Top Tent Camping near Columbus, NE
Looking for tent camping near Columbus? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Best Tent Sites Near Columbus, NE (11)
1. Centennial Park Campground
1 Review•2 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
2. Powerhouse Park
1 Review•3 Photos•3 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Trash
- Picnic Table
3. Madison County Taylor Creek Campground
1 Review- Phone Service
- Tents
- Alcohol
7. Tooley Park
2 Reviews•6 Photos•3 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
Showing results 1-10 of 11 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews In Columbus
227 Reviews of 11 Columbus Campgrounds
Pat V.
Ranger
Maskenthine Lake Recreation Area
Great Campground
This campground is one of our favorites. It’s got clean restrooms and showers, plenty of water available plus the dump station. Nice lake for fishing or kayaking. Great trails for hiking or mountain biking. Super quiet place and some pretty great sunsets!
Tim C.
Scout
Beaver Crossing City Park
Perfect
Perfect little spot right off the interstate. Clean, quiet, hookups. Nice park. Fun town.
- Pat V.Ranger
Branched Oak Lake State Rec Area
Decent Place that needs Updating
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.
- Pat V.Ranger
Lake Wanahoo State Recreation Area
Quiet and relaxed weekend
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!
- Ken G.
Guide
Pioneer Trails Recreation Area
nice, quiet campground near the highway
We stayed there in late August on a weeknight. The sites look new, possibly recently refurbished. There is a small lake near which is an easy walk. Everything was clean and recently mowed grass. In the middle of corn fields, but a nice quiet place to spend one night.
William R.
Traveler
Smiths Creek Recreational Area
Perfect for those driving cross country
Very easy to find, free and simple. Pull up, park, sleep, enjoy lake in the morning!
- CindiScout
Wildwood Lake
Goose haven
This lake and campground are inundated with geese. We kayaked and I noticed “things” floating everywhere in the water. Goose poop. It was gross. Someone had also smeared (likely) human poo all over the walls and floor of the outhouse. I’m not going back.
MickandKarla W.
Legend
Double Nickel Campground
Well Run Campground with Exceptional Service
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.
Eric P.ScoutDouble Nickel Campground
Good facilities and family friendly
Really nice staff. Bathhouse is nice and clean. There are all sorts of games: Basketball, volleyball, miniature golf, Large Jenga, etc... Nice pool. Only issue: road noise. It's just off the expressway. It's not too bad though.
Alika T.Guide
Ta-Ha-Zouka Park
Cute simple short term sites
They have 18 electric sites $26/night and tent non electric sites for $18/night. 7 day max stays. Reservable.
Rose S.TravelerSpikerush State Wildlife Management Area
Got there late at night, but couldn’t see much
May have missed some thing because we arrived in the dark, but could see any areas with flat, low grass areas for camping
Scott B.Ranger
Prairie Oasis Campground & Cabins
Great stop while driving through
Stopped here for the night while traveling through the area. Great stop. Clean and safe campground with full hook ups. Would recommend.
Maya H.ScoutSmiths Creek Recreational Area
Safe and perfect for travelers using 80
About 3 turns off the highway via dirt road. Very pretty, clean toilets, potable water, has picnic tables and grills. Definitely staying again on my way back east
Donner N.Guide
Smith Creek Recreation Area
Second Year Camping Here
Camped here previous year, and it was nice to come back to. Bathroom and lots of spots to set up. Also looks like it might be getting an update with the pavilion
Terry D.ScoutPrairie Oasis Campground & Cabins
Great place
Nice n quiet with a good breeze lots around for kids to do well kept n everything works as should I get back this way I will spend more time here next time .owners are real friendly and informative.
Timothy K.TravelerSmith Creek Recreation Area
Free camping right off the expressway
Great little spot right off the expressway. Seems to be used mostly for RV's but has space for tents. Tent spaces are not marked but there are fire pits to give you a general idea of where to camp. Also, looks like they are constructing a picnic/gazebo area.
Jennifer T.TravelerBranched Oak Lake State Rec Area
Beautiful spot
We 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
Gabriel H.Traveler
Timber Point Wetland
Good for what it is
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
Elizabeth B.Scout
Pawnee State Recreation Area
Expensive and Dirty Bathrooms
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.
- CChris A.Guide
Czechland Lake Recreation Area
Great first come first serve campground
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
- kkenneth B.Guide
Smith Creek Recreation Area
First BLM Camping
Great place clean facilities..heard a dog barking but.. kids ..dogs no issues here.. Nothing to stop wind so be prepared if your thinking of hanging out for a while Gravel road from highway to camp so keep dust in mind..
But for me it was all wonderful!!!!
Tony G.ScoutDouble Nickel Campground
Pleasantly Surprised W/ owners that really care for your stay.
Stayed here a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised. Many kid activities with even a Saturday movie night the park put on for the kids. You will not find better service anywhere. Also, next to a golf course that you can literally walk to from your site to play if you like this sort of thing. If you run low on wood, just simply call up to the office and they will bring you more. Will be back there very soon.
Amilyn W.GuideSmith Creek Recreation Area
Great quick overnight spot
Just a short drive down dirt roads off highway. Easy to find following diirections on Maps app. We were the second campers til another rv showed up during the night. RVs camp in gravel parking lot where toilets are. Unable to review toilets as we didn't use them. Large grassy area with trees and a couple teeter-totters, covered picnic area with electrical outlets, bbq grill and campfire grill. There's a floating dock with picnic table, perfect for enjoying a morning cup of coffee. A great quick overnight spot overall.
- AAlexander K.Scout
Smith Creek Recreation Area
Interesting Night
Pulled in around midnight. We were under the impression that there was a gravel or dirt road that goes around the water to get to the designated tent spots. I didn’t find out until the next morning there was not and couldn’t explore upon arrival as there was a camper parked where I believed the road began. With no other way around, we parked the car in the lot and set up a tent on the first grassy area we could see. Once I got out of the car, there was constant barking that echoed around the area from around 12:15am throughout the night and next morning. The person with the camper had their dogs chained up outside all night and they would not stop barking. We were tired from driving all day and found a flat spot in the grass and set up as we couldn’t keep our eyes open to keep driving to another spot. The fun doesn’t stop there!
As if the constant barking wasn’t enough, there were coyotes yipping all night too. It sounded like a lot of them and it sounded like they were getting closer and closer. That mixed in with the ‘mooo-ing’ of cows all night as they were right across the road. The person with the camper also had their loud generator running all night. Nothing like some
All in all, it was not a good night of rest with all of the noise although it was nice to wake up there near the water. Could obviously do without all the barking and generator sounds but hey- that’s life right?
Benjamin L.ScoutBeaver Crossing City Park
Great overnight stay
The park is well maintained with nice bathrooms, water and 50 amp electric hookups, and a couple of fire pits and charcoal grills. Quiet and safe, a couple other campers were there but there was plenty of space even for a late arrival on a Friday. Entrance to the campground is on elk street which is around the block from what google maps said.
Julia C.ScoutSmith Creek Recreation Area
Clean, quiet, lighted
Two other car campers there already when we rolled in close to midnight. Gravel road leading to the campground was in good condition. Convenient to I-80, but far enough removed that we had no freeway noise (my goal). Parking lot had a nice bright light. Clean vault toilets. Small playground.
- SStewart C.Traveler
Recharge Lake Campground
Nice quite campground
Well maintained. $15/night with electric only hook up. Has restroom on site. Weather was pleasant..always windy in Nebraska.
Guide to Columbus
Camping near Columbus, Nebraska, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor lovers. From spacious campgrounds to fun activities, there’s something for everyone in this area.
What to do:
- Hiking and Trails: Explore the beautiful walking trails at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park Campground. One visitor mentioned, "Nice walking trails and facilities. Lots to do for the entire family."
- Water Activities: Enjoy paddle boating and swimming at West Omaha / NE Lincoln KOA Holiday. A camper shared, "My son and I camped for one night. We went paddle boating, swimming, and horseback riding."
- Fishing: Cast a line at Branched Oak Lake State Rec Area. One reviewer said, "Great little stocked fishing lake with sites all fairly close to the long northern shore of the lake."
What campers like:
- Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the restrooms and showers. A visitor at Camp A Way Campground noted, "Everyone that works here is so friendly. They have nice shower and bathrooms along with laundry facilities."
- Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Many campgrounds cater to families. A parent at Double Nickel Campground mentioned, "There are all sorts of games: Basketball, volleyball, miniature golf, Large Jenga, etc... Nice pool."
- Scenic Views: Campers love the natural beauty. One reviewer at Pawnee State Recreation Area said, "This campground is so peaceful. It’s one of our favorites."
What you should know:
- Fees: Be prepared for additional fees. A camper at Memphis Lake State Rec Area mentioned, "Don’t forget the day use fee; it’s $14 a day for out of state."
- Noise Levels: Some campgrounds are near highways, which can be noisy. A visitor at Camp A Way Campground noted, "It’s not pretty, wooded, or even that quiet. But, she’s convenient!"
- Site Availability: Many campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-served basis. A camper at Nebraska Streeter Park said, "It’s perfect. There were a few spots open and we went to the end of the line where there is a nice breeze."
Tips for camping with families:
- Activities for Kids: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds and organized activities. A parent at West Omaha / NE Lincoln KOA Holiday mentioned, "Looked like a lot to do for the kids."
- Safety First: Always keep an eye on younger children, especially near water. A camper at Branched Oak Lake State Rec Area advised, "The river is decently safe and a good place to tube."
- Plan for Meals: Bring easy-to-cook meals or snacks. A visitor at Prairie Oasis Campground & Cabins said, "Owners are real friendly and informative."
Tips from RVers:
- Check Hookups: Ensure your site has the necessary hookups. A camper at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park Campground noted, "Our site offered electrical hookups and was also level."
- Space Between Sites: Look for campgrounds with spacious sites. A visitor at Double Nickel Campground mentioned, "The sites here are decently spaced especially for a private CG."
- Bring Entertainment: Pack games or activities for downtime. A camper at Camp A Way Campground said, "It’s a huge state park/campground, definitely more than what we needed."
Camping in Columbus, NE, offers a mix of fun, relaxation, and adventure. Whether you're with family or just looking for a peaceful getaway, there’s a spot for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Columbus, NE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Columbus, NE is Centennial Park Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Columbus, NE?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near Columbus, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.