Planning a trip - need some help

“Ok, it has been left to me to plan a trip for myself, my sister, her fiance and maybe my best friend. I want primative camping and trails, sis wants primative camping and swimming and my near bro-in-law wants primative camping and nifty land formations/historical stuff. We are looking in Nebraska cause that's were we live but South Dakota wouldn't to bad if the drive was reasonable. We are all newbies with me being the most gung-ho about the backpacking thing. I'm also a vegetarian. So overall any advise?”

“There are no vegetarians in NE! LOL
Hey, Pig-Ob-gyn, Omahiker, Lizzy, give these folks a hand.”

“Try Yosemite!”

“I strongly recomend the Black Hills. That's my favorite All time place to hike. It's worth the drive. Lizs will back me up on that.”

“Dude, Dude, Duuuuude!
You've been to Cumby, and The Blax is STILL your fave locale???!!!

...whatever.

mebbe if you had seen a gator...
LOL!”

“that boy just ain't right in the head, i tell ya!”

“Go to Custer State Park, near Rapid City. When I was there for Bike Week, it was one of the favorite places to ride... lush, green, wooded, and very scenic. I wanted to get off the ride, and hike into the woods, just to see what was behind "the curtain".”

“Black Hills or the Devils tower in Wyoming is also a great place. There are plenty of trails in Black Hills, and also a city (Deadwood) where you can stay for one day to freshen up if the newbies can't stand backpacking. Lots of history and buffalo. Devils tower is awsome, and there is a graet campground nearby that overlooks a huge mad made lake. It would probably take 2-3 days to hike around the lake with spectacular camp sites and little crowds. Good luck and have fun.”

“Hey Tarneth, you may see my Prairie hiking thread -- I'm off to N.D. and S.D. soon. I'm looking forward to seeing and hiking the Black Hills. The Black Hills N.F., Custer State Park, Wind Cave N.P. Badlands N.P. and several other sites either abut or are close together in S.D., so it might make a strategic zone to explore with those multiple interests. And Devils Tower is not much farther on. I'll be coming down to the Black Hills after Teddy R. N.P. in N.D.

When you going?”

“The current plan is July 19 - 23. We're looking at Gavins Point Dam/Lewis and Clark Lake area altough I'd like somthing more wild.”

“Finally noticed this thread...Niobrara State Park is nice, not too far from Gavins Point. Don't know if there's any backpacking there but it's very pretty and the Missouri River is beautiful around there - wide, slow, and full of flowers and waterfowl. A lot of the area around there seems pretty uninhabited, maybe you could just get lost somewhere down by the river if you can't find an official backpacking trail. Just be discreet & of course "LNT" (Leave No Trace). Alternatively, check out Indian Cave near Brownsville for nice trails, though there's no swimming there, which could be a serious problem in mid-July. What part of Nebraska are you traveling from? How far do you want to go?”

“I havn't looked for replies in awhile. We're in Lincoln and my siblings have stated that the Lewis and Clark Lake area is there choice. What's the best way to get information about it? They have a visitors center so should i just wait till we get there?”