This has been the warmest autumn on record and one of the upsides to that is the foliage has turned but many leaves haven't fallen yet. We set out last weekend to find beautiful foliage, spend time together as a family and enjoy a day outside. All five of us piled into the minivan and cruised over to Gretna, NE.
Schramm Park State Recreation Area is only 45 minutes from central Lincoln. You take I-80 North and then get off on NE-31. It is a perfect spot for a short day hike, picnic and fun. Schramm has a figure 8 loop that is three miles in length but you can do one part of the loop for a little over a one-mile hike. We arrived at 11:30 AM. Once you head into the area, you have a couple levels to park. We chose to park at the top "level" since we didn't think our kids could walk from the main parking area to the paths and then walk a couple mile loop.
The first item on our list was to eat lunch; there are picnic tables throughout the park. The park had lots of visitors and their dogs (Schramm is pet-friendly). It made me smile to see so many four-legged friends walking the trails of the park. 
The trails are a bit bumpy for a stroller but we managed. They are great for mountain biking and in the winter, cross country skiing. The park has many picnic areas.
Once everyone had eaten, we headed out onto the trail. I would suggest good walking shoes, the trails are pretty bumpy and covered in tree roots. It would be much easier to backpack in a young child but you can do it with a stroller. We had to carry our stroller in several spots where the trail had been washed out but we figured it made for good exercise.
It is a gorgeous area! The trails are winding up and down and you feel like you're in a Grimms Fairy Tale. Our goal was to get to the suspension bridge and have a break and snack. Next to the suspension bridge is a clearing with an old camping area and the bridge covers a small creek. 
Our kids loved exploring the camping/hunting area. The suspension bridge was the highlight of our hike.
After taking our break, we headed back the way that we came and had a fun surprise bumping into another Lincolnite family who had the same idea as us. It took us 1.5 hours to go three miles but we weren't there to make great time, rather to enjoy the sunshine and each other.
Despite our children claiming to be "so tired", they rallied and were thrilled to go to the playground at the park. It is a good-sized playground with swings, a play set more picnic areas. The playground connects to the hatchery by a wooden walkway. The walkway is another fun find for kiddos. 
We visited the playground after hiking and our children magically found more energy after claiming to be "too tired to walk." ;)
Schramm Park is clean, has lots of bathrooms, is well-taken care of and a great spot for a hike. We will definitely be going back.
