Are you looking for a place to stay in Columbus with your horse? It's easy to find Columbus equestrian campgrounds with the Dyrt. With our help, you'll find the best Nebraska equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
$8 - $35 / night
This recreation area is part of Branched Oak Lake
Ranger
We stayed here for a mountain bike race weekend. Nighttime is great for stargazing and they have pretty stellar sunrises. We enjoyed the archery range and took plenty of walks. The shower facilities need a lot of updating and the RV spots are pretty dated with narrow roads. We were glad it wasn’t a weekend with a full campground and we think it would be pretty hectic during their peak season.
TravelerWe spent Memorial weekend here in 2022. We had to park in a designated parking spot and walk in to set our tent. The site was shady and came with a picnic table, fire ring and We were right on the shores of the lake. It was a beautiful and very relaxing to hear the waves, although the wind coming across the lake was mighty fierce and destroyed the canopy that we had over the picnic table. And the beating of the tent all night long was a little hard to get some decent sleep. But the area was nice and close to the restrooms and spacious campsites
Traveler
Small park with only 3 campsites. It has a hiking trail and a pond to do some fishing. Stayed for two days and would come back. Be wary though that there is limited availability
Scout
Nebraska campgrounds are never that stellar in my opinion often right by the freeway, but this one was the worst. The location is beautiful but the restrooms were the worst I’ve ever seen. It costs nearly as much as a site in a national park with the out-of-state permit, and music was played at all hours by people without any recourse. The cherry on top was our vehicle being pelted with rocks when the person next to us started mowing at 7am.
TravelerI understand wanting to keep state parks available for those that live in the state, but charging out of state people double for a daily pass seems a little unfriendly. $12 daily fee + $30 electric site = $42 for a state park. The park itself was very peaceful and had a similar number of reserved and drive up sites. The drive up sites has nice mature shade trees and were spaced for privacy, which we appreciated. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. They had shower rooms, but bring your quarters if you like being in there for very long. The electrical sites are paved.
GuideVery nice!!!
Guide
Pros
-Water/Electricity/Dump station
-Public restroom
-Near a gas station and convenience mart
-Free will donation for firewood
-Flat camping spots
-Park nearby
-Fire Rings
Cons
- There are only around 6 spots
-You share your water connection with your neighbor
-RV slips are right at the park entrance so there is the risk of traffic non stop if the park is being used for an event
I came in a couple days before memorial weekend and all of the RV spots were reserved so I only did a short drive around grabbing some photos. It looks like a great spot to swing in overnight if there are any open spots.
GuideFound on Google maps as a possible campsite during our trip east. It's fairly easy access from I-80, and made for a relaxing getaway from the interstate.
ScoutWe camp here 3 4 times a year. Love it.
GuideVery clean campground. Many sites are right on the water. Campsites are very close together.
LegendOnce 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.
TravelerThis campground is so peaceful. It’s one of our favorites. The trees have turned and leaves are falling. The air is cool. Love it.
The bath house was recently replaced. It is clean. Shower rates (bring quarters) are reasonable. $.50 for 3 minutes and every $.25 gives another 90 seconds. The change machine was either broken or out of change but that seems to be the norm this year at Nebraska parks.
There’s some mowed/natural trails to hike and Area 1 has a fun 9-hole disc golf course. There’s a swimming beach at Area 1 as well but it’s too cold this time of year.
Picnic tables are permanently in the ground. Many sites have a sidewalk from the pad to the table but ours did not.
TravelerStayed overnight while on the road. Nice walking trails. Clean and quiet.
GuideThere were a lot of day use areas and tent sites. It was very beautiful and open. We went in the off season so we had a lot of space to ourselves.
ScoutMy first time camping in Nebraska. Ive been to several throughout the US. Loved the spot, I was right next to the lake, great swimming access. Downside drinking water access was difficult.
GuideI’ve been coming to Branched Oak since I was a kid. I love the vibe of the park. It’s usually packed and the beach’s are always full but it’s always a really good time. Second time out with the camper this year. Got my first sunburn of the year also. Had great neighbors and a super fun time! Will definitely be back.
GuideI loved this area. My favorite campgrounds are the ones that are a little out of the way on unpaved roads in the middle of nowhere :-) there was a pretty lake, a bathroom, a dumpster, and a map of the hikes. All pluses! It was super windy though. It died down eventually and we were still able to have a fire. The stars were spectacular! There’s some black cows nearby that kind of stare at you with no emotion.
RangerWe had a great weekend in Area 3 of the Pawnee Recreational Area. Big spots, good working power for 30 amd 50 amp, but no water at the sites. The camp host had 200 feet of hose and we filled the clear tank from that. Lots of hiking trails, very nice weekend!
RangerMiddle Oak Creek campground has a row of 10-12 electrical spots that are perfect for shore fishing, kayak launch, lakeside views! South Shore campground sits lakeside but at a higher elevation so water access is trickier. Nice playgrounds at both camp areas. Free showers are a great amenity as well. This One of our favorite places to “get away” to for fishing, camping, etc. Be warned: VERY BUSY campground as it is super close to a highly populated city. Plan ahead and reserve a spot or go early in the week otherwise you won’t get a pad!!!
GuideNight 3 on our trip from NY to CO. What a beautiful park! We will definitely come back here when we have more time to spend.
GuideThis was my second time staying here and it wasn’t as nice as I remembered. Our site was filled with garbage and we had to move sites. Other than that it is in a great location and their bathroom/shower house has been updated which was nice.
TravelerStayed here on our way traveling out west. The sites were awesome! Very well-kept grounds and a beautiful park. Lots of wildlife and nice and quiet.
ScoutThis park is beautiful, the only water supply is by hand pump on the way to your site so that is a negative. Good for an overnight stay when passing through, would be nice for multiple days if you want to visit the lake.
ScoutAwesome camping Area. And cheap rates. Will be going every year. Lots of wild life and it's quiet.
GuideThe camp sites are forked out like the cul-de-sac properties, each facing the road and having a large portion of the lake or greens to themselves on the back. It has plenty of greenery and is very well-maintained. It has a very clean beach area, a boat and kayak landing area and many children parks. There are benches placed at scenic points that offer breathtaking views of the lake in the memorial park. The restroom in the campground was clean albeit flinty. No stores in the park-office (which was anyway closed due to the pandemic), so bring everything (firewood too) along. The nearest gas station is a 10 minute drive towards Raymond.
ScoutThe camp sites are clean and always have electricity that works. has good shade. The bathrooms / showers could use some updating.
ScoutI was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at my RV site as I was greeted my the site manager. he informed me of the Hook ups situation and that there was no water at this particular site. I was not planning on filling my tank or needing a direct hook up so I was good to go. The site was clean and so were the restroom facilities. It was very peaceful and a great first RV experience.
Horse camping in Nebraska offers a unique blend of scenic trails and well-equipped facilities, making it an ideal choice for equestrian enthusiasts looking to explore the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Columbus, NE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Columbus, NE is Branched Oak Lake State Rec Area with a 4.1-star rating from 27 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Columbus, NE?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Columbus, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
