Best Cabin Camping near Columbus, NE

This campground is located north of the interstate at the Henderson exit. We came to just get out for the first time this year because of Covid-19. We requested a site closest to the pond because I just love to look at the water and wildlife. The campground restrooms were closed due to Covid and she had everyone spread to every other site. No tent camping or cabins open at this time. Had a great time frog hunting and boy were they big. Also paddle boated around the pond

This lake is a Nrd controlled lake that is relatively new, and requires a daily pass or annual pass. I believe it opened 2012. This lake sits just out side of the Northside of Wahoo, and sits off a relatively busy highway. So as you would expect there is some traffic noise. Also with the age of this lake there is no mature trees around the lake. So as you would expect it will make tent camping difficult for some on hot days. There is tent camping, and rvs, as well as a couple little cabins for rent. The fishing is pretty darn good on this lake. There are several online articles that will back that claim up, as well as myself. This is also a good kayaking lake. There is also a trail, or path that goes around this lake for biking, jogging, or just simply walking. The whole area and restrooms are clean, and well maintained. I thing it's a beautiful clean lake that the city of Wahoo should be proud to be next to. I believe this lake will get better with age.

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.

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

Lake Wanahoo is a fairly new lake in Saunders county Nebraska. The lake is part of the local NRD and was originally managed by the state parks department. You used to be able to use your state park permit to gain entry, but now you need to either buy a day pass or a yearly pass from the NRD.

There are plenty of places to camp here including gravel pads and grass pads for RV’s. While most people seem to prefer the gravel pads closer to the lake, we actually prefer grass pads because they are 2-3 larger, so you have more room to setup.

The tent camping area is huge and there always seems to be plenty of availability. We were the only tent in the entire area. The tiered tent area allows you to have a great view of the lake from wherever you setup. All RV and tent spots have picnic tables and fire rings. Unfortunately when the lake and campground were built they planted saplings, so during the hot months there is no shade to be found.

The is still plenty to do at the lake from getting the fishing boat out, using their three wide boat ramp or fishing from the shore using bank or using a jetty. There is a gravel trail that goes all the way around the lake, which provides about a three mile loop. The trail also leads down into the town of Wahoo. There are two large play areas for kids. One is in the campground and one is across the lake in the day use area.

No matter where you go you are not far from a restroom. There are nice clean vault toilets available all around the lake. There is also a large bathroom/shower house in the campground. The shower house does have a change machine on the outside of the build to get change for the showers. These are kept very clean and tidy.

When pulling your RV out here the water fill is in an awkward spot in a parking lot of the campground. To get to the dump station you have to leave the campground, get on the highway and drive to the opposite side of the lake to the day use area. These were just installed a couple years ago. They are nice and level, but just add a bit of driving to get to them.

All-in-all this is a nice place and in a few more years of tree growth, it could be even better!

Great Lake, but young with no mature trees. Not much hiking available. Established fishery which gets pressure. You will have company here.

Great fishing and kayaking lake!  Bike path goes all the way around the lake. Sites are large and spaced out. I prefer the ones along the water but you have to book early to get one. A special permit is required to camp there. That is a bit of a bummer because you used to not need that. The town of Wahoo has a cool butcher shop, so I always plan to pick up steaks, hot dogs or other grillable items for one night's dinner.

We primary visit Lake Wanahoo for fishing as the large lake is well stocked. They provide tent and RV camping. However, there is almost no wind break or shade throughout the area. High winds or extreme temperatures can wreak havoc on overnight trips. That also makes privacy tough to come by. The facilities are all relatively new and clean.

It’s been a few years since we stayed at Lake Wanahoo, but we decided to stay there over our anniversary weekend. The place is still great, and this time of year it was very quiet and peaceful.

I was able to fish at the lake, we used the trails for walking and biking. Being close to town allowed us to have a great anniversary dinner at a steakhouse!

We are definitely going to be using it more!

Quiet, even with the storm. Off-season campout, perfect place to throw down a tent.

Great

This place is fairly new, they just built the dam and made the lake a few years ago. The campsites will be nice and shady when the trees get bigger. I only gave it three stars because there is no swimming. There is a place by the day use area where they could make a swimming area, but so far they haven't. The campsites are clean and quite large, and they are all fairly close to the jettys where you can fish. Will go back for fishing only.

We primary stop by this site for fishing as the lake is regularly stocked. It's great for kayaking or small boats. There is very little shade available at this campground as it is a man-made area so bring the sunscreen. Fires are allowed and pets must be on leash. RV sites and tent camping site are available.

We were able to stay here for 2 nights while visiting the city. My wife and I prefer to stay outside and camp most often. This campground not only has a fun name to repeat to family and friends (or try to remember when writing a review! lol) but has a ton of campsites right on the lake. I think we lucked out and got site 128. It was a tent site and was on the water but a few spots North of a peak fishing area. If you are here site 128 is where it is at! It is a stocked lake but I brought in a 32" northern. Had to let it go per regs so no fish dinner that night! It wasn't a skinny snake either. Like all places you need a permit to fish and better follow the regs. The tent sites were very well maintained. Clean pads and great parking. Overall excellent car camping and fishing spot!

First, the owners are SO nice and helpful. The campground is right off the exit so it is very convenient and easy to get to, they have full hook ups for a very reasonable price so it was a great choice for a stop on our cross country trip. The amenities are nice- they have a pool, large playground, mini put and standard camp store. Things look a bit old but well maintained. Each spot had a porch swing, picnic table and fire ring which we very much enjoyed. The laundry room was closed due to Covid, but they do have one which is helpful too :) my kids particularly enjoyed the mini put and pool.

Popped in for a quick one night stay on our way west. Chose this place based on reviews on The Dyrt. It is mid week in October but it's so quiet, which we really like. Great pull through spaces with full hook ups and fantastic WiFi which allowed me to get some much needed work in. When I told the owner we had two dogs he put us directly across from the dog park which our pups really liked. Super cute touches around the place including bench swings at all the sites. Looks like the place could be great for families in the summer.

It is directly adjacent to the highway so there is some noise but it's not too bad. We actually felt it was quiet and relaxing.

We pulled in after office hours and the camp host met us at the front entrance and escorted us all the way to our site. Pull through with full hooks ups.

The staff were great. Escort you to your site. Lots to do. Swimming pool was fantastic, they had a mini golf course, but it was too hot to play outside. Lots of sites have great trees. Excellent choice for camping. Nearest facilities (beer and chips…ok????) was in York approx 8 miles up the freeway.