Best Tent Camping near Big Springs, NE

Recent Tent Reviews near Big Springs, Nebraska

169 Reviews of 12 Big Springs Campgrounds

• K

  Katelyn H.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 21, 2024

  Ogallala Tri-Trails KOA

  Perfectly Pleasant

  I stayed at a tent site and it was small and very close to other campers (it’s like a parking lot in size and closeness), but I liked feeling a part of a community. If you want some space though, it may not be for you (with tent camping that’s all they have). Big plus for me since it was so cold and windy, was that the restrooms and office were right next to me. They also offered to leave firewood that I wanted in my site, and in case of rain ended up setting it inside at the registration lobby since I came after office hours. One staff member checked to make sure I found everything okay and I appreciated that. They have a K-9 enclosure for a bit of pupper exercise, a playground, and a pool when it is in season. Not much of a view anywhere but they have cool old pioneer wagons all around so that was neat. No complaints and if it weren’t so windy I would have really enjoyed having a cozy site near possible new friends.

• 

  Amy H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 21, 2022

  Lone Eagle Campground

  Was beautiful

  Ok so first off this was a pretty site BUT... we had a tent. There was some kind of thorny thing all over the ground it mad it very hard for my kids to play or even have a blowup mattress. It literally stuck into everything. If you had a camper it was a great spot. If your camping in a tent would not recommend this site at all. Also you have to pay with your showers with tokens 1 token is 2 mins worth. It was not worth the money to me to stay here.

• C

  Cari B.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 6, 2020

  Sutherland State Rec Area

  Nice stopover

  Tent camped on the shore of the reservoir, this was a nice enough spot although a little noisy from the road and power station across the reservoir.

• 

  Kim & HSB B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 16, 2020

  Lake Mcconauhgy Cedar Vue Campground

  Nice (Cedar View Campground)

  Quick Notes: RV Pads w/ water & electric Tent sites Group & handicap sites Bathhouse Boat launch Sandy beach Wake lake Fishing Dumpstation

• R

  Richard R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Creekside RV Park

  No tents

  We pulled in and asked the man in the golf car for a spot. He informed us “No Tents” He failed to mention we could tent camp in the city park across the creek. Thanks Buddy! In the Pony Express Park across the bridge you can camp in a RV or Tent for free.Just leave it cleaner than you found it.

• 

  Kim & HSB B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2020

  Lake Ogallala Campground

  Nice

  Real quick review: Nice little no wake lake. We enjoyed the lake to paddleboard around. Tent camping one side and RV on my the other. Bath house Boat launch Playground RV hookups Dumpstation Short walking trail to the damn spout ..water all sites ..some electric Sites

• 

  Audrey C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 18, 2021

  Cabela's RV Park & Campground

  Better than overnight at a rest area

  Easy on and off from 80. We camped in the RV part with full hookups. We have stayed here twice and it is nice to have hookups while traveling across the Midwest. There are sites that are just electric or tent sites. The bathrooms and showers are clean.

• M

  Mike A.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 24, 2020

  Cabela's RV Park & Campground

  Just the basics

  Pulled in around 6pm on a monday evening in june. The “Real RV” section was packed, but the electric only sites and tent sites were completely empty. perfect for our class b.

  There was a playground and a building which had laundry and maybe showers, but it was closed due to COVID.

• 

  Charles C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 30, 2018

  Cedar View Campground - Lake McConaughy

  Beautiful Vistas, Sandy Beaches, Starlit Nights, Absolutely Marvelous

  We loved this camping area and have been dreaming of returning.

  The view was spectacular from the tent site, but there are plenty of full hookup sites available.

  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. The showers are free and there are plenty of hydrants for non-hookup sites.

  There is good trout fishing here and excellent bird watching. We saw the Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, and several other birds checked off our bucket list.

  The towns of both Ogallala and Lewellen both had plenty to see.

  The camp host was exceptional and helpful beyond what is typically expected.

• 

  Shannon G.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 23, 2019

  Cabela's RV Park & Campground

  New Campground at Sidney Ne

  Tired of driving-take a break here. We stumbled across this campground when returning from Colorado and needing a place to stay over. It is self register at night and the sites are level, on gravel, and clean. There is a picnic table and a fire grill at each site. There are about 30 Rv sites and some tent sites. It will be a few years until the trees grow large enough to give shade.

• B

  Brian W.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 15, 2020

  Cabela's RV Park & Campground

  Clean but confusing

  Stayed one night using one of the six tent camping sites. You either have to self register at the main office (unmanned) or go to Cabalas store and pay. A nice lady and daughter was waiting on a bus at the campsite building explained the procedure and most importantly gave me the 3 number pass to get into the bathroom (priceless)!

  Bathrooms were clean. Camp is noisy due to I-80 is 1/4 mile away...u can see headlights at nite on your tent walls. Plenty fresh water outlets. Electrical was the large round 30/50 amp? I wasn’t able to hook in due to no adapter. Got around 2 hours of sleep. Bring ear plugs.

• 

  Tarrah C.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 30, 2024

  Sutherland State Rec Area

  Nice stop over spot

  I entered the south side camping which is much like other sites with close camping, there is electric and a vault toilet. If a person follows the small road at the end of the south side camping it takes you to the west side camping which is random spots along the road to camp next to the water. Some have tables and fire rings other do not. There is a vault toilet at the end of the loop.

  $30 for electric sites $7 daily vehicle fee for NE license $14 daily vehicle fee for non- NE $15 tent sites

• 

  MickandKarla W.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 28, 2022

  Cabela's RV Park & Campground

  Good for a Couple of Days

  This campground rating is based on a short-term stay versus destination. The Cabela's RV Park& Campground(CG) was easy to find and we arrived early in the afternoon. As this is a first-come-first-serve CG, we drove through until we found a site (19 with FHUs) we liked. As Cabela’s Club members we got a 20% discount so we walked over to Cabela’s and paid for our site in a regular checkout line. You can also pay by credit card, cash, or check at the little unmanned office on the backside of the restrooms, showers, and laundry building. The laundry room was very clean and very reasonably priced with four washers and four dryers. Along with the majority of the sites being FHU, there are also electric-only and tent sites. They have cable but it’s pretty much the same as the OTA channels. There’s WiFi and we got 4 bars on Verizon and T-Mobile. You are near the interstate so there is some road noise, but not as bad as expected. This is a great CG for a couple of days' stay.

• R

  Richard R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Pony Express Park Chappell

  Beautiful Prairie site with easy access to 80

  Pulling off I 80 we saw RVs park around a pretty lake in a nice park. We drove over and asked someone in an RV if there was an honor box or if somebody would come collect a fee. He said “no the rule is just leave it cleaner than you found it.”

  Be sure to drive your tent stakes deep in the sandy soil as the wind can blow pretty hard in the Nebraska panhandle at times.

• 

  Ashley S.

  Scout

  

  May. 28, 2021

  Ogallala/I-80 KOA Journey

  $45 for 5 hours of sleep next to the loudest highway

  We were absolutely desperate to find a spot late last night so we figured we could trust a KOA to stop at in Nebraska. We’ve stayed at numerous other KOAs where they were conveniently/inconveniently next to the highway. Usually happy that it’s a close drive to get back on the highway but if you’re in a tent at this one it sounds like you’re about to get hit by a truck every 30 seconds. We pulled in around 11:30PM after driving for 11 hours and set up our tent and woke up before 5 to absolutely insane traffic going by. Also if we had realized it was going to be $45 for the site we would have found a hotel for another $20. Waste of money...should have risked just pulling over and sleeping on the side of the road somewhere. But at least the bathrooms and showers were VERY clean

• 

  Connor M.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 30, 2024

  Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area Martin Bay Little Thunder Campground / Lone Eagle Campground

  Sandy beaches, starry skies, summer heat

  We stayed one night at "Big Mac" on July 6th on our way out to Colorado in beach area 12. We were able to pull right up to the shore. There was a heat wave coming through so it was very hot. The bathrooms (In our spot they were just biffy's) are a bit of a walk from the spot we were at. 

  We had 3 setups, a roof top tent, inside the 4runner and a ground tent. All parties slept pretty happily including a 6 year old. We cooked right on the beach and had a campfire. 

  Towards midnight we saw some amazing stars that the pictures I included don't do justice. We would stay here again but I would caution anyone coming here to bring some sun screen and ensure you drink a lot of a water. There are some tent spots among the trees that provide more shade.

  If you're from a state (Like we are from MN) with lots of beaches and Lakes, it's really "just ok". Don't get me wrong, It's cool you can camp right on the beach and it's probably the most exciting place to be in Nebraska, but that's not saying much.

• 

  Maria H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 19, 2021

  Sandy Beach - Lake McConaughy SRA

  Better than California beaches

  We never thought we would be staying on a beach in Nebraska! It was so clean and pieceful!! A wonderful camping experience!!

• 

  Heather C.

  Guide

  

  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.

• 

  Ed B.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 1, 2020

  Lone Eagle Canyon Campground

  Out of the way camping

  RV, tent and cabins. Wi-Fi, small store, meals. Hiking trail nearby.

  www.eagle-canyon.com (308) 287-2673

• 

  Cai I.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2022

  Lemoyne - Lake McConaughy SRA

  Beautiful campground

  Reservation highly recommended, we got super lucky and was given a spot that had been recently cancelled. Decent facilities, pay showers. The reservoir was beautiful, for the middle of nowhere Nebraska :)

• R

  Robert T.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 13, 2023

  Martin Bay

  Beach Camping, in the middle of Nebrat

  Extraordinary location given that you are in the middle of Nebraska. I didn’t expect to be camping on a beach! Beautiful scenery. You can camp anywhere on the beach, so I was able to find a quiet spot. Expensive given basic facilities. Coin operated shower. No potable water

• 

  Dan X.

  Ranger

  

  Jan. 5, 2021

  Lake Ogallala - Lake McConaughy State Rec Area

  Summer windstorms

  Stayed here on my cross country drive. 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. LOTS of RVs.

• R

  Rosie R.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 29, 2018

  Lake Ogallala - Lake McConaughy State Rec Area

  Hidden gem

  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!! This campground is one of the most beautiful, quiet and serene campgrounds I have ever been to. There are lots of sites right along the water and perfect for fishing!! Absolutely some gorgeous views here.

• 

  Shannon G.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 25, 2019

  Sleepy Sunflower RV and Campground

  Neat place to sleepover

  Sleepy Sunflower RV Park is a neat place to stop over. Although it is right next to the interstate which is noisy, it has a cute western feel. It has a little area they call the town square wtt a wagon and carriage. It has tables with umbrellas, an area to BBQ, fire pit and outdoor kitchen. There is a office/market, free WiFi, playground, and a small pet run. The 28 RV sites are on rock, with full hook-ups, picnic table and some have fire pits. The 8 tent areas have grass with sand area for the tent to sit on, there are also 2 Tee-pees to rent. The bathrooms are extremely clean, as is the campground in whole. We did not have a reservation and showed up after hours hoping we could get in. It was nice that there was a place to check in and pay after hours. The office and campground was decorated nicely and owners (DuPeire family)live on site. There is a book and puzzle exchange, recycle bins and access codes for security.

• 

  Natalie C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 20, 2021

  Lake Ogallala Campground

  Quiet and peaceful

  This was a great little campsite that’s a little off the beaten path and for us was a nice surprise. The campground was quiet with some wildlife in and around the lake. There’s only a pit toilet and a few outhouses on the tent side. No showers. The only water pump I found was at the fish washing station.

• M

  Michael P.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 3, 2022

  Pony Express Park Chappell

  Nice tent camping

  This campground is free it has a lake it has a few picnic shelters with grills. There is one bathroom with a flush toilet it’s coed. You can drive just about anywhere on the property and set your tent up. There are no electric hook ups or water hook ups available. But for an overnight stop or two it’s a pretty nice place

• E

  Ely

  Scout

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Cabela's RV Park & Campground

  Clean Full Service Site

  Very clean, first-come, first-served grounds for RV/Camper/Tent. Coin laundry services. Clean bathroom and showers. Right next to the Cabela’s store, within walking distance to food, coffee, Walmart. It is, however, right next to a major highway, so it is very loud.