Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Elwood, NE is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Elwood. Find the best campgrounds near Elwood, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
"We love that the majority of the electrical sites are walk-up. Note: summertime is definitely busy time so plan ahead of you are staying through the weekend."
$15 - $30 / night
"Nice camp ground with helpful gate attendants, this Nebraska park represents the conundrum of many public campgrounds."
"Very nice stop, close but not too close to I-80. Quiet. Nice lakeside setting."
TravelerNice camp ground with helpful gate attendants, this Nebraska park represents the conundrum of many public campgrounds. Here, there are plentiful showers (yes, 75 cents for three minutes, woopdeedoo) but no water spigots and few usable pit toilets. There are primitive sites, 30 amp (yellow) and 50 amp (red) sites so no generator noise and all sites are near stocked ponds. A mix of overnight and long term visitors. Sandhills cranes can be viewed in the adjacent corn stubble in April. Limited cell service and no WiFi
TravelerAfter much deliberation, and with great regret, I am declaring myself a Nebraska State Parks campground anti. There are three interlocking reasons for this decision:
Both the campgrounds I have been to (this one and Rock Creek Station SRA) seem to treat tent sites as an afterthought: each park has a very small number of tenting spaces that are kind of on the margins of the campground. At Fort Kearny, the sites that were available were also either totally slanted or full of trash. It does seem like other parks might not share this problem, but it at least indicates a pattern to be aware of.
In addition to the campsite fee, there is a $12 DAILY out-of-state vehicle entrance fee. This means that a $15 campsite is actually a $27 campsite. I will say, in fairness, that the $12 also allowed my car to enter the Fort Kearny historical site next to the campground.
The showers are coin-operated. This isn’t a cost problem so much as it is a logistical one: who has quarters anymore? Also, because the showers are timed, you can’t turn the water off and back on again, which ruins my entire haircare routine.
Obviously, these reasons won’t apply to everyone. If you have a camper or RV, your calculus will be totally different. If you’re in-state, and you only have to pay $6 for your vehicle instead of $12, I could see these sites being worth it. And if you don’t have hair that you need to condition, the shower thing might not bother you. But if you are like me, a long-haired out-of-state yokel trying to cross the country with a Honda Accord and a backpacking tent, you might take these considerations into account.
I will say that this campground is beautiful to drive through, with all the little lakes and the cottonwood trees. Also, the camp hosts offer free bikes for guests to use around the campground and presumably on the nearby hike/ bike trail, which is very kind of them and which I wish I had time to take advantage of.
ScoutI've stayed 3 times at the Fort Kearney SRA for convenience only. Nebraska Game & Parks has a punitive price model that charges out-of-state visitors $12/day to enter a park with a campground (no Senior discounts either) and then $15/day for a primitive campsite (no water or electric) that is a looong ways for the dirty and rundown restrooms.
TravelerVery nice stop, close but not too close to I-80. Quiet. Nice lakeside setting.
RangerThis is a great campground with lots of shade and amenities. The showers require coins to operate, so make sure you bring $1 bills for the coin machine if you don’t have quarters. Half of the campsites are first come first serve, but we had no problem getting a site late at night.
Note that you have to pay for both the campsite itself and for a motor vehicle permit. It seemed a little steep to me because we had to stay for two nights, and the total came out to $74. Maybe I’m just cheap.
There are lots of playgrounds for kids. Also the campground host is situated next to a free bike rental stand. You can take a bike for free and ride around the whole campsite at any time. Pretty cool!
TravelerMy husband and I were able to get a primitive site right next to one of the lakes. Our site was secluded from the other campers but it was a bit of a walk to the vault toilets. We even saw some deer in the field next to the campground. Great for an overnight stop!
GuideVery inexpensive, convenient, nice place to stay for a layover. It's a first come basis with I believe 22 RV sites. They have a dump, clean bathrooms with hot showers(which super clean), a playground for the kids and a couple of walking/hiking trails nearby. The very long Cerro Gordo County trail is close to 50 miles long. Believe the cost was only $15 on our summer early September rate and drops to $10 basically in October for a few months, which includes a small fire pi, tabke, and electric! I'll just say a gem of a simple place.
TravelerStayed here in late October and was pleasantly surprised by how nice this was. Had gorgeous fall color and a great sunset. Park was sparsely populated, but there were a couple other campers spread around. Very peaceful and quiet. Site and bathrooms were clean, altho the particular site I chose was hard to level my truck out in for car sleeping. Had a really nice sunrise walk around a field behind the site and saw lots of deer. Quick little ten minute or so jog off the interstate and about 15 to get into the actual town. Would definitely stay here again! Had good signal with verizon.
LegendFor a smaller park this place does offer a lot for the campers. There are a few lakes and fishing acceses. As well as a swimming area and beach flat roads similar to that of two rivers. Playground and other activities. The park workers at the booth are very helpful as well. It also sits farther away from I-80 then windmill, or Mormon Island. It does kind of remind me of Two Rivers 25, 30 yrs ago. We did just pass through this place as well on Labor Day weekend so it was packed. But this would be a good stay over night, and hit the beach, fish a little, and hit the archway, and the fort down the road.
Nebraska offers a variety of options for horse camping enthusiasts, combining beautiful landscapes with facilities that cater to both riders and their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Elwood, NE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Elwood, NE is Camp Arrowhead with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Elwood, NE?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Elwood, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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