scenery along the trail is varied enough to make a trail bike ride or walk a pleasure. Although the bathrooms along the trail are not top of the line, there are more restrooms than expected at Wehrspann Lake. Yes, they are mostly pit toilets, but sometimes that really doesn’t matter. Benches are also fairly numerous along the trail.

Trails here are not without hills and turns, but overall they are not bad at all. Don’t be too surprised to see someone out pushing a friend or relative in a wheelchair on a trail here. It’s smooth enough in most places for that to be enjoyable.

Wehrspann Lake has several sources for its water, and the stream pictured above is the largest.  Waterfowl are fairly common here.

The most common fish in the lake include Largemouth Bass, Catfish, Walleye, Sunfish, Crappie, and it is stocked by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Spring, summer, fall, or winter, this is a great place to be!

Zorrinsky Lake

Lake Zorinsky Address
3308 South 156th Street
Omaha Nebraska
Park Size: 1,023 acres. Lake Size: 255 Acres

Lake Zorinsky Park has over 7 miles of hiking and biking trails. Near the main parking lot you will find the “better” bathroom, picnic shelters and picnic spots, barbecues, and a playground.

The area near the parking lot is a nice spot to sit and watch boaters on the lake.

The trails near the main parking lot are the best trails at this lake, at least in our opinion. They are blacktop, wide enough for bikes and hikers, and not too steep, though there is a hill if you want to go to the top of the dam.