Patterson Harbor Marina houses luxury glamping accommodations on the shores of a serene Nebraska lake, combining outdoor adventures with premium comforts. The site features climate-controlled cabins with full amenities, allowing guests to experience nature without sacrificing modern conveniences. Prairie Dog State Park offers additional glamping options with spacious safari-style accommodations that provide electricity, comfortable bedding, and scenic views of the prairie landscape. Both locations maintain proximity to water recreation while ensuring guests have access to showers, modern restrooms, and essential amenities. "We've been camping at Patterson Harbor for the past 15 years off and on. It is a nice campground with cabins you can buy or rent. The beaches are nice and there is a marina which has bait, some food and supplies."
Water activities dominate the glamping experience at these resort-style destinations, with fishing, swimming, and boating available directly from the properties. Patterson Harbor features a marina with supplies and refreshments, while Prairie Dog State Park complements water recreation with wildlife viewing opportunities, including its namesake prairie dog colonies. Hiking trails wind through both properties, with Prairie Dog State Park offering a scenic walking path ideal for nature photographers capturing the expansive grasslands. One visitor noted, "This place has everything you could ask for. Expansive open grasslands, a lake full of fish and fowl. Turkeys and whitetail deer and the coyotes call in the distance. A photographer could get lost in the pure wilderness available in the prairie." Seasonal considerations affect availability, with Patterson Harbor closing during winter months.
"The sites include electric and water and are on gravel sites. The beaches are nice and there is a marina which has bait, some food and supplies. There’s even a little bar."
$10 - $25 / night
"Nice camp ground with helpful gate attendants, this Nebraska park represents the conundrum of many public campgrounds."
"They have a dump, clean bathrooms with hot showers(which super clean), a playground for the kids and a couple of walking/hiking trails nearby."
$10 - $21 / night
"Camping for anyone arriving at anytime. Don’t expect the best when arriving late, but most of you will have reservations, right? Then you will have the best."
"Super flat landscape, very short walking trail, main attraction is fishing, less wildlife than I expected. Quite a few campsites to choose from, some with more trees than others."
"Close to a few museums, specifically the archway museum. Nothing fancy about the sites. Gravel and sunny. A lake for swimming where there was a fire pit. Beautiful bath house and laundry."
"Campground is nice level concrete pads and a reasonable distance between sites. There is a stocked pond you can fish without a license. It is catch and release only."
$10 - $21 / night
"Bathrooms need work or at least someone that cleans them at least daily. The park is nice but the bathrooms are embarrassing 26 dollars a night"
"No ticks or bugs and frankly of all the camping locations, there is a number of different choices, I had my section to myself."
"A nice campground located on a beautiful lake. Several first come first serve sites that were wooded. A welcome find on a Saturday night without reservation."
"There were plenty of sites during my stay in October, and the site I stayed at was right next to the lake. In the morning, the trees were beautifully lined along the campsites."
"This friendly campground sits on The reservoir, and is about a 5 minute drive to Johnson Lake. We payed for a full access site, and had no leveling issues at all."
$75 - $100 / night
$150 - $250 / night
GuideRight off 80. Close to a few museums, specifically the archway museum. Nothing fancy about the sites. Gravel and sunny. A lake for swimming where there was a fire pit. Beautiful bath house and laundry.
GuideA nice campground located on a beautiful lake. Several first come first serve sites that were wooded. A welcome find on a Saturday night without reservation. Nice bathrooms and showers, fire pit and picnic table. Conveniently located not far off I 80. Dump station and clean water are just before getting into the park on the left side. A well managed and maintained park.
ScoutThis friendly campground sits on The reservoir, and is about a 5 minute drive to Johnson Lake. We payed for a full access site, and had no leveling issues at all. Most sites have fire pits, and tables. We see other campers with pets, so we assume they are allowed. They sell bait for local fishing that is a 2 minute walk on a well mowed trail away. Our kids enjoyed the quiet and loved being turned loose to enjoy the surroundings.
ScoutThe park was mostly gravel lot. It was all FHU throughout that I saw the staff was nice at check in. Didn’t have any other interaction with them after that. The park was clean. I just really to comment on the very odd bath house. The showers were separate shower rooms. Two were just shower. There were two other that had a toilet in them. The wasn’t any place to set your bath items or clothes. The were hooks, but some were missing one hook leaving only one. You had to be able to hangs items from a hook and also your bath towel. The toilets were separate rooms one toilet to a room. That’s it. Just a toilet and a trash can. Then the sink/mirror was out in the open room and just two sink-a. No place to set anything if you wanted to blow dry hair after shower. No trash can at sink area. The only place you found a trash can was in the separate toilet room. Very odd layout and any other camper we talked to said the same thing. Trees at sites were only in one area of campground. Our site didn’t have a tree. All sites were concrete pads which is nice. Hook ups were easy to reach without needing to add lengths of hose or cord. LOTS of highway noise. We just did an overnight on way from Montana to Florida. It’s was just okay and would have gotten. More stars from me if not for the odd bath house. I didn’t use the laundry facility, which was also housed in same open floor plan building as toilets, showers and sinks.
TravelerOne of my favorite campgrounds by far. There were plenty of sites during my stay in October, and the site I stayed at was right next to the lake. In the morning, the trees were beautifully lined along the campsites. At night, it’s a little windy there but tolerable with the RTT I was staying in. Campground is clean with electric hookups, tables, and fire pits.
TravelerThey took ok in as an emergency stop because our truck had DEF issues. Campground is nice level concrete pads and a reasonable distance between sites. There is a stocked pond you can fish without a license. It is catch and release only. It is right on a bike/walking path that goes into the city and to the archway that is super convenient. The park is clean and the staff is awesome! We would definitely stay again.
TravelerNice camp ground with helpful gate attendants, this Nebraska park represents the conundrum of many public campgrounds. Here, there are plentiful showers (yes, 75 cents for three minutes, woopdeedoo) but no water spigots and few usable pit toilets. There are primitive sites, 30 amp (yellow) and 50 amp (red) sites so no generator noise and all sites are near stocked ponds. A mix of overnight and long term visitors. Sandhills cranes can be viewed in the adjacent corn stubble in April. Limited cell service and no WiFi
ScoutCamping for anyone arriving at anytime. Don’t expect the best when arriving late, but most of you will have reservations, right? Then you will have the best. (Pause; Coyotes calling) this place has everything for any State Park you could ask. Expansive open grasslands a lake full of fish and fowl. Turkeys and whitetail deer and the coyotes call in the distance. A photographer could get lost in the pure wilderness available in the prairie. I’ve visited here during every season. The heat and bugs of mid July to the frozen autumn morings, always beautiful and teaming with wildlife. A great place to stay no matter your style. Just please be quiet, Mother Nature is listening.
LegendStopped here for one night headed east. Friendly staff, nice laundry and bathroom facilities that are handicapped accessible. Big dog park area for the pups. No fires here. Level concrete pads and you can move the picnic tables if needed. There are storm shelters available in the bathhouse.
Patterson Harbor Marina provides concrete RV pads with water and electric hookups on gravel sites near Alma, Nebraska. The campground operates seasonally with 80 total sites, closing during winter months. First-come, first-served camping means no reservations are required, though guests should arrive early during peak summer periods to secure preferred locations.
Golf cart exploration: Patterson Harbor Marina permits golf cart use throughout the property, unlike many other campgrounds in the region. "You can drive your golf cart around (many other campgrounds don't allow). Everyone is so nice and helpful," notes one regular visitor.
Fishing in stocked waters: Fort Kearny State Recreation Area features seven sandpit lakes designated for fishing, with accessibility features for all anglers. "Lakes 5, 6 and 7 offer handicap accessible piers. Lake 7 has the swimming beach. I was camped backed up to Lake 4 at site 57," explains a Fort Kearny State Recreation Area visitor.
Wildlife photography: The open plains near Norton Reservoir provide exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities. A veteran visitor to Prairie Dog Campground notes, "Turkeys and whitetail deer and the coyotes call in the distance. A photographer could get lost in the pure wilderness available in the prairie. I've visited here during every season."
Year-round access options: While some glamping in Alma, Nebraska options close seasonally, several parks remain open through winter. A camper at Main Area Campground shared: "We arrived here on March 1st and it was very silent, just one other camper. Spots are clean, squirrels running around, tables and firepits. Of course this time of year the restrooms were closed."
Waterfront camping: Many sites offer direct lake views or access, enhancing the glamping experience. "There were tent sites available right near the water that we didn't realize were open until we had already settled in. The lake is lovely and there are huge trees all over," reports a Main Area Campground visitor.
Storm shelters: Some campgrounds include safety features for severe weather. At Kearney RV Park & Campground, a visitor noted, "Friendly staff, nice laundry and bathroom facilities that are handicapped accessible. Big dog park area for the pups. No fires here. Level concrete pads and you can move the picnic tables if needed. There are storm shelters available in the bathhouse."
Seasonal bug activity: Insect populations can impact camping enjoyment during certain periods. A visitor to Shady Rest Campground reported, "We weren't even able to look around or take pictures. We were literally stuck in our camper and only spent the night and than left. When I did have to go out to take my dogs out to the bathroom, the bugs would fly up my nose and were all over me."
Highway noise considerations: Some campgrounds experience traffic noise due to proximity to major roads. At Kearney RV Park & Campground, a reviewer observed, "Being right next to the highway very bad road noise. Had to turn the fan on high to drown it out. Other than that, this is a great campground."
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Alma, NE is Patterson Harbor Marina with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
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