Looking for the best options for tent camping near Kearney? Find the best tent camping sites near Kearney. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
$10 - $45 / night
This recreation area is part of Harlan County Lake
Scout
We ended up choosing this spot as I’m assuming we’re “off season” as many other surrounding places were closed to camping this time of year. This place looks like it has a lot of time time campers. The sites are tight, like right on top of each other. The office closed early but they had the information outside.
The bathrooms were clean and warm. The playground was taped off with caution tape.
This was an overnight stay, the traffic is loud but not overwhelming.
Guide
We love that lots of small towns in this area offer camping at ball fields, etc. There are bathrooms and showers! The hot water in ladies does work, just adjust NOT to hottest setting. Only ones camping. Trains were close and often, but you somehow get used to it.
Guide
Very 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.
Scout
My husband and I had a freaky experience here and I wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone else. Around 4:30 AM a car pulled in quietly and parked right next to our van (even though there were other camping spots available). The only reason we woke up was because our dog started barking and freaking out. A guy was outside smoking and putting some things in a bag. We started up the RV and dipped as fast as we could. It’s a shame because it was a nice, convenient, peaceful spot otherwise. Be careful!
ScoutA very loud "campground." Very close to many train tracks with multiple trains going through all night. Also, many semis accelerating as they leave the city. Not tent friendly as there's very little grass. On the plus side. The shower was great!
GuideThere are about 10 spots around the pond. We took one of the3 pull through right next to I-80. Plenty of space, level, shade and if you just look at the lake: quit a nice view. The noise from I-80 ist always there (about 200') but it's constant and was ok for us (rather than trains every 30 minutes). There's a lot of trash but that's to be expected in a area like this. We cleand up some and it was ok for a night
Traveler
This is NOT for rigs over 15’ long. Turn around potential is tight. Lots of beer cans around. Got down there and turned around and went back to 80. Just a little too creepy.
Ranger
Pulled in at night - was easy to get a spot. Very relaxing campground set against old growth trees. Beautiful pastures and some fishing ponds. Sites seemed pretty level. Right off highway but peaceful and quiet. Needs a little upkeep in terms of mowing the grass and cleaning trash up from the ponds.
Guide
No frills camping for one overnight is exactly what we needed, and what we got. Bathhouse itself was nice and clean, but needed a little maintenance, at least on the women’s side. No playground or amenities besides the bathhouse and laundry. Some kids fishing at the pond were catching small fish. Right off of I-80, next to a large Pilot truck stop with Subway.
GuideGreat campground other that you are on top of your neighbors. Thought we might not be able to open our awning, only about 3 to 4 feet between sites. Loved a lot of restrooms. Pool was nice. If you are tent camping great sites.
Scout
It was very nice except for people drinking in the park
GuideFirst time at this park. 6/30/24. You roll in the staff are friendly to help. The park is quiet, plenty of room for your site. Its deffinetly a good stay if traveling through.
Scout
Older campground at museum. Clean and reasonable. Did not use showers. There is a nice grassy no hookups field. Good for tenters, horsemen.
ScoutSmall area perfect for a quick night. There were a few people here when I got here but it’s easy to make room when you know most people are just trying to get a quick rest.
TravelerThe only way to reserve a site is through camp spot and we have a little trouble with that because it did not let me pick my site number. We arrived Friday evening on Memorial weekend and it was crowded. The campsite is great on the pocketbook but you have to pay a $10 fee to lock in your site and I am so glad we did! There was only three other empty spots in the entire campground and they were all marked reserved when we got there. The campground was pretty busy We were a little disappointed in our site because it was very small and kind of sandwiched between two big campers so not a lot of privacy and not a lot of room. There were a lot of people fishing and kayaking and a lot of dogs. There are showers and bathrooms but they are up near the entrance to the campground although they did have porta potties near the campsites. Although the grounds were well maintained the grass was mowed there was volleyball net setup disc golf available a pet exercise area the fountain was beautiful and shady in most areas. We would probably return on a non-holiday weekend when it's not so busy.
TravelerI wasn’t going to write a review about the roughness of the campground, the very small and dirty showers and bathrooms, nor the very dirty museum(the pictures must have been when it was newer) until Mary, who checked me in, called my daughter a liar and told me I was going to have a life of disappointment because I don’t discipline her(texts attached).
I’m a PA member and found this place on their app. I was excited as that’s what my 11 year-old and I have been doing this school year. In fact, we had just stayed two days at Laura Ingalls Wilder’s house! Mary took my reservation on the phone and let me know sewer hookups were reserved for non-PA guests first. This was fine, though three of those nine spots were vacant both nights we were there.
We have two dogs with us. I let Mary know and she indicated that was fine as long as they were well-behaved. I told her they are. She told me they needed to be leashed, and I said, “Of course!” She continued to tell me a dog had been running loose that day for more than five minutes while she called it and while she understands sometimes they get out, this was just not ok. I agreed whole-heartedly.
I was surprised when we got there because the pictures on PA and on their website look tree-lined, grassy, and well-kept. It is rough. The grass is patchy and it’s more gravel than not. There are buildings around the RV sites that look like they’ve been abandoned for decades and they are the motel! It’s certainly not $35/night nice. It did come with a free ticket to the museum, so that was cool.
The museum has neat stuff. It’s very run-down and dirty; I was sneezy and some of the cooler buildings were very smelly. We’ve been in a lot of museums lately and this was both the most expensive and the least well-kept, which is too bad, because the stuff is cool. There are people restoring things and I hope that’s where the money’s going and it gets better.
After we had been gone for more than 24 hours I received a message from Mary implying that I’m a bad parent and my child is a liar. Remember, there was a dog loose Mary was calling for the day we arrived. No one said anything while we were there, because I believe it didn’t happen the way she says. We have been traveling most of this school year. We’ve been in campgrounds ranging from National Parks to Disney; basic to fancy. Through 22 states no one has accused us of not cleaning up after ourselves. We are diligent about it because I highly dislike it in others.
Traveler
It's a small park with a pond that you can fish at. We were the only campers in for the day and honestly probably wouldn't be great for tents. There are 3 pull outs that you can put in an RV or camper but not much else to this place.
Legend
I stayed at the Main camp ground with a great lake view on site 76. Sites 77-86 are pull through and the rest are back in for RV. There are also tent sites near the water. There are bathrooms, showers and electric (50/30amp), there are no water hook-ups. The dump station is currently closed (April 2024) due to construction. The camp grounds are close together but they have planted bushes between them to create privacy. I cant speak on the bathroom or showers as the are closed since it is off season.
Legend
Nice trail around the outside that wove in and out of the trees for dog walking. Otherwise, I'm in an RV so no road noise. One caution for Verizon users who want to work during the day, the wireless is slow. Great after traffic slows but completely unworkable otherwise.
ScoutThis is a small area with a pond just off the interstate. A little sketchy but not quite as sketchy as some of the other wildlife management areas on this stretch of I-80 (and I stopped at 3 before this one and decided to keep moving until I got here). A bit trashed, but not horrible. Constant sound of the interstate. Some light local use of the road and of the pond for fishing. I wouldn't make this a destination, but for a one night needed rest stop it's ok.
TravelerWe stopped here just to sleep when traveling across the country. It was easy to find and a relatively quiet spot. You could hear some road noise but I didn’t find it to bad. Nice views in the full moon! There is a pretty strong farm smell so just be prepared for that!
GuideI had a hard time finding this place you need to turn south on Burlington Street and cross the railroad tracks and then you will see it on the left. There are seven concrete pads and nice picnic tables 10 bucks for electric. There’s also I dump station and water available although when I was there, the water faucet was not operational because of a broken waterline
Scout
The RV spots are easy to back into and are all concreted. Very clean park! Bathrooms are OK, 2 flush toilets and a sink. Electric and water hookups, and sewer dump available as you leave the park. Not too shabby for $25. Train tracks are close by however.
ScoutThe camp hostess was friendly and helpful. The campgrounds were quiet and well shaded. The bathrooms were old, but clean. No regrets at all staying there for the night. Don’t miss the Harold Warp Pioneer Village Museum while you’re there.
ScoutStayed for a night passing through on the way to Colorado. There were a few spots. I took the first one across the pond. I was the only one on a Tuesday night. Super close to a gas station. Can hear and see cars from highway which didn’t bother me. Some trash in the woods and a few carcasses.
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!
ScoutStopped here to sleep for the night on a cross-country road trip. It’s a gravel road right off I-80; farmland surrounded the camping spot and it was pretty private. No facilities so be prepared to pack out what you pack in.
Kearney, Nebraska, offers a variety of tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore the natural beauty of the region. From serene lakes to wildlife management areas, there are spots that cater to different camping preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Kearney, NE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Kearney, NE is Blue Hole Wildlife Management Area with a 2.5-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Kearney, NE?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Kearney, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
