Best Tent Camping near Chadron, NE

Stayed here for an event in Chadron at the cabins and they served their purpose, but they were fairly outdated. Really pretty campground though and I would like to go back tent camping. Typical nice and clean amentities, some small wildlife sightings, overall a really enjoyable experience.

The lake is great for boats if you prefer to bring one. Only issue that I may have is if you get a tent site make sure that your tent will fit. We have a rather large tent and there are a couple of spots that it will not fit. Hosts are pretty nice. I love that the marina isn’t to far from the tent sites and they do have lots of trees to help keep your tent well shaded during the heat of the day.

Was not interested in staying one night at Chadron State Park. Nice state park, but the campground was a little too crowded for my liking. It was also expensive. Stayed at Red Cloud Campground instead. Glad we did. As stated in previous reviews, this campground is clean and well maintained. I wouldn't recommend amy rig larger than a truck camper. Concrete picnic table, grill, metal fire ring, almost level gravel parking spot. Partial shade. In pine forest. Gravel campground road, ends in small loop. Sites not quite level but most not bad. Tent camping posible. Dirt & grass sites; mowed. Some are large, some with some privacy. Single vault toilet, clean with tp. Campground is in the woods next to US Hwy 385. Noisy, especially with truck traffic. Noise decreased about 10pm. Otherwise, really nice campground. Would recommend for overnight stay. AT&T data service good; bad T-Mobile service.

Not many campsites, but all very accessible for any sized rig. There are tent sites as well. All sites are messed against the Cottonwood trees for afternoon shade.

Supposed to be good birding here but nothing special. Reservoir was low but ppl fishing, tubing and having fun. Some sites close together along reservoir. We camped near tent sites at far end of campground in cottonwoods. No neighbors so peaceful. Clean pit toilets and water. Campground lights drowned out the stars :(

Our family of four tent-camped two nights on the way home from the Black Hills. It's rural Nebraska at its best! A very social campground with flocks of kids biking, playing hide-and seek, and just running free. With several lodging options, this hidden gem seemed to be a place where family and friends meet up to get away. During our stay we enjoyed an interactive rodeo, swimming in the indoor pool, and a history lesson including Native American culture as we toured the grounds. At night the stars were spectacular, and the morning chuck-wagon breakfast was treat. We would love to go back for the annual pow-wow! If you are touring western Nebraska or South Dakota and don't mind beautiful open drives and busy friendly campgrounds stay here!

Campground Review:

Allen Ranch offers RV, Tipi, Canvas, and basic tent sites located under shade along the river. Pull-thru sites are also available. All RV sites have water and electricity, with a dump station available on site. I only took a star away because of the loud road next to it. I didn't mind but some of my family mentioned it once or twice so I thought it needed to be scored. 

Allen himself stopped by on our first day to say hi. And he is a really nice guy! He is a former Park Service Law Enforcement Officer and Fire Ranger. He bought this land a long time ago and didn't want to leave it to work at other parks. He knows everyone in town and can recommend some great spots to visit. He started this campground and has been maintaining it with his family for a long time. It's on a beautiful strip of land right on the Fall River. The Fall River is fed by hot springs so the water stays nice and just slightly chilled. Almost feels like getting into a heated pool, like where you step in say "ahh that's nice" instead of cringe with chills. Since we were the only tent campers there we offered to mow the grass or help set up the tipis but Allen wanted us to just relax since he had his family helping him. So that is what we did. I did offer him a nice cold beer out of my Icemule cooler though. He was shocked to see "such a neat contraption!"  

There are 12 RV sites, 6 tent sites, 1 group site, and 3 tipis. I saw one canvas tent that was set up. You can call ahead and reserve sites but we found that we could just drive up and put our names on a site as put the money in an envelope at the shower house. On a busy weekend I would call ahead. 

Cost:

Tent sites: $25 to book and $5 for each additional person. 

RV site: $40 for 2 people and $5 for each additional person.

Group site: $8 per person for groups 10+

Tipi: $70 (plus $5 per additional person) for basic (you furnish), $130 per couple for everything included (including breakfast)

Glamping tent: $130 per couple (min 2) and $25 for each add person for everything included (including breakfast)

RV sites: Sites are within walking distance to the shower building with hot water and restrooms. They are right when you pull into the campground so you don't get the generators bugging you at night. They are far enough away from the tent sites to create good space. 

Tent sites: There is a large group site across from the shower house. There isn't much shade for the group site but it is large enough for a good sized group. 

The other tent sites are right next to each other so when it is busy, it would be packed. We got lucky and we were the only ones there so we got our pick of the sites. We chose sites 2 and 3 since they were perfect for our sized group and had the best flow section of the river right at the site. We were able to walk right into the water and hang out on tubes without feeling like we were sucked into cattails or "rapids". 

The sites hadn't been mowed, so the grass was a little tall, but we came at the end of a very rainy and snowy week and Allen hadn't had a chance to mow since were there the first day it stopped snowing/raining.

Other than being right next to the main road, the sound of the creek and the cottonwood trees blowing in the wind was lovely. The road wasn't too noisy and the sound went way down at night. 

There are tables at each site with 3-4 wooden round seats. The seats weren't super sturdy but the tables were great for keeping our food off the ground and away from our dogs. 

Bathrooms:

The tent sites are pretty far away from the bathroom and there isn't a place to properly go to the bathroom near the site without being seen from the main road. So that is the only big downfall. 

There is a port-o-potty up by the tipis and the canvas tent. 

The showers are free and hot. They aren't the most up to date facilities but they are functional and easy to use. 

There is a grill on site but it wasn't open when we were there, I think it is mostly open for Summer. They also offer catering for large groups, reunions, weddings and celebrations of any kind. As Allen says: "Come join us for a fun filled , relaxing camping experience near Hot Springs located in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota Mountain hiking, Interpretive talks and warm water river tubing down gentle Fall River, which runs through the entire campground."

Inner tubes are provided FREE for the guests too. They are located right next to the playground. 

There is also a big stage on site where i'm guessing bands or events can play or take place. 

Product Review:

As a ranger we sometimes get the opportunity to review products that would benefit the camping experience. On this trip, I decided that floating down a river with family was the perfect time to review the IceMule Jaunt Cooler from https://icemulecoolers.com/. 

I chose the Jaunt because I wanted something that was easy to carry just a few beers instead of my whole fridge in a bag. Icemule does a great job of creating lots of options for cooler sizes and the Jaunt seemed to be the perfect fit for my lifestyle. Plus, I LOVED the colors! 

It says that it can hold a six pack or 3 bottles of wine. At first It seems like it can hold a lot more than that based on it's height, but I quickly learned that it won't properly keep chilled or stay leakproof if it is filled too much. OOPS! Once I learned to fill it properly, it worked like a charm. Even floats when you need to pass it between people on the water. 

There is a front pocket on the bag that is supposed to be waterproof but the zipper is lined along the outside with no real way to close it fully so I wouldn't trust it to keep things inside perfectly dry. It is also hard to zip with one hand (see video) which is something that would make it easier to use. 

Other than that, it was a great addition to our basecamping and day trip gear. It sites comfortably on my back and isn't too heavy being filled with liquid. It is WAY easier to carry than a cooler and way more more enticing to drink cold beer that wasn't just shook up in a warm backpack while out snowshoeing.

This private campground directly overlooks Carhenge and is not too far from (small) downtown Alliance. Although tent prices were listed, I’m not sure it would appeal to tenters. Prices range from $17 for tents to $27 for water to $35 for full hookups. 50% off after the third day. Weekly and monthly rates listed and it appears that credit cards are accepted. I believe there were four full hookup sites. The day we were there, there were only two RVs there and I didn’t see anyone to talk to. (There was a phone number prominently displayed to call but I did not). Pit toilet. No shade at all. If you are passing through, it might be good for an overnight stay but other than Carhenge, not much to do in this area. Was suggested that it might be a good stop on the way to Sturgis (tent camping?)

Chadron State park is located just a few miles south of Chadron, NE. There are many nice picnic areas throughout the park, some big enough to host large groups. They also offer cabins to rent if you plan on staying the night. Drive through the park and you can enter in to Nebraska national forest which has amazing views out to the prairies and farm land below. One of the best places to watch the sunset!

Factoid: When I stayed here I learned that the Nebraska National Forest is manmade! It is the largest hand planted forest in the US. it felt like a green oasis in the “desert" of Western Nebraska!

I spent 3 days hiking in this Forest and enjoyed every minute on each trail. This area has such differing geography. I’d begin the hike in the Forest, climb up to the ridge and catch views all the way into the vast, flat Buffalo National Grasslands area. 

My home base was in Chadron State Park where I camped. The park itself has 6 miles of hiking trails which connect with several other trails in the Nebraska National Forest. The video is a section of the Black Hills Overlook Trail in the National Forest. A definite must! There was evidence of old wildfires on the western slopes, but otherwise the lodgepole pine trees were beautiful. Steamboat Butte Trail is another good hike.

Chadron State Park is located in the Nebraska National Forest off Hwy 385 south of the town of Chadron which has a Walmart for supplies.The park has pretty much everything: a fishing pond, A trading post for basic camp supplies and some food, swimming pool, seasonal horseback trail rides, archery range, tennis court, disc golf, sand volleyball, horseshoe pits, softball field, playground, AC/heated cabins, group camping with a group lodge,  and campsites with 30 amp HU, no water so fill up at the bathrooms and there’s a dump station on site. 

The site I was in was level, but there was no shade. Shade trees are sparse in the area where I was camped. It was quiet and the stars were great at night, and made for a good home base from which to hike in the Nebraska National Forest.

Google maps will lead you right to the area. It's next to a busy road. Nebraska 20, Bridges to Buttes Byway. Enough parking for several rigs if parked close. I was the only rig there on a Thursday. It's only a few miles from a Super Walmart and a Safeway, in Chadron.

We're in the midst of a week in our 26' travel trailer along this beautiful 1.5 mile-long dirt Forest Service road 714-A, directly above Chadron State Park. We're guessing that most folks who stay in the State Park campground below are unaware that dispersed camping is indeed permitted within 300 feet of the center line of this road, for even though the popular State Park campground remains closed for another day due to a delayed COVID-19 opening, and is booked solid thereafter, there's absolutely no one else camping up here!

You actually have to drive through the State Park to access FR-714-A, and the park does not lock their gate overnight so access remains unrestricted. The road is in excellent shape and negotiable by any trailer or motorhome, but is only a single lane wide. We're 700 feet of elevation above the plains below, with stunning views stretching off to the horizon. Much of this area has burned in the past, but the area where we're camping is lush and grassy with some stately pines around. This isn't the Nebraska that you know!

Cell service on Verizon is a solid 3+ bars - 54ms ping, 13.6 Mbps down, 3.5 Mbps up. The Verizon tower is visible about 5 miles to the south of our campsite.

There are numerous hiking trails that depart from either end of FR-714-A, including some in the State Park. Fresh water, an RV dump and a camp store are all located within the park, along with an archery range, sledding hill, fishing pond, playgrounds, picnic areas and more.

One star is deducted only because:

• There are only a couple of sites that would work with a vehicle, for there's a well-hidden drainage ditch dug on each side of the road; and
• There's a bit of daytime traffic due to people accessing the hiking trailhead at the end of the road. Vehicles are forced to camp right along the road, as any side spurs visible on satellite imagery have been marked "No motor vehicles" by the Forest Service. For tent campers, though, it's a short walk right to the rim of Pine Ridge for even more spectacular views.

The phone number provided is for the Nebraska National Forest Pine Hill Ranger District in Chadron, in whose jurisdiction this road resides.

Chadron state park is a beautiful park with everything you need. The campground has full use bathrooms and is well-spaced for fun camping alongside others.

Located in the Northwest corner of the Nebraska panhandle this 98 year old state park has it all for a great family get-away of road tripping stop.  Chadron State park offers 70 electric and 18 primitive camping sites.  The bulk of the primitive sites are walk up so be sure to get there early for the sites that have the best shade trees.  There are a few non-reservable electric sites but to be safe I’d book online well in advance or call ahead.  You can also book cabins at this park and during my stay the cabins looked to be entirely in use.  Enjoy miles of hiking and mountain biking trails that range from level to steep inclines through rouged terrain. Activities such as swimming in the well maintained pool, horse back riding have extra fees which are reasonable.  There is a great fishing pond and several playgrounds scattered throughout the park.   If you plan on horseback riding, and you should it was the highlight of our trip, tours begin at 9am and leave every hour except noon until 3pm.  I recommend the 9am or 10am ride to avoid the heat.  You register at the visitor center located at the front of the park for this 45 min guided ride.  Other features of this park include an archery range, paddle boats, tennis, horseshoe pits, sand volleyballs and outdoor events (check the Nebraska state parks calendar).  

On this multi family campout we had 8 kids with us and 6 adults.  We camped in sites 16 and 14 which are electric sites.  We chose these sites for the plentiful shade trees and proximity to the water pump and the shower building.  The sites are deep and mostly flat.  We had a little tent city going with large tents and we all found level, shaded ground.  

Observations: the grounds are well kept with regular rounds from camp hosts and park staff to check trash and make sure the guests are happy.  If you are hoping for some downed wood for fire you’ll be out of luck at this park.  You can bring in local wood and find wood for purchase on site and in nearby Chadron just a 12 minute drive North of the park.  You may want to bring your bike to the park.  Most of the attractions are a quick although hilly ride from the campsite.  I would like to see walking and riding paths separate from the roads at this park.  When driving be on the look out for pedestrians and bike riders on the road.  This was a quite campground with many short stay visitors during our stay.  Quite hours start at 10pm and end at 8am.  I have to say were were easily the loudest group a bit in violation of the 10pm quite time as we played games around the campfire but we were not visited by any neighbors or the camp host.  If you are a fan of view spectacular night skies this a a great park.  You can see brilliant stars, planets and the Milky Way.  On hikes you’ll see sandstone buttes and valleys.  We also saw many bird species and more woodpeckers than I’ve seen in any other location.  You’ll also see white tail and mule deer around the park.  The camp host told us that in the fall you can observe big horn sheep in the area.  On your hike bring binoculars and enjoy a peak at the black hills of South Dakota.  

The visitor center offers camping essentials you may have lost of forgotten, souvenirs, ice, wood and a vending machine.  You can also visit the trading post on site and order from a small menu of breakfast and lunch/dinner items.  

Nearby Chadron State park you can visit the Nebraska state forest and grasslands, Agate fossil beds, fur trading museum, Box Butte state recreation area/lake, Black Hills of South Dakota, and Fort Robinson state park.  All in all this is a must see state park for a short or long stay with family, friends, or a solo trip.  5 stars in my book.

Ranger Review, Wenzel Portico 6 tent:

As a ranger for The Dyrt I have the opportunity from time to time to review camping products.  I was fortunate to be able to review the Wenzel Portico 6 tent on this multifamily 3 night, 2 day campout.  

The Portico 6 is a 74” heigh dome style tent using 3 lightweight shock corded poles.  The footprint is 10’x9’ and advertised as a 6 person tent.  I’d cut that in half for occupancy in reality.  I’m 6’2” and my sons are 6’ and 5’6”.  I’d say with sleeping bags and a couple of back packs we would consume the entire floor space.  We tested this tent with 2 cots and two 12 year old boys for 3 nights. The tent was intuitive and easy to set up from the box without looking at directions.  Total set up time was roughly 17 minutes from initial unboxing to completion.  This is definitely a two person job in order to get the poles upright but not difficult.  The Portico has some great highlights including a dry entry awning although a bit short, plastic pole holders at the corners, and a large D shape entry.  The door zipper worked very well with no snagging which was a very pleasant thing as tents go.  The Portico also has 3 very useful storage pockets on the outside of the tent.  The boys used the pockets to hang their wet swim trunks.  I can see these pockets being useful for storage of bug spray, sun screen and other like items.  It is curious why the storage pockets aren’t located on the inside of the ten however where I can see them being more useful.  There is ample head room in the tent and with the rain fly off the tent if very breathable while offering a view of the sky.  There is good privacy with the mesh starting a bit higher on the tent which I think is a great feature.  You’ll also enjoy the pre-attached guy lines on the rainfly.  Speaking of the rainfly, this may be the tent’s best feature.  We did see a good amount of rain during this campout with a long lasting low wind thunderstorm.  The rainfly held up great and keep the boys dry the hole time.  

Before I go in to the concerns it should be noted that this is not a tent designed for outback and rouged camping.  This is a tent for the back yard or well established camp sites.  If that is where you keep this tent then I think you’ll really enjoy the tent for a long time.  Potential concerns come from the light weight fiberglass poles, thin floor, plastic pole holder corners and plastic tent stakes.  We layed down a second tarp in the tent and used cot foot prints to help protect the floor.  I’d defiantly never use this tent without a good think tarp under the tent to protect from puncture.  I’d upgrade the tent stakes if you plan on camping on hard ground or ground with any rocks.  These yellow low end stakes will not last long.  Much care is also needed when pounding in the stakes to the plastic tent pole holders.  One missed swing could potentially break the corners or the stake.  The awning did do it’s job keeping some small camp chairs dry but I’d like to see a bit deeper awning.  The only complaint the boys had about the tent was that it didn’t move air very well with the rainfly on.  The tent didn’t have any condensation in it however.  All in all this is a nice backyard camping tent for a maximum of 2 people with cots or 3 people in sleeping backs with a couple of packs.  It is light weight and easy to store.  Set up with two people and tear down with one will take around 15 minutes both ways. Check out more here: https://wenzelco.com/portico-6/

Well kept small campground. Clean pit toilets, no water. Beautiful trees and great birds! We were the only ones there mid July, mid week. Good for a one night stay away from the hubbub of Chadron SP. Only downside is the noise from the road.

Chadron State Park is such a beautiful area. The scenic drives are amazing. The campground is a nice campground. The sites are a little close together and it was challenging to back our 38' camper into our site, but once we were in we had a great time. Everyone was friendly and campground and restrooms and showers were clean. The sites were Electric only. Each site had a fire ring and picnic table. We were able to get cell service most of the time.

The park had tennis courts, a pond for fishing and paddle boats, a swimming pool, horse riding, and hiking trails. We stayed here a night than moved on to Fort Robinson and will definitely come again.

This is a beautiful area in Northwest Nebraska. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained. There's a couple good hikes and a swimming pool. We were there in September 2017 and pretty much had the place to ourselves! The view is great if you stay in the even # sites 38-48.

one of the most spectacular campgrounds i’ve ever seen. SUPER FREAKIN WINDY. legit do not even try if you have a tent you will not stay on the ground. still, awesome place only $15 a night w bathrooms, shade shelter, grills, n tables