Best RV Parks & Resorts near Brainard, NE

We’d passed through this area a few years ago when traveling I-80 and noticed there was a campground(CG) and golf course here in Waco, NE. We added this CG to our list and finally got a chance to stay here. The CG is a little ways off I-80 and easy to get to. Check-in was quick and easy and we were led to pull through site 303 with FHUs. There are separate prices for weekdays and weekends. The utilities were at the center of the long gravel pad. Water pressure was okay at around 40 psi. We got 2 bars on Verizon. The sites here are decently spaced especially for a private CG. The CG was clean and well-maintained. If there were long-term residents, you could not tell. We were here over a weekend, so there were families and a lot of kids using the swimming pool, mini golf, and the large playground area. Each site, along with a picnic table and fire pit has a bench swing. There’s a decent-sized dog park on the south side and larger one on the north side. The CG has its own tornado siren plus an underground tornado shelter. There’s one cabin for rent. They also have a well-kept laundry room with 2 washers and 2 dryers. York has your main amenities such as Walmart. The golf course right next door is a deceptively tough 9-hole course.

This is a nice small campground that is well taken care of. We stayed at site number 8 which may be one of the more unlevel spots. The passenger side of our 5th wheel was about 7" lower than driver side and rear of fifth wheel was about 3" lower than front before we levelled out. 

Pros:

-Well maintained walking trails that are perfect for dogs

-Most sites have 30 and 50 amp hookups

-Fire rings and picnic tables at most sites

-$18 a night for electric hookups

-Quiet

Cons:

-Some sites are very unlevel  

-No water or dump station

Once we exited off I 80 per campground(CG) instructions, we traveled following our RV GPS, WAZE, and Google Maps on the back roads to the state recreation area(SRA) and specifically the South Shore CG. We saw the South Shore sign that was somewhat hidden by trees and also a sign for the dump station and potable water. We pulled into the dump station for potable water and to dump what we had from our overnight stay as we were going into back-in site 80 with only electric(50/30/20 AMP). There was a small unmanned check-in gate where we got our Nebraska State Park Pass, but no one was around to stamp our pass so we followed the signage to site 80, which was a fairly easy back-in. We were amazed at the lake view as this site sits up on a hill about 100 yards from the water. Our name was on the post as we had online reservations(there are some first-come-first-serve sites here). We could have put out our satellite, but we got a multitude of OTA channels out of Lincoln, NE. We also got 3 bars on Verizon and 2 bars on T-Mobile. The South Shore CG has a mix of FHUs, 50 AMP, and 30 AMP-only RV sites. Note that when the utilities state Electric Plus, there is no water at the site, just 50 AMP electric plus a 30/20 AMP as well. There are also tent areas within the SRA campgrounds. The sites in general are spaced so you are not right on top of your neighbor. However, the sites that run on both sides of site 80 have no one behind with lots of space down to the lake. This was a very nice CG that we would not hesitate to visit again.

Conestoga SRA is an increasingly popular campground following major renovations that were completed in 2018. Improvements to the picnic tables, restrooms, added shelter area and most importantly a complete overhaul of the lake have made this a much improved campground. Conestoga is entirely walk up with no reservations. You can easily self register at the park entrance and a second location closer to the lake centrally located between two of the three camping areas. A pack in primitive campground was also added to the lake and is accessible via a gravel hiking path. Fishing for mature fish will not be possible until 2021 according to Nebraska game and parks. I did see plentiful immature fish while kayaking the lake in June of 2019. The lake was complete dredged out and the parks commission added several silt pond around the lake to capture silt run off. This should keep this lake much cleaner than it was in the past. The park is boat and kayak friendly these days with the addition of two brand new boat ramps. By my count there were three new fishing docks going up although only one was completed during my stay. This is not relatively quite campground but it is popular. Kids can ride their bikes all around the paved and gravel rounds throughout the camp. The sites in the row on the side of site 50 are huge. We enjoyed spreading our stuff out with multiple tents and played games in the large open space. Shade is limited over a good 1/3 of the powered sites. The primitive site closer to the lake is well shaded with mature trees. There was a camp host who made sure we knew where the storm shelter was on the night of our stay. We nearly needed to use it as we experienced a severe thunder storm. There are 25 camp pads offering 20-30–50 amp hook ups and another 8 non electric pad sites. There is a dump station and several vaulted, well maintained toilet houses. Water is also available. If you plan on boating there is a 5mph speed limit so this is more of a canoe or kayaking lake or just for fishing. I highly recommend this SRA close to Lincoln Nebraska

Campground Review

We pulled into The Double Nickel Campground off of I-80 at the Waco exit(360) in Nebraska and were pleasantly surprised. We had a pull-thru site with Electric and Water. The site was a level, gravel pad with a picnic table and a large fire ring and a cute wooden double swing.

We learned that the owners Jeff and Amanda had bought the campgrounds in 2014 and moved here from Georgia. They have been working hard to improve it and are going to be making all RV sites into full hookups this winter. They also had started decorating for a haunted Halloween at the campgrounds.

This campground had free putt putt golf, video games, volleyball, yard games, playgrounds, a swimming pool, kids toys and books, crafts, and even an outdoor movie. Lots to do for family fun. There was also a golf course right next to the campgrounds.

The campgrounds offered tent and RV camping with Electric and Water to full hookups. There was free Wifi. The owner brought our firewood to the site and there was trash pick up at the site. There was a fenced in dog run for the pups. The only con was the interstate noise which we got use to. Everyone was very friendly and we made new camper friends and enjoyed fellowship around the campfire swapping stories and listening to the coyotes chattering in the distance. We will definitely return.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. At this campsite my husband and I tested the Midland ER 210 Emergency Weather Radio and XTalker T31 Walkie Talkie Bundle. Some of great features and things I liked about the Emergency Weather Radio are

1. The ultrasonic dog whistle and flashing beacon to help aid search and rescue locate you in case you are lost or hurt.
2. Loved all the different ways to charge this Radio. You can use the solar panel, the crank, the rechargeable batteries, or 6 AA batteries, making it a great tool to have.
3. When we were listening to the radio, a siren went off to alert us that we were in a severe thunderstorm watch and that high winds were expected.

The XTalker T31 Walkie Talkies have

1. Split chargers making them easy to charge
2. A call or page button to call each other
3. Ease of use

September is Emergency Prepareness Month and this bundle will definitely be a great asset to have especially here in Nebraska where the weather can turn bad quickly. Please check them out at https://midlandusa.com