Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Big Springs, NE

McGreer Camper Park offers pet-friendly camping alongside full hookup sites for RVs and tent camping options near Big Springs, Nebraska. The working farm campground provides clean restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities that accommodate travelers with pets. Dogs must be leashed at all times within the campground, with waste disposal stations available throughout the property. Located just off Interstate 80, this site provides convenient overnight accommodations for travelers with pets without requiring reservations in advance. The campground features a common room with basic cooking facilities where campers can gather indoors with their pets during inclement weather. Camping with pets at McGreer involves keeping dogs leashed and supervised due to the working farm environment with occasional livestock nearby.

Ogallala's Lake McConaughy area provides multiple pet-friendly camping options within 30 miles of Big Springs. Cedar View Campground permits pets at both its electric hookup sites and primitive camping areas along the sandy beaches. Dogs enjoy the expansive shoreline access where they can cool off in the water during summer months, though they must remain leashed throughout the recreation area. Pet waste must be properly disposed of in designated receptacles to maintain the clean, white sand beaches. Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area also welcomes pets but requires them to stay outside restroom buildings and shower facilities. The area experiences significant temperature fluctuations, requiring pet owners to prepare for both hot days and cool nights when camping with animals. Travelers report that camp hosts are particularly helpful in recommending the best pet-friendly sites with adequate shade.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Big Springs, Nebraska (39)

    1. McGreer Camper Park

    12 Reviews
    Big Springs, NE
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (308) 289-4137

    "It’s just a parking lot essentially off the highway exit."

    "A little bit of highway noise, as it’s right next to I80, but very minimal, didn’t disturb us. We will absolutely stop again!"

    2. Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area Campground

    30 Reviews
    Ogallala, NE
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (308) 284-8800

    $10 - $30 / night

    "I stopped at this campsite on a cross country road trip from NY to NV, as I didn’t know anyone who resided in the great state of Nebraska. Talk about a total hidden gem!!"

    "Daily entry fee (had to purchase on internet), fill/dump station a few miles up the road to the big lake. Just not convenient. Host on site, but sign says off duty, and haven’t seen them."

    3. Ogallala Tri-Trails KOA

    12 Reviews
    Ogallala, NE
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (308) 284-2415

    "The first thing to note is that there are two KOAs in Ogallala: one is right on the highway next to a truck stop, and then this one is about a mile off the highway, behind the truck stops."

    "Tiny off leash K9 park for dogs. Snug campground surrounded by corn fields. The hum of the highway can be heard but isn’t bad at all. We would definitely stay here again. Hosts were very kind."

    4. Oregon Trail RV Campground

    12 Reviews
    Lewellen, NE
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 978-8186

    $10 - $65 / night

    "We can’t say enough great things about Oregon Trail RV Park!"

    "Large cottonwood trees for shade and plenty of room for the dogs to run!"

    5. Cedar View Campground — Lake McConaughy

    10 Reviews
    Lewellen, NE
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (308) 284-8800

    $10 - $25 / night

    "On a tall cliff, lake breeze blowing through the popup window, sandy beach that is as big as the panhandle itself (these are the sandhills of Nebraska)."

    "Though most lakes in Nebraska are man-made and muddy, this manmade lake is in the sandhills so it is all beach and clear water."

    6. Pony Express RV Park

    2 Reviews
    Julesburg, CO
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 466-1543

    "Nice place and easy to get to, visiter center close by."

    7. Ogallala/I-80 KOA Journey

    11 Reviews
    Ogallala, NE
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (308) 284-1300

    $45 - $90 / night

    "Playground for kids, dog park for furry friends. Most sites are in open, a handful of sites had limited shade. Campground itself was quiet."

    "We were met outside as we arrived and check-in was quick. We were escorted to a standard pull-through site 35 with FHUs. The first thing we noticed was how immaculate the campground(CG) was kept."

    8. Pony Express Park Chappell

    11 Reviews
    Julesburg, CO
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (308) 874-2401

    $15 / night

    "Awesome little spot on a lake. Distant train noise is a minor down side, all the thistle your dog will get into is bigger."

    "Lovely little spot surrounding a lake. There are no designated sites. You can pretty much drive and camp wherever. There are a few picnic areas with structures."

    9. Lakeview

    3 Reviews
    Ogallala, NE
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (308) 284-8800

    "Found a very secluded place right in the lake. Close to town if you need anything. The lake is huge and makes for a great place to paddle board."

    "We love camping at lake Mac and have been there a few times. Van’s Lakeview is the best for multiple reasons. The campground is mostly dirt, not a ton of grass but the lake access is unbeatable."

    10. Ogallala KOA

    5 Reviews
    Ogallala, NE
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (308) 284-1300

    "Full hookup and well placed. 2 dog parks. It’s close to the road but surprising quiet. Not anything to do in this little town. Wal-Mart is very small."

    "There is a small playground for the kids and several dog walks but that is about it. We did hear highway noise all night."

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 39 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Big Springs, NE

191 Reviews of 39 Big Springs Campgrounds


  • Donna H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 11, 2025

    Ogallala Tri-Trails KOA

    Nice clean campground in town

    The first thing to note is that there are two KOAs in Ogallala: one is right on the highway next to a truck stop, and then this one is about a mile off the highway, behind the truck stops. I did drive by the other one, which wasn't as nice.

    The park manager was a really sweet guy and very helpful. The park is clean, as are the restrooms and showers. There is a dog park on-site, but the park is large enough that it made for a good stroll with my pup. I would stay here again.

  • Roxanna L.
    Apr. 12, 2025

    Ogallala KOA

    Nebraska

    Clean and maintained. Manager was friendly and they take you to your site. (Wish they all did) Sites are gravel but quite large. Full hookup and well placed. 2 dog parks. It’s close to the road but surprising quiet. Not anything to do in this little town. Wal-Mart is very small. We ate at an excellent restaurant that was clean and food was very good. Country Pride is the name and very close to campground. Highly recommend!!!

  • Mandie R.
    Dec. 13, 2024

    Oregon Trail RV Campground

    Luke- The Lifesaver!

    We can’t say enough great things about Oregon Trail RV Park! While traveling through the area with our dogs, we had planned to stay at Lake McConaughy, but the campgrounds there weren’t as dog-friendly as advertised during the off-season. Thankfully, Luke, the owner of Oregon Trail RV Park, stepped in at the last minute and gave us a place to stay. This park was exactly what we needed—easy to find, impeccably maintained, and truly welcoming to both us and our pets. The RV spaces were clean and spacious, with plenty of room for our dogs to enjoy themselves. Luke’s friendly and accommodating attitude made the experience stress-free, which is priceless when you’re on the road. If you’re in the Lake McConaughy area and looking for a quiet, pet-friendly RV park with excellent service, look no further. Oregon Trail RV Park is a gem, and we’ll definitely be back!

  • Renee H.
    Jun. 22, 2024

    Ogallala/I-80 KOA Journey

    Clean, convenient, highway noise

    Clean campground, level gravel sites. Easy on and off to I80, but road noise as a result all day and night. Verizon cell signal was strong. Clean bathrooms and showers. Laundry available. Playground for kids, dog park for furry friends. Most sites are in open, a handful of sites had limited shade. Campground itself was quiet. Staff was friendly, staff escorts you to your site and directs you in. Garbage dumpster across from bathhouse. Small store in main building.

  • TRI-CROSS F.
    Jun. 16, 2023

    Cabela's RV Park & Campground

    Cabela's Sydney, NE Campground

    Well maintained grounds, restrooms and showers are clean and easy to access. Unfortunately there are trees but none are mature enough to provide adequate shading. Gas and convenience , shopping, and food located close by. Cabela's Sydney store is across the parking lot with plenty of things to browse for. Easy on and off I-80 access for RVs, vans, and tent campers with a nice playground for the kids and running room for your pets. Easy access horse Corral 🐎 for the equestrian motivated individuals. Overall when the trees mature to provide shade this will be a 10 for passing through and short stay campers. There aren't any sewage hookups but it does have a black and Grey water dump. Electrical rv hookups are in each spot and there's plenty of green grace to go around.

  • C
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Jumbo (Julesburg Reservoir) State Wildlife Area

    Quiet, Fun and close to home

    It’s a wildlife refuge so it’s a little different to stay than say North Sterling Reservoir. For now anyways...

    This is the perfect place to go to stay close to our home and not a long road home. You are able to schedule time with friends and head down and save your camping spot a day or two in advance.

    Pets and fires are allowed. Just keep them on a chain and put them out!

    They recently restricted up by the water camping which is awesome for parties that have lots of kids! They aren’t running into traffic unknowingly!

    There is practically no beach but if you know that going into it, it’s fine!! You pick your passions!!

  • Heather C.
    Oct. 3, 2020

    No Name Bay - Lake McConaughy

    1 night stand

    We stayed at the Little Thunder campground for 1 night while passing through Nebraska. Wow! The views were wonderful. We had to pay $8 for an entry fee into the park. Camping fees were paid at the campground using an envelope and a drop box. They offered full hookup sites 1-8 for $37/night and sites 9-42 are $32/night w/ electricity. We chose site 25 It has a nice sandy trail that leads you right to the beach.🏖 We arrived at 4:00pm on a Friday evening in September and there were plenty of sites to choose from. We seen a few campers & tents ⛺ boondocking on the beach, we wanted to go out there but after boondocking in Colorado for 5 days we wanted to enjoy the electricity hookup for the night. The cons to this site is there were tiny cockle burrs on the ground EVERYWHERE! Our poor dogs were injured immediately after arriving before we realized these cockle burrs were on the ground by then we had tracked them inside the camper, vehicle on our shoes..My family got them stuck in their hands and feet ouch! I wasn't a happy camper while getting those burrs out of the dogs paws and out of the camper and clothes. There are no signs stating dogs weren't allowed on the beach so we carried them down there where they were safe to walk around. I am not sure if these burrs are all over the campground because I did not leave our site other than the path to beach which didn't have these burrs. The wind had picked up out of nowhere and the clouds rolled in then sand was blowing hard everywhere so we retreated to our camper for the night. Be prepared there is alot of white sand here.

  • Amy E.
    May. 24, 2022

    Ogallala Tri-Trails KOA

    Great stopover overnight stop

    This was a great overnight stopover. Very nicely maintained campground. The bathrooms were very clean, nicely designed with a modern look. Tiny off leash K9 park for dogs. Snug campground surrounded by corn fields. The hum of the highway can be heard but isn’t bad at all. We would definitely stay here again. Hosts were very kind. We didn’t love that we were placed super close to others, nor did we live that the one tent campers were right next to us facing our sitting area when there were so many open spaces with better privacy with same site-types, and we arrived late enough in the day that choice offerings to others would not have mattered…but, KOA does charge an upcharge for site selection so perhaps the snug assignments are by design? First KOA experience. Overall we were pleased.

  • Daniel  B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 24, 2016

    Martin Bay Campground — Lake McConaughy SRA

    Awesome Beach Camping

    Heads up - 4WD or AWD vehicles necessary. I had my first opportunity to drive my car onto a beach, and it was the coolest experience. What's also a cool experience? Car camping on a beach! Although the campground shows on a specific part of the map, our experience would be similar to anyone camping along the beach of huge Lake McConaughy. The way it works here is there's a main entrance to the State Recreation Area, then you choose between a few designated campgrounds. One would simply access the beach from different points along the road, probably at each designated campground. We found access to this gem by the Little Thunder campground, via a 4WD beach access road. Campfires, fire ban permitted, are allowed. You'll want to bring your own wood, but there's kindling. Visibility here for star gazing is supreme. For the lake's size, there's accommodation for a lot. That said, there can be a lot of people on a a nice weather weekend. That's not as much a privacy concern since it's easy to give each campsite plenty of space, but at night if there's people with their boats out on the water partying or chatting, the sound will carry so bring some ear plugs for the night. Great place for regular beach stuff. I also saw a lot of water sports being enjoyed, from paddle boarding to water skiing. A cool thing one family did was they had used the main entrance to the state park area to load their boat into the water and had driven the boat and anchored it close by their beach side campsite. Well done Nebraska.


Guide to Big Springs

Camping near Big Springs, Nebraska offers varied terrain where the Nebraska Sandhills meet the South Platte River Valley at an elevation of 3,687 feet. Summer temperatures typically range from 85-95°F during the day with cool evenings in the 50s-60°F range. Wind is a constant companion in this region, especially for campers at open sites without natural windbreaks.

What to do

Lake activities: Lake McConaughy provides extensive water recreation on its clear waters. Cedar View Campground offers excellent access to the white sand beaches. "The lake is huge, one of the few man-made lakes that are visible from outer space. Nice wide open country side all around with much wildlife to see," notes Charles C.

Fishing opportunities: Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area Campground offers productive fishing spots for both novice and experienced anglers. "Morning catfishing right off the banks is excellent!" shares GoWhereYouAreDraw N. The smaller lake provides a more intimate setting compared to neighboring McConaughy.

Historical exploration: Visit nearby Ash Hollow across from Oregon Trail RV Campground. "We spent several days learning about the history, walking part of the Oregon Trail, and even learned that the Mormon Trail came through this camp site," explains Josh U. The area features preserved wagon ruts and interpretive displays.

What campers like

Convenient overnight stops: McGreer Camper Park provides simple accommodations for travelers. "This is a perfect place to stop midway between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains. Extremely friendly staff. Not about the amenities, just terrific service in a perfect stop over spot," says Robert T.

Clean facilities: Ogallala/I-80 KOA Journey maintains exceptionally clean bathrooms and showers. "The bathroom and shower house was immaculately clean. A+ on that. The water is good tasting," notes Max M. The property is well-maintained with level gravel sites.

Farm experience: Some campers enjoy the working farm atmosphere at McGreer Camper Park. "The owner is wonderful. She even gave me some eggs for my breakfast and cucumbers as a snack for the road," shares LaDonna T. The property offers a glimpse into rural Nebraska life.

What you should know

Highway noise: Many campgrounds near Interstate 80 experience significant traffic noise. "The campground is right off I-80, so you will have highway noise," warns MickandKarla W. about Ogallala/I-80 KOA Journey. If you're sensitive to noise, request sites furthest from the highway.

Seasonal challenges: Storms can develop quickly in this region. "Real calm at dusk on this reservoir, it picked up real fast into a certified windstorm by 2AM when I felt like my tent was about to be blown away into oblivion," reports Dan X. about Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area.

Limited shade: Many campgrounds have minimal tree cover. "Downside is the lack of shade. The friendly camp kitty greeted us when we arrived," mentions Cathy F. about McGreer Camper Park. Prepare with canopies or awnings during summer months.

Tips for camping with families

Beach access: Lake McConaughy's Cedar View Campground offers family-friendly beaches. "On a tall cliff, lake breeze blowing through the popup window, sandy beach that is as big as the panhandle itself," describes Charles C. Families appreciate the gradual entry into the water.

Playground amenities: Ogallala Tri-Trails KOA provides play equipment for children. "Our kids were entertained by the pool, jumping pad, etc. Quiet at night. Bathrooms were clean," reports Busy C. The campground also maintains quiet hours for families needing rest.

Wildlife viewing: Introduce children to prairie wildlife viewing opportunities. "If you are a bird watcher, head north to crescent lake and see the burrowing owls, long billied curlew, or a vast amount of other birds," suggests Charles C. Bring binoculars for spotting distant animals.

Tips from RVers

Dog friendly campgrounds near Big Springs: Oregon Trail RV Campground welcomes pets with spacious sites. "The RV spaces were clean and spacious, with plenty of room for our dogs to enjoy themselves," mentions Mandie R. The campground's layout provides adequate exercise areas for pets.

Hookup positioning: At Ogallala/I-80 KOA Journey, utilities are strategically placed. "The utilities are in the middle with two sewer choices (nice!). The water pressure was good at around 50 psi," notes MickandKarla W. Multiple sewer connection options allow flexible parking positions.

Internet connectivity: For remote workers, many campgrounds offer solid WiFi. "We were told at check-in that the Wifi was good enough to stream so we did not put out our Starlink for this overnighter and the Wifi performed well. We got 4 bars on Verizon," shares MickandKarla W. about their stay at Ogallala/I-80 KOA Journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Big Springs, NE?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Big Springs, NE is McGreer Camper Park with a 4-star rating from 12 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Big Springs, NE?

TheDyrt.com has all 39 dog-friendly camping locations near Big Springs, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.