The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Alliance, NE

127 Reviews

Wildlife management areas and national forest lands near Alliance, Nebraska provide several primitive tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts. Smith Lake State Wildlife Area in Rushville offers tent-only camping with a rustic, undeveloped setting that appeals to those seeking solitude. Roberts Tract Camping Area in the Nebraska National Forest provides established tent campsites with basic amenities, while Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area offers dispersed tent camping opportunities with drive-in access approximately 60 miles northwest of Alliance.

Most tent campgrounds in this region feature minimal amenities, requiring campers to be self-sufficient. Smith Lake State Wildlife Area lacks drinking water, picnic tables, and showers, making it suitable for experienced backcountry tent campers prepared for primitive conditions. Access is via maintained dirt roads, with trash facilities available but no toilets. Roberts Tract Camping Area provides more amenities for tent camping, including fire pits, picnic tables, toilets, and trash disposal. Campers should note that firewood is not provided at any of these locations. Cell service varies throughout the region, with Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area reporting good Verizon coverage.

Tent campers frequently observe wildlife at these primitive sites. According to reviews, Smith Lake State Wildlife Area offers uncrowded camping with opportunities to spot morning doves, geese, and various night creatures including mice and skunks. One camper noted the maintained half-mile dirt road access to Smith Lake. Roberts Tract Camping Area receives positive feedback for its clean tent sites and fire pits, with one visitor giving it a perfect rating. The Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area parking area can accommodate several vehicles but features uneven terrain. Its location near Nebraska Highway 20 (Bridges to Buttes Byway) provides convenient access for tent campers seeking places to camp near Alliance, with proximity to supplies in nearby Chadron. Weather conditions can change rapidly, with visitors reporting significant temperature fluctuations that tent campers should prepare for.

Map showing campgrounds near Alliance, NebraskaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Alliance, Nebraska (3)

Show More
Showing results 1-3 of 3 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Alliance Contest

Enter to Win

Tent Camping Reviews near Alliance, NE

127 Reviews of 3 Alliance Campgrounds

  • Joe R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 5, 2019

    Chadron State Park Campground

    Wenzel Protico 6 Tent review at Chadron State Park, Nebraska Panhandle.

    Located in the Northwest corner of the Nebraska panhandle this 98 year old state park has it all for a great family get-away of road tripping stop.  Chadron State park offers 70 electric and 18 primitive camping sites.  The bulk of the primitive sites are walk up so be sure to get there early for the sites that have the best shade trees.  There are a few non-reservable electric sites but to be safe I’d book online well in advance or call ahead.  You can also book cabins at this park and during my stay the cabins looked to be entirely in use.  Enjoy miles of hiking and mountain biking trails that range from level to steep inclines through rouged terrain. Activities such as swimming in the well maintained pool, horse back riding have extra fees which are reasonable.  There is a great fishing pond and several playgrounds scattered throughout the park.   If you plan on horseback riding, and you should it was the highlight of our trip, tours begin at 9am and leave every hour except noon until 3pm.  I recommend the 9am or 10am ride to avoid the heat.  You register at the visitor center located at the front of the park for this 45 min guided ride.  Other features of this park include an archery range, paddle boats, tennis, horseshoe pits, sand volleyballs and outdoor events (check the Nebraska state parks calendar).  

    On this multi family campout we had 8 kids with us and 6 adults.  We camped in sites 16 and 14 which are electric sites.  We chose these sites for the plentiful shade trees and proximity to the water pump and the shower building.  The sites are deep and mostly flat.  We had a little tent city going with large tents and we all found level, shaded ground.  

    Observations: the grounds are well kept with regular rounds from camp hosts and park staff to check trash and make sure the guests are happy.  If you are hoping for some downed wood for fire you’ll be out of luck at this park.  You can bring in local wood and find wood for purchase on site and in nearby Chadron just a 12 minute drive North of the park.  You may want to bring your bike to the park.  Most of the attractions are a quick although hilly ride from the campsite.  I would like to see walking and riding paths separate from the roads at this park.  When driving be on the look out for pedestrians and bike riders on the road.  This was a quite campground with many short stay visitors during our stay.  Quite hours start at 10pm and end at 8am.  I have to say were were easily the loudest group a bit in violation of the 10pm quite time as we played games around the campfire but we were not visited by any neighbors or the camp host.  If you are a fan of view spectacular night skies this a a great park.  You can see brilliant stars, planets and the Milky Way.  On hikes you’ll see sandstone buttes and valleys.  We also saw many bird species and more woodpeckers than I’ve seen in any other location.  You’ll also see white tail and mule deer around the park.  The camp host told us that in the fall you can observe big horn sheep in the area.  On your hike bring binoculars and enjoy a peak at the black hills of South Dakota.  

    The visitor center offers camping essentials you may have lost of forgotten, souvenirs, ice, wood and a vending machine.  You can also visit the trading post on site and order from a small menu of breakfast and lunch/dinner items.  

    Nearby Chadron State park you can visit the Nebraska state forest and grasslands, Agate fossil beds, fur trading museum, Box Butte state recreation area/lake, Black Hills of South Dakota, and Fort Robinson state park.  All in all this is a must see state park for a short or long stay with family, friends, or a solo trip.  5 stars in my book.

    Ranger Review, Wenzel Portico 6 tent:

    As a ranger for The Dyrt I have the opportunity from time to time to review camping products.  I was fortunate to be able to review the Wenzel Portico 6 tent on this multifamily 3 night, 2 day campout.  

    The Portico 6 is a 74” heigh dome style tent using 3 lightweight shock corded poles.  The footprint is 10’x9’ and advertised as a 6 person tent.  I’d cut that in half for occupancy in reality.  I’m 6’2” and my sons are 6’ and 5’6”.  I’d say with sleeping bags and a couple of back packs we would consume the entire floor space.  We tested this tent with 2 cots and two 12 year old boys for 3 nights. The tent was intuitive and easy to set up from the box without looking at directions.  Total set up time was roughly 17 minutes from initial unboxing to completion.  This is definitely a two person job in order to get the poles upright but not difficult.  The Portico has some great highlights including a dry entry awning although a bit short, plastic pole holders at the corners, and a large D shape entry.  The door zipper worked very well with no snagging which was a very pleasant thing as tents go.  The Portico also has 3 very useful storage pockets on the outside of the tent.  The boys used the pockets to hang their wet swim trunks.  I can see these pockets being useful for storage of bug spray, sun screen and other like items.  It is curious why the storage pockets aren’t located on the inside of the ten however where I can see them being more useful.  There is ample head room in the tent and with the rain fly off the tent if very breathable while offering a view of the sky.  There is good privacy with the mesh starting a bit higher on the tent which I think is a great feature.  You’ll also enjoy the pre-attached guy lines on the rainfly.  Speaking of the rainfly, this may be the tent’s best feature.  We did see a good amount of rain during this campout with a long lasting low wind thunderstorm.  The rainfly held up great and keep the boys dry the hole time.  

    Before I go in to the concerns it should be noted that this is not a tent designed for outback and rouged camping.  This is a tent for the back yard or well established camp sites.  If that is where you keep this tent then I think you’ll really enjoy the tent for a long time.  Potential concerns come from the light weight fiberglass poles, thin floor, plastic pole holder corners and plastic tent stakes.  We layed down a second tarp in the tent and used cot foot prints to help protect the floor.  I’d defiantly never use this tent without a good think tarp under the tent to protect from puncture.  I’d upgrade the tent stakes if you plan on camping on hard ground or ground with any rocks.  These yellow low end stakes will not last long.  Much care is also needed when pounding in the stakes to the plastic tent pole holders.  One missed swing could potentially break the corners or the stake.  The awning did do it’s job keeping some small camp chairs dry but I’d like to see a bit deeper awning.  The only complaint the boys had about the tent was that it didn’t move air very well with the rainfly on.  The tent didn’t have any condensation in it however.  All in all this is a nice backyard camping tent for a maximum of 2 people with cots or 3 people in sleeping backs with a couple of packs.  It is light weight and easy to store.  Set up with two people and tear down with one will take around 15 minutes both ways. Check out more here: https://wenzelco.com/portico-6/

  • Abby M.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 1, 2021

    Red Cloud (Ne) Nebraska Nf — Nebraska National Forests And Grasslands

    Pretty, quiet and peaceful!

    Stayed a single night but would definitely stay longer. There’s about 13 sites, trash and recycling bins, and clean vault toilets. Sites were well spaced and had picnic tables and fire rings. Fee wasn’t required when I visited. Looks like mid-may is when they begin. Arrived Friday and there were several spots to select from. By morning, only 2 left.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2024

    Red Cloud (Ne) Nebraska Nf — Nebraska National Forests And Grasslands

    Good for overnight stay

    Was not interested in staying one night at Chadron State Park. Nice state park, but the campground was a little too crowded for my liking. It was also expensive. Stayed at Red Cloud Campground instead. Glad we did. As stated in previous reviews, this campground is clean and well maintained. I wouldn't recommend amy rig larger than a truck camper. Concrete picnic table, grill, metal fire ring, almost level gravel parking spot. Partial shade. In pine forest. Gravel campground road, ends in small loop. Sites not quite level but most not bad. Tent camping posible. Dirt & grass sites; mowed. Some are large, some with some privacy. Single vault toilet, clean with tp. Campground is in the woods next to US Hwy 385. Noisy, especially with truck traffic. Noise decreased about 10pm. Otherwise, really nice campground. Would recommend for overnight stay. AT&T data service good; bad T-Mobile service.

  • K
    Jul. 12, 2025

    Walgren Lake State Rec Area

    Great little empty campground

    Was worried I might not get a spot on a Friday night in July. Showed up at 8pm and had the entire place to myself. No ranger and no other campers. Nice place with spots around lake. Not level parking area and no hookups for campers but great primitive site and only noise was the occasional coyote. Vault toilets. Pack it in, pack it out. No trash or sewer dump. Cost $24 for out of state.

  • C
    Aug. 21, 2016

    Red Cloud (Ne) Nebraska Nf — Nebraska National Forests And Grasslands

    Red Cloud Campground, NE

    After the party crowd left from the farthest campsite from the entrance, it was quiet. The vault toilets were clean enough. The campground is quite close to the road so the lights and noise from vehicles is frustrating in the middle of the night. It's also at the bottom of a hill, so you have to be careful where you place your tent if it's raining. We were fine, but most of the sites looked dangerous if you're trying to avoid low spots where water pools.

  • C
    Jul. 30, 2018

    Chadron State Park Campground

    Great camping.

    Clean restrooms with showers and laundry. Little noise from the highway. Some sites have tree cover. Close to city and within 2 hours of Rushmore and Crazy Horse. .

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2018

    Chadron State Park Campground

    Chadron State Park-Beautiful Area

    Chadron State Park is such a beautiful area. The scenic drives are amazing. The campground is a nice campground. The sites are a little close together and it was challenging to back our 38' camper into our site, but once we were in we had a great time. Everyone was friendly and campground and restrooms and showers were clean. The sites were Electric only. Each site had a fire ring and picnic table. We were able to get cell service most of the time.

    The park had tennis courts, a pond for fishing and paddle boats, a swimming pool, horse riding, and hiking trails. We stayed here a night than moved on to Fort Robinson and will definitely come again.

  • M
    Aug. 16, 2021

    Bayard City Park

    Mostly level gravel spaces for 3 RVs.

    These spaces are close together but across a narrow street from a beautiful city park. There is a large covered area with several picnic tables and a well maintained grass area for the kids/pets. Both 30 and 50 amp electrical hookups at each site along with water. No sewer. No toilets. No showers. Beautiful area. Within 4 miles of Chimney Rock. We stayed 3 nights.

Guide to Alliance

Nebraska's northwestern region offers primitive tent camping opportunities for self-sufficient campers. The terrain features rolling prairie, pine-covered ridges, and several wildlife management areas. Elevation ranges from 3,700 to 4,200 feet, creating significant temperature variations between day and night, particularly in spring and fall months.

What to do

**Wildlife observation: Take advantage of multiple viewing opportunities at Smith Lake State Wildlife Area, where campers report diverse wildlife. "Morning doves. Geese swawks in distance, cattle across road... night critters: mice, skunk, mole," notes Athena M., highlighting the natural environment.

**Seasonal planning: Time your visit according to weather patterns. One camper at Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area explains: "The day I pulled in was 79° but there was a winter weather alert for the next day. Perfect place to ride out a snow storm coming through." Weather can change rapidly in this region.

**Supply runs: Stock up on necessities before setting up camp. Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area provides convenient access to stores. "It's only a few miles from a Super Walmart and a Safeway, in Chadron," writes Travis A., making it practical for resupplying during extended camping trips.

What campers like

**Solitude and quietness: Many tent camping areas near Alliance remain uncrowded even during peak season. Smith Lake State Wildlife Area receives positive mentions for its peaceful environment, with one camper describing it as "not crowded" with only occasional wildlife sounds disturbing the silence.

**Clean, established sites: Roberts Tract Camping Area provides well-maintained tent sites. Jesse S. reports: "We loved staying here this place was awesome. We will be back for sure. The sites were clean and had a fire pit." The area offers basic amenities appreciated by tent campers.

**Accessible locations: Most primitive camping areas feature straightforward access via maintained roads. At Smith Lake State Wildlife Area, Athena M. notes the "maintained dirt road half mile" leading to the camping area, making it accessible for standard vehicles without requiring specialized equipment.

What you should know

**Limited facilities: Prepare for truly primitive conditions at most sites. Michelle S. describes Smith Lake as "very primitive fishing lake," suggesting visitors should bring all necessary supplies including water and sanitation equipment.

**Cell service availability: Connectivity varies by location and carrier. At Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area, Mona M. reports "Good Verizon cell signal," which can be important for emergency communications in remote areas.

**Parking considerations: Some areas have limited space. Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area has specific constraints according to one visitor: "The parking lot is uneven and would hold maybe 4-5 vans." Early arrival during busy periods may be necessary to secure a spot.

Tips for camping with families

**Weather preparation: Pack layers and appropriate gear for temperature swings. The rapid weather changes noted at Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area, where temperatures dropped from 79° to snow conditions within 24 hours, indicate families should bring extra clothing and weatherproof gear.

**Wildlife education opportunities: Use wildlife sightings as learning experiences. The variety of birds and mammals noted at Smith Lake State Wildlife Area provides natural educational opportunities for children, though parents should maintain appropriate safety distances.

**Trash management: No garbage services exist at most sites. While some areas like Smith Lake have limited "trash available" as mentioned by Athena M., families should plan to pack out most waste to maintain these primitive camping areas.

Tips from RVers

**Size limitations: Large RVs face significant challenges at best tent camping near Alliance, Nebraska. Most areas are designed for tent camping with limited or no designated parking for recreational vehicles. "Nothing fancy, the parking lot is uneven and would hold maybe 4-5 vans," notes Mona M. about Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area.

**Navigation considerations: Use reliable mapping services to locate remote camping areas. "Google maps will lead you right to the area," advises Travis A. regarding Bordeaux Wildlife Management Area, which helps prevent getting lost on unmarked roads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Alliance, NE?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Alliance, NE is Smith Lake State Wildlife Area with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Alliance, NE?

TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Alliance, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring