Best Tent Camping near Beatrice, NE

Pawnee Lake State Recreation Area was within 30 minutes of Lincoln, NE . Try to make sure all essentials are packed to enjoy your stay without frequent trips to town. This is one of those spots where you can easily park the car and use other means of transportation for your whole visit.(ie, feet, bike, boat, horse, etc.)

There are options to where you camp. RV sites and tent in three different areas. This is not my favorite sort of tent camping, you have to park and walk everything to your site. Some tent sites are located right on the lake which is nice, you can easily park your watercraft nearby. However if it’s busy your neighbors are going to be very nearby. Not much privacy in that case. We however were completely alone when we visited, the crappy weather played a part I’m sure. Shade, which we didn’t need and picnic tables. If you have a hammock you may have an issue with getting it hung, bring alternate means of suspension.

The trails are multi-use so pay attention. We were hiking in the rain so did not see anyone but the trail apples were fresh. Were we hiked it was grassy and mostly level, there was an area where hikers had trails to themselves and a few benches to sit on.

The lake looked nice but I didn’t see anyone on it. I didn’t see any algae signs but the weather may have been a factor too. We overnighted so I didn’t get to completely explore the entire area. It was pretty quiet, some motor noises but they were more of a background noise. Worth an extended stay as long as the lake is open.

Change of plans last minute for my little brothers birthday brought us here. At first we couldn't figure out where to set up camp so we asked the camp host who was very friendly. Turns out that you can set up a tent basically anywhere and there's zero cost to tent camp, no fees what so ever!

Good for families or a solo cowboy. Well maintained, water is a available, and clean bathrooms that smell good. Nice picnic areas. Primitive tent sites and RV sites with electrical hookups. First come, first serve.

Went tent camping with 3 kids on a weekday and had the place to ourselves. I really like area 4. There are a bunch of campsites close to the lake but if you keep going there is a parking area and a short trail through the woods that leads to an open area right by the lake. Secluded but still pretty close to the bathroom if needed.

Been camping there for years , now it has been not even taken care of ,goose poop all over the beach for the 4th,  a UTV driving all over the grass , I remember couldn't even drive on the grass to unload for tent camping, trash is all over ,people arnt picking up after them self, people are fishing off the beach hooks on the beach, who ever is the camp host isnt doing there job

Late October tent camping- low around 19f... we seemed to be the only souls in the place.

Our site was a few hundred yards from the lake, and we had a great morning walk.

Downsides:

Cost- $12 for out of state plates and $15 for a site without amenities is steep.

We were also by the dumpster, and they came by to empty it around 7am. Probably a Monday morning problem, but still worth mentioning.

https://reservations.go2gov.net/parks/base/AuburnNEParks/publicSite/entry.faces Drop the period at the end, this is the site to reserve a spot not what's on the sign! 17 sights #7 and 12 are first come first serve all others go to the web site posted above. Non potable water at each site, dump station as you enter. Lots of things to do around town. Site will accommodate any rig. 30/ 50 amp electric. Rate has increased to $20 per night. Tent camping available

I stayed there for a whole weekend. The reason to stay was to Frisbee golf and camp ALL weekend. The babe a nice 18 hole course throughout the park. Sheltered bathrooms and drinking fountains were just a few of the amenities offered at the grounds. There is tent camping along with RV spots with electricity for both. As it is in a small town setting as well, it is quiet with little light pollution so to view the stars decently enough. All in all it was a good path for families to hang out in and also a nice place to camp.

We had a quiet weekend, though the camp was less than half full. Electrical hookups and tent camping are available. We stayed in the bottom section, close to water, the view was very nice. They have a playground and beach area, primitive restrooms, boat ramp, and at least two covered areas for gatherings. There is no dump station, the nearest one is about 6 miles North at Milligan at a gas station along highway 41. No wake boating, but kayaking/canoeing the lake is the best way to see and fish this lake. Check out web site here http://littlebluenrd.org/recreation/#Lone_Star.

This SRA about 25 minutes Southeast of Lincoln Nebraska is a favorite go to for me and my boys. Wagon Train is far enough from major roads that all you’ll hear is nature and the crackle of your fire. There are 28 pad/powered sites and 80 non powered, non pad sites for basic tent camping. If you want a sad spot reserve early. This SRA experienced a tornado a few years ago and many trees were lost. Those trees are in a pile near the non pad sites though, so claiming free fire wood is easy if you have a saw. Potable water is available and vaulted toilets are a short walk from the non powered sites. If you RV you’ll also have access to a dump station. There is a short hiking trail but nothing to write home about. Your camp sites will all have fire rings and picnic tables. I think the best part of this lake is the sand beach swimming area which is near a large covered picnic area. As with many Southeast Nebraska lakes, you can boat but there is a 5mph speed limit. If you don’t make reservations online you can show up and self register at the camp entrance. For me Wagon Train isn’t the prettiest lake in the area be a long shot but I love how quite it is and you’ll love the dark starry skies at night.

Outhouse water trash picnic table tent camping cell service 

This is great for a quick overnight especially since you do have cell service. The out house is just that a small house that is OUT actually a pit toilet would be preferable but as they say “any port in the storm”. I have to give them credit that they are trying, they just need to try a bit harder. A nice road just off the highway but the dust from the road can be rather bad.

Strang was first settled in 1886 and was known as Media, about a month later it became known as Bixby because it was thought that Media sounded like many other towns in the area. In April 1886 a windmill salesman by the name of AL Strang donated a windmill and water pump to the town so the town was named after Mr. Strang. That windmill still stands today on Main Street. A fire destroyed much of the town around the turn of the century and another fire in 1934 consumed a town block. In spite of all it’s calamities the town preservers. The small city park takes up a block of the town and it is struggling as is the town. A small RV could park in the area but it is best suited for tents but do not expect amenities.

LNT

Better than when you found it

Stay safe Happy travels

Wife found this lake on Google Maps. 

We drove out on a Sunday to check it out, and was amazed by the quality of the sites for the money. 

We camped the weekend of October 16th, 2020. 

Dry Camping is$5 a night. 

Electric (30AMP) sites are$10 a night. 

We came out on a Thursday and got a sight(#5). The sites are gravel(white rock) and somewhat level. I was able to get level with our leveling blocks. 

There were quite a few other campers, but the place was really quiet after 10PM. 

The lake has good areas and a trail around the lake. We put in several miles walking the dog. 

The lake is a"no wake" lake, so no speed boats. The lake is small enough that it would be an issue anyway. Great kayaking lake. 

There is a dump site(free) on sight. non-potable water available at dump sight. 

Fresh water near the campground (one spigot). 

Our only complaint was that there were only two dumpsters near the electric campground. More trash receptacles would be nice. We picked up trash from fire rings in the tent sites, which was annoying. 

We will definitely stay again next year, this time with kayaks.

This park campground was a great stop for a night as we drove through Nebraska. Safe, clean, and nearly full by the time we parked early-evening on a Friday. Beatrice's website says "20 camping sites (3 pull-through)" and I would consider these to be geared toward RVs/vans, not so much toward tenting.

Beatrice holds multiple softball tournaments in the summer time and our team tends to camp when we travel. This park offers so many amenities for such a low price ($18/night when we stayed!). We stayed for 3 different weekends in June. The grass is so green, spaces are clear, there is a ball field close by, the pavilion has entertainment on the weekends at times, the pond is adorable and flocked with geese! Great memories made here!