Pacific Junction, Iowa sits within the Missouri River floodplain with the Loess Hills rising to the east. The area experiences seasonal flooding that affects camping facilities, with most sites situated at elevations below 980 feet. Camping options near Pacific Junction range from basic municipal parks to more developed state recreation areas, with most locations lacking natural shade due to their floodplain location.
What to do
Fishing opportunities: Walnut Creek Lake in Papillion offers multiple fishing spots where anglers report consistent success. "This lake in Papillion, Nebraska is a great little lake. Probably one of the best in metro area of Omaha. The fishing is always [good] as well as the kayaking is as well, (especially novice like myself)," notes a Walnut Creek Lake & Recreation Area visitor.
Water recreation: Lake Manawa State Park provides swimming beach access within walking distance of campsites. "Beautiful view of the lake and short walk to the swimming beach," reports one camper who visited Lake Manawa State Park Campground in July.
Hiking trails: Platte River State Park offers varied terrain with trails running along bluffs overlooking the Platte River. A visitor explains: "I love Platte River State Park... they have a wealth of amazing hiking/biking trails that traverse through some amazing scenery. Just like the camping, you can pick between the less intensive paved walkways or you can walk along the hilly bluffs that contour the Platte River."
Paddleboating: Louisville State Recreation Area rents canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats by the hour or day. "This is also where you can rent boats like canoes, kayaks, and stand up paddleboards for hrs, half and daily rates," notes a camper about the recreation options.
What campers like
Concrete pads: Lake Manawa State Park features level sites with modern amenities. "Large concrete pads with patio and permanently mounted mesh steel picnic table with a fire pit grill on the corner. Lakeside locations are quite well spaced with a panoramic Lake view," describes a Platte River State Park Campground reviewer.
Wildlife viewing: The natural areas around Pacific Junction support diverse wildlife. At Walnut Creek, a camper noted: "The birdwatching as well as the wildlife is abundant. Honestly if not for the city noise you could forget your in a city."
Budget-friendly sites: Walnut Creek offers electrical hookups at affordable rates. "Great back-in site w/30 amp electrical pulg in, no water at site. Site is overlooking a small lake. Very quiet, dump statio. All for $20 a night," reports a visitor.
Clean facilities: Multiple campgrounds maintain well-kept bathrooms and grounds. "Wednesday at 3pm there were 8 sites open. Nice city park. Electric hookups. Water spigot about the park. Dump station by the entrance. Playground and vault toilet on top of the hill. All grounds are clean. Very friendly camp host."
What you should know
Train noise: Louisville State Recreation Area experiences frequent train disturbances. "We liked everything about this area but the train tracks! Be selective on where you pitch the tent. It can get loud.... River, ponds, swimming area, playground, nearby hiking," warns a Louisville State Recreation Area Campground visitor.
Flooding risks: Campsites near rivers face periodic closures due to flooding. "This Park is closed due to flooding," reported a Haworth City Park reviewer in 2021, illustrating how water levels affect availability.
Limited tent camping: Most sites around Pacific Junction favor RVs over tent camping. "This campground had amazing staff, was clean, and had great amenities. The sites are very small however, and to do anything besides swim and play on the playground you need to drive," notes a West Omaha / NE Lincoln KOA Holiday reviewer.
Heat exposure: Lake Manawa lacks shade trees, making summer camping challenging. "This campsite seems nice, but with blaring Omaha heat and no trees, the heat here is absolutely brutal. It was mid July and still 96 degrees at 7:00pm, so I ended up leaving knowing it would be too hot for a comfortable night sleep."
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Several campgrounds feature play areas for children. "This is a nice city park, but can't really get pass it being in a city. There is a couple ponds you can fish. The restrooms did seem clean. There are a couple different playgrounds and a few history type building," explains a Glenwood Lake Park visitor.
Family bathroom options: Some parks offer individual restroom facilities. "We stayed here after a cross country meet. Beautiful park. Nice concrete pads, picnic tables and fire rings. Their are family bathrooms with toliet and shower."
Swimming options: Louisville State Recreation Area features water recreation suitable for different ages. "There is a swim area along the beach of Lake 2. There is canoe access at the far west side of the park. In summer, it was common to see people wading across the river as it was neither a fast moving current nor deep."
Dust precautions: Bring protective gear during dry periods as some sites become dusty. "This also protected the radio from debris, as water is easy to collect on electronics when skiing and dust when biking."
Tips from RVers
Arrival timing: Campground gates often close early. "Gates will close at 10pm so make sure your road trip stops before they do," advises a visitor to Louisville State Recreation Area.
Site selection: Request appropriate site sizes at booking. "We were given an inappropriate size space for the rig we stated, super narrow and we stuck over the road by 2 feet. They had larger sites all around us but were told we could not change."
Hook-up locations: Utilities placement varies between parks. "Our confirmation email included precise directions from I-29, with an interstate sign confirming the turn for Lake Manawa State Park, and provided the gate code for access. We proceeded to back-in site 28 with full hookups; the back-in was easy, and the site was level, with utilities located toward the rear and a slight uphill grade to the sewer connection," reports a Louisville State Recreation Area Campground visitor.
