The world can be a stressful place, and it can be difficult to escape our everyday lives. However, getting outside and spending some time in nature can be really beneficial. If you’re visiting Nebraska, there is a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the outdoors with your kids, and it’s packed with free amenities and plenty to do. Yanney Heritage Park in Kearney, Nebraska, has been called the “finest family park between Omaha and Denver” by Only In Your State, and with good reason. This gorgeous place has just about everything you could ask for in a park, including acres of gardens, water playgrounds for kids, an amphitheater for shows, fishing, boating, hiking, biking, a senior center, a walking meditation labyrinth, and even swan boats to rent to drift around the lake.

One reviewer on AllTrails said of Yanney Heritage Park, “Wonderful park! Fairly new, on edge of new development. 10 story tower to climb, labyrinth, garden, picnic areas, several playgrounds, wide paved paths circling two small lakes, fishing, swans. In season the concessions/Marina rents SUP, kayaks, canoes. Great place to stop for a break!” When visiting, the first place you should check out in the park is the John & Carmen Gottschalk Tower, a lovely observation tower that lets you get a great overview of the entire area. The gardens alone are worth the trip. You’ll find a pollinator garden, a lilac and hydrangea garden, a native Nebraska garden, one full of edible plants, a rose garden, an annual garden, and a xeriscape garden, which features drought-tolerant plants. It’s free and open all year, though blooming depends on the season.

If you want to take a stroll, run, or bike through the park, you can explore all or part of the 9.1-mile Kearney Canal Trail, an easy route that is mostly paved and passes picnic areas if you need a snack break. You can even bring your leashed pup. There are two water play areas where kids can enjoy water sprays and dumping buckets, as well as Cathi’s Playground, with slides and climbing equipment. Seniors can visit the Senior Activity Center, try out the fitness pad, or wander the meditation labyrinth.

For some water sports, you can check out Vernon’s Point and North Shore Fishing Piers, or spend time birdwatching on the lake. However, if you want to get out there, you can take a kayak down the 2.3-mile Kearny Water Trail with two whitewater features. At the lake, you’ll find the Yanney Swan Shoppe, which rents kayaks, swan boats, paddle boats, stand-up paddle boards, and more for a mere $7 for half an hour, as of this writing. It also sells drinks and snacks, like candy and ice cream, and is open from late May through early August. 

Yanney Heritage Park is about 130 miles from the airport in Lincoln, and if you’re flying in, take some time to visit another free Nebraska attraction, the Sunken Garden. However, you can also choose to fly through Kearney Regional Airport, located only 8 miles away. If you do, you’ll be close to Minden, Nebraska’s “Christmas City,” full of local shops and events to enjoy during the holiday season. Finally, if you’re going to spend the day (or several) in the sun at Yanney Heritage Park, you might want to check out travel pro Samantha Brown’s great budget Supergoop! Sunscreen dupe.