Union Pacific State Recreation Area

🏆🏆🏆🏆 Named for the Union Pacific Railroad that made Nebraska a state — the transcontinental railroad (completed 1869) put Nebraska on the map. Sand pit lakes near the tracks.

Visitor Information

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific State Recreation Area in Cass County is named for the legendary railroad company headquartered in Omaha that built the western portion of the first transcontinental railroad. The park provides lake recreation on former railroad-related land southeast of Omaha.

Things to Do

Fishing for bass and catfish, camping, hiking, picnicking, and reflecting on Nebraska’s railroad heritage — the Union Pacific Railroad shaped the state’s development more than any other single force.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific State Recreation Area in Cass County provides urban-accessible lake recreation between Lincoln and Omaha — Nebraska’s two population centers. Named for the transcontinental railroad that transformed Nebraska from empty prairie to statehood in a single generation (1867), the area sits on the route where the UP raced westward, laying track at the astonishing rate of 1-2 miles per day in 1866.

Things to Do

Fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish, camping, swimming, hiking, and reflecting on the transcontinental railroad that created modern Nebraska.

Getting There

Union Pacific SRA lies near Doniphan in Hall County, in the Platte River valley of central Nebraska. Named for the railroad that transformed Nebraska — the Union Pacific’s transcontinental line (completed 1869) followed the Platte River corridor, establishing every major Nebraska city along its route. The Platte valley here is the epicenter of the sandhill crane migration — 80% of the world’s sandhill cranes stop here each March.

Insider Tips

Railroad heritage: Named for the Union Pacific Railroad — the company that built the transcontinental railroad westward from Omaha starting in 1863. Pro tip: Omaha remains the headquarters of Union Pacific — the largest railroad in North America. Railroad museum: The Durham Museum in Omaha (housed in a stunning Art Deco Union Pacific station) tells the story of the railroad that built the West.

Best Time to Visit

Summer: Fishing and camping. Spring: Crappie spawn. Fall: Quiet recreation. Year-round: The Durham Museum in Omaha is always worth visiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the railroad important to Nebraska?

The transcontinental railroad (completed 1869) transformed Nebraska from frontier to farmland. The Union Pacific received 12 million acres of Nebraska land as construction incentive — they sold it to settlers, creating the towns and farms that define the state. Nebraska’s largest city (Omaha) exists because it was the railroad’s eastern terminus.