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Best Tent Camping near Long Pine, NE

65 Reviews

Tent campsites in the Valentine area near Long Pine, Nebraska offer several established options for outdoor enthusiasts. Smith Falls State Park provides two distinct camping areas—East Campground and West Campground—both accommodating tent campers along the Niobrara River. Big Alkali Lake State Wildlife Area, located approximately 25 miles south of Valentine, offers primitive tent camping with some sites featuring electrical hookups despite the remote setting. These areas provide access to the scenic Nebraska Sandhills region with its distinctive rolling terrain.

Tent camping facilities vary significantly across these locations. Smith Falls State Park features basic amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets, though campers should note the primitive nature of most sites. The park requires entrance permits and camping fees, with some sites being reservable while others remain first-come, first-served. Big Alkali Lake provides free camping with approximately eight marked sites that include 15 and 30-amp electrical hookups, though no water is available. The access road to Smith Falls involves graded but bumpy terrain with 7-8% grades in places, making it challenging for vehicles without adequate clearance.

The tent camping experience in this region offers unique natural features not found elsewhere in Nebraska. Smith Falls State Park provides access to Nebraska's highest waterfall via boardwalks and hiking trails, with some tent sites positioned directly along the Niobrara River. The river itself serves as a popular recreation corridor for tubing, canoeing, and kayaking. At Big Alkali Lake, campers enjoy a peaceful setting with excellent stargazing opportunities due to minimal light pollution. A recent review noted, "The lake is so glassy, peaceful, and of course it is sandy bottom for great swimming." Mosquitoes can be abundant during summer months, particularly near water sources, so adequate insect protection is essential for comfortable tent camping experiences.

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Best Tent Sites Near Long Pine, Nebraska (8)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Long Pine, NE

3 Photos of 8 Long Pine Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Long Pine, NE

65 Reviews of 8 Long Pine Campgrounds

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 29, 2021

    Berry Bridge Campground

    Right next to Niobrara

    Berry Bridge Campground is a privately owned campground right next to the Niobrara outside of Valentine Nebraska. It offers tent sites, picnic tables,fire rings, shower house, vault toilets and bunk houses with air. It has a convenient store offering firewood,ice, and snacks. It also has tubes and kayaks to use. This campground is very lively as buses were bring people to launch their tubes or kayaks from under the bridge

  • Charles C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2023

    Big Alkali Lake State Wildlife Area

    Hidden Sandhill Glory-Free /Elec

    I was heading to Merritt Reservoir and saw a sign for camping (Big Alkali WMA) and thought I could review a new site for the Dyrt. It was so nice, I changed my plans and stayed!

    The campground is nestled in the Valentine Wildlife Management Area in Cherry County Nebraska. Cherry County is about the size of Connecticut.  It is so sparsely populated it is known for its endless sandhils and clear night sky's. The Nebraska Star gazing festival is held in Cherry County annually.

    The camp site is south of the 16B about 10 miles west of highway 83 and about 25 miles south of Valentine NE.

    The 8 camping sites are well marked. At least one is handicapped accessible, though there is no paved way to the campsite's vault toilet. each has 15 and 30 Amp hookups, BUT NO WATER!

    There are about 20 other primitive sites with firepits or grills and picnic tables. I assume unlimited camping if you just wish to throw up a tent. There is no charge for the sites, no entrance fee, no cost for electric, FREE.

    The lake is so glassy, peaceful, and of course it is sandy bottom for great swimming. It would be awesome for peaceful Kayaking or Canoeing. Of course, the Niobrara National Scenic River is just half an hour up the road, so this might be a great base camp for all things Kayak. 

    I assume that fishing is the main attraction. There is a nice boatramp. I see a large pontoon boat pushed up on the shore and I actually saw folks out on water skis when I arrived. 

    I may try to bike some of the trails in the Valentine WMA. These Sandhills are steep and beautiful. 

    Did I mention FREE, even with 30amp hookup???

    I found the gravel access r road off of 16B to be well maintained if slightly narrow. Two pickups meeting is an inconvenience, but two large rigs might pose a problem.

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 29, 2025

    Valentine City Park

    Just the basics

    Simple campsite with no real designated camping spots, just pull up to a piece of level ground and pay the $10 fee. Water is available at a few places around the campground with the the most convenient water spigot near the bathroom/shower house.

  • Danika S.
    Jun. 3, 2018

    Valley View Flat Campground — Calamus SRA

    Valley View 👍🏻

    FCFS, no reservations needed. About 10 electric sites, plenty of tent and/or primitive sites. Boat dock, shower house, clean restrooms. Usually pretty peaceful. Quite a bit of shade also. Fire rings at each spot. We have a 38’ 5th wheel and have no problem parking that and a boat and tow vehicle in our area.

  • PThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 18, 2022

    Keller Park State Rec Area

    Nice little state park / campground.

    I usually dispersed camp. But, 90 plus degrees, with himidity, calls for electric! Fair share of reviews on this park. Most pretty accurate, id say. One lacking review is cellular. Didn't even realize no cellular until after setting up. I have AT&T. I did get an intermittent bar from band 13, (Verizon). This campground is in a decent valley. Thus, no signal. Up out of the valley - great signal! I'm setup with new cell router with 4 cellular antennas, including a directional antenna. Also have booster/repeater (Keep it off normally). Couldn't get AT&T signal. Had to use booster plus directional antenna to get signal. Band 5 only one that would connect. But, got 5mb down and 2kb up. Enough to stream with! I was in site 11. Had to point directional antenna south towards Long Pine. Hope this helps!

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 18, 2018

    Valentine City Park

    Useful

    Valentine City Park in Valentine, NE is not a vacation destination per-say. That being said it is a highly useful place if you are passing through or in the area for an event/family get together,etc.

    Down a side street off the main “drag” of Valentine, you drive through a neighborhood and down the hill to a nice, shaded typical city park. There is a creek that meanders through the middle of the park with several bridges, vehicle and foot, that connect a nice little trail and disc golf area and also a rentable venue(there was a wedding/reception going on when we visited). A playground, restroom and parking areas. The sites are basic, fire ring, maybe a picnic table and run along the creek. Once again this is a city park so there are more passerby’s then at regular campgrounds but for the most part it was quiet.

    There is a “lake” across the road but it doesn’t really seem to be a recreation type place, or maybe it was just a slow week because other things were going on. (A Cowboy event and cattle roundup) So, functional and things to do but there are better recreation areas nearby if your are looking for a destination to camp and fish, explore.

    I lost all my pictures of Valentine and the park but have included the nearby recreation areas. Valentine has the usual, fuel, truck stop(showers), food and entertainment. There were several excellent restaurants but some have limited hours.

  • Edward K.
    Jul. 24, 2021

    East Campground — Smith Falls State Park

    The Highest Waterfall in NE

    Stopped off at this park for a pass through and really enjoyed it. They have trails and boardwalks leading to the fall, and also a nice information and shop room. There are camp sites with no hookups, and easy access to the river for a little tubing. Hidden treasure out in Northwest Nebraska.

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 18, 2018

    Wacky West Travel Park

    Base camp

    Wacky West Travel Park had very nice and helpful owners. Make sure you have the phone number because their office hours are limited so that they can keep up the park. It’s small and a little crowded but serves the purpose of a base camp or overnight location.

    I attended a “Sisters on the Fly” event in Valentine, NE and this is were we all met and camped. The owners squeezed us all in and gave us a discount for our stay. One nice thing is you are in the middle of town right off the main drag so you can walk anywhere in town pretty easily.

    The restroom and shower are keyed which you receive when you check in. Down side to that I forgot to drop my key in the mail slot when I left and had to go back to do so.

    There is electric/water hook up at each site, not much in the way of shade , limitedfire rings and picnic tables. You could tell several of the sites were more towards permanent dwellings and some of the sites sat right on the entry road so you step out your camper door into the road. These sites were stacked so two of our group didn’t even try to unhook their campers.

    If you’ve never experienced sand burrs Nebraska has them and they are horrible on dogs feet. The owner of the campground made extra efforts to keep the burrs out of the immediate camping area but my dogs still picked up several. There is a cattle yard directly behind the campground so I’m not sure how it smells when it’s hot, we were there in cold weather so it was not an issue.

    Valentine has events going on and the Niobrara River is a main attraction, several of the group did a kayak float and explored the waterfalls along the river. We also walked to dinner within 1/4 mile at an excellent restaurant, Peppermill Steakhouse, worth a visit.

    The three stars is due to the location, cramped accommodations and no recreation in the immediate area. However the owners were very accommodating and the facilities were well maintained. I would stay there again. Also I lost the pictures of the campground and Valentine but included the nearby recreation areas.

  • Rebecca S.
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Long Pine State Rec Area

    tiny and cute!

    Such a gorgeous little area. Liked it so much we got married in Long Pine!

Guide to Long Pine

Tent camping near Long Pine, Nebraska, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the great outdoors.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Long Pine, NE?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Long Pine, NE is East Campground — Smith Falls State Park with a 5-star rating from 10 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Long Pine, NE?

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Long Pine, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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