Indian Cave

Three from the Road #15 – 2010 trip¹

The cave at Indian Cave State Park, Nebraska

Petroglyph in rock at the cave at Indian Cave State Park, Nebraska

Indian Cave State Park is named for a cave that overlooks the present channel of the Missouri River.  Petroglyphs in the cave are evidence that the cave was used by prehistoric native peoples.   There is no evidence of any permanent structures.  The cave – actually a limestone overhang – was probably used primarily as a temporary shelter for nomadic hunters.

There are 15 or more petroglyphs scattered among the more recent modern graffiti in the cave.  They were created by nomadic tribesmen 1500 to 1800 years ago.  Many of them are of American bison (buffalo).

Stairs and decking with railings help to limit modern wear and tear on the cave.

We arrived at Indian Cave State Park on July 3rd, 2010, and left on the 5th.

References:

• Indian Cave State Park
  • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
    • Camping Reservations (ReserveAmerica)
  • Wikipedia
  • Omaha World Herald – article
  • Lincoln Journal Star – article
  • AllTrails – Trails with reviews
  • Backpacker – Good description
  • Wildlife Viewing Areas – Watchable Wildlife, Inc.

Endnote:

1. Three from the Road is a series sharing images from places we’ve visited.  Initially, each post included thee images, related by a randomly selected location or topic. Posts now may be random choices or pre-planned sequences.  This post is in a series sequentially sharing images from our 2010 trip west.