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FREE for the first 2 nights, $10/night after that.
$15 / night
Though we are two miles from highway 71 outside of Gering, Nebraska, we are a WORLD away on our own peaceful prairie!
Pitch your tent, camper van or pop up directly on the prairie. Big rigs and trailers must book one of our RV sites. You'll enjoy 200 acres of seclusion on the backside of the stunning Scotts Bluff National Monument.
You've never seen anything like the private view you will wake up to. The land features a wind and water cut canyon and Oregon Trail era prairie, home to a wide variety of wildlife.
Wake up to the song of the Meadowlark and the rosy hue of a prairie dawn. Make breakfast with fresh eggs from Lisa and Frank's clucks and slowly take in the beauty surrounding you. On this land, you will find your spirit invigorated by the unique bluff formations immortalized in the journals of the pioneers as they passed through on the Oregon Trail. Friendly senior horse Tigger and her miniature donkey pal, Martha will make you feel welcome. A small herd of cattle roam the area, and may become curious about your presence. In the evenings, you will likely be treated to the song of the coyote at dusk.
All campers have access to delicious, fresh water from a localized well, and the funky CAMP SHOWER. Tabletop propane cook stoves are welcome. It can be dry here, so campfires are only allowed if the conditions are safe, and ONLY in fire pits provided. There is no smoking of cigarettes or pipes, nor open flames allowed anywhere on the prairie at any time of the year.
In addition to the canyon and vast prairie on the property, you may enjoy mountain biking, hiking and climbing at varying degrees of challenge. Additional hiking is easily accessible on national park land which belongs to the people of the United States, and is part of the visual landscape of this site. It is prohibited to climb Dome Rock, however one may hike to the bottom "rung" and enjoy a stunning view of the whole valley. This land is also the perfect place to fly a kite.
Depending on when you are here, you'll see berry trees, wildflowers, American sagebrush, yucca, cactus, wild catnip, and a wide array of native prairie grasses and medicinal plants.
Our Base Camp, where we greet all campers, is just shy of two miles from Highway 71, and four miles from the heart of downtown Gering. You can drive 5 minutes into town and have a great breakfast and delicious specialty coffee at The Mixing Bowl, sit outside on the patio with a drink and eat a truly memorable prime rib at The Union, fill a prescription at USave Pharmacy, get groceries at Fresh Foods, gas up, and even visit the world-class Legacy of the Plains Museum in a mere 4-mile drive from your campsite.
But why leave your campsite? You could stay several days and not do the same hike twice.
Site rules:**
Check in to the prairie sites is from 4 p.m. until one hour before dark**. Note: it is advisable to arrive at about 6 pm during July's high heat. Earlier arrivals can be accommodated on a case basis, if we are able. Please note: we do not accept after dark arrivals due to safety reasons.
If you are pulling a trailer or big rig you must book an RV Site. The prairie is delicate and cannot accommodate pull behind trailers. Our RV Sites are still being developed, and each year, we make improvements, please bear with us as we work toward our goals. This season's improvements include the creation of a camp shower out of an old metal water tank. You will not be disappointed in the views here or the easy foot access to exceptional hiking on our 200 acres of prairie and the south side of the Scotts Bluff National Monument.
**Pets are allowed, **with dogs on leash at all times. Inquire with the host before booking with your pet. Off Leash Pets are not advisable on the prairie specifically because of the risk posed by coyotes.
Only one vehicle allowed per site. Additional vehicles must pay an additional $35 per night.
Ask Lisa on the day you arrive whether conditions are safe for a campfire.
**We do offer a porta potty at Base Camp, where the RV sites are also located. This is accessible to all campers, along with our fresh well water. **
Prepare to pack in and out with your trash. A trash receptacle is available at the RV area for your use.(Please leave only footprints behind).
Nebraska state laws are recognized on this land. Note: Those who do not follow the site rules will be asked to leave immediately.
No Firearms in the campsites or on the prairie.
IMPORTANT AND HELPFUL GUIDELINES
If you're not sure about hiking, Frank and Lisa will help you to find the right hike for you. Campers should wear appropriate shoes and long pants, as this is wild natural land where*rattlesnakes are not unheard of.
*A note about snakes and other wildlife: While they are mostly seen in the canyon, on the rock hills, sometimes on the road near and around our corral area, it is not likely you will see a snake. Should you encounter any snake on the prairie: Slowly back away and exit the area. Under no circumstances should you approach the snake, follow the snake, or try to tease or hurt the snake. If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, stay calm and immediately call 911, then call Lisa. At the earliest possible time, please report any rattlesnake sightings and general location to the camp host.
Other wildlife seen in this area include: Meadowlark, Great Horned Owl, Mule Deer, Coyote, Opossum, Raccoon, Skunk, Honey Badger, Fox, and a variety of birds of prey. Coyotes are generally not interested in people, but do protect the boundaries of their territory if they have a den of pups nearby. If you encounter a coyote: Stand your ground and make yourself as large as possible. Slowly back away from the animal while making a menacing sound. Do not run nor turn your back on the animal.
Book with us and discover why Hipcamp named Peaceful Prairie Campsites the best campsite to visit in Nebraska this year! We'd love to meet you.
$35 - $55 / night
Guide
Very nice campground. Sites are well spaces, green and well maintained. Great view of Scottsbluff. Highly recommend
Traveler
Huge campground with countless beautiful sites. Even if you arrive after sunset, you will definitely find a very nice spot here. The camp host is super nice and friendly. She invited us to go kayaking on the lake, lent us all the equipment for free, and we had a wonderful time with her.
It could really be the perfect campground... but there are two issues to consider:
Still, 5/5, as everything else here is truly more than perfect.
GuideVery nicely run campground and wonderful host. All sites easy walk to or on Reservoir. Trains seemed to whistle through across highway at least 1x every hour until late at night. 🙄 clean bathrooms. Lots of grass area. Locals with their water toys made for happy campers all around. Stayed one nite 6/14/24
Ranger
We booked for a couple of days to visit Scott’s Bluff Monument, Chimney Rock, and Fort Laramie. Sites are gravel but pretty level. Full hookup site had 30 and 50 amp hookups along with water and sewer. For $25 a night it’s a good value.
TravelerReally nice spot with free camping, donations accepted. Run as if a paid campground and lots of overflow space where there were RVs. We got the last site (#35) on a busy holiday weekend, so happy about that as it was getting dark soon!
Picnic tables and firepits with grate for cooking provided. Was able to find kindling in the trees around.
Bathrooms were pretty nice.
Would definitely recommend.
Scout
It's decent but it's a concrete pad, you have to call city hall to get a code to unlock the water spigot and they close at 4pm. The area is clean but seems to be too expensive compared to other communities within 100 miles. Cross
the border and many Nebraska small towns offer cheaper or free stays. The atmosphere just isn't right but i came in late and needed a place to stay. For $25 next time i will look elsewhere. Maybe I'm cheap, but i expect more convenience for the price and fewer rules. No fires, no fire rings, your grille is ok, that's about all
Guide
We arrived after 5pm so the office was closed, but we found the camp spot easily with the information from the booking email, and our site had our names on it which was great. Walking around the beach by the lake was so nice and we found a fun tire swing. There were only a few other people there and we had a great campfire. The bathrooms weren’t great but overall a good spot!
ScoutThere were wrecked cars at the edge of the water, both sides of the “lake” are not much bigger than a pond.
We left and drove on!
GuideThis is an awesome city park. Water and electric on concrete pads. Good spacing between sites. Clean and open. Nice to walk about the whole area. Concrete bean bag toss games and about 5 horseshoe pitches. Bring your own toys. Basketball court and kids playground as part of the whole park. Dump station is easy to get to. Would definitely be back. This is a first come first serve park. But we had no problems getting a nice site.
Guide
Pros
-Wifi
-Sewer hookups
-Water
-Pull through sites
-Nice owner
Cons
-Unlevel sites
My friends and I stayed here for a night as we were headed out towards Yellowstone. The owner was great and one of the employees helped make an extra accommodation for us since all of the spots were full. We stayed in June of 2023 and as of that time they were still in the process of hooking electricity up to about 20 or so new sites. He mentioned putting a stage in as well for entertainment. I think this is going to be a great place to stay once he has everything completed.
GuideReally easy campsite off of I-80. Easy to navigate in the dark and flat dirt roads (Masada CX-5). The lake is a hot spot for many different birds and a beaver so no shortage of wildlife. The trains kept me awake until 10:30 and started again at 6am. The campsites that I saw all have picnic tables, fire pits, and BBQ. I felt very safe as a solo female.
The wildlife make dealing with the train worth it, would stay again.
GuideVery large sites, spaced well away from neighbors. Grounds are meticulously kept. Would have stayed here longer, but it was 100 degrees in the shade!
Guide
I arrived late last night to chimney rock completely lit up. Very beautiful. Spots are fairly small but quiet. Frequent train, if that bothers you. Nice easy to hook up and pull through spot.
TravelerWe had a wonderful stay here. My husband had never seen Chimney Rock, and I had never seen Chimney Rock lit up at night. All I have to say is Wow! Mosquitoes are hungry here! Be prepared for that. The owner and his wife are so nice, ice cream is great! Quick drive to see Chimney Rock closer and a few trails to hike if you like. Visitors Center is 2 min away. We got groceries in Bridgeport. Nice town with a big gas station with diesel and def. We would stay here again. 41 foot Fifth Wheel. Plenty of room for our rig, pull thru which my husband likes.
ScoutWe stayed overnight with no issue. Roads were fine for our class A. Two turnarounds and spacious spots available.
TravelerNice, quiet park with roomy campsites. Nice grass, large trees providing some shade depending on sun location. Bunnies. Nice view of rock formations. Trains heard in the distance. Not sure about bathroom cleanliness as we didn't use them. Spots are semi level. Not many people here.
Scout
Hidden gem! This quiet little park is nestled back in a residential area and backs up to beautiful farmland. Three electrical/water sites are located on gravel across from the City park. The park has lush green grass, trees, small playground and pool. You can stay two nights for free, additional nights for a fee. The town of Bayard has very little to offer. Many of the businesses have closed down. This campground is great for visiting nearby Chimney Rock and Scott’s Bluff National Monument.
Legend
I was charged $50 for this below average electric only hookup for my truck camper. There is a county RV park about two miles away that has full hookups with a bath house and nice spacing for less money. There is an area on their corn farm where they added some gravel and three 50 amp connections. Apparently, they offer boondocking on the prairie above the farm, but I was not offered that. They did a mediocre job of preparing the sites and they are just not very attractive. See photos. Their website says they can accommodate a big rig, but I would not drive one into such a tight space. Lisa the host was very gracious and accommodating but I would not return because of the lack of value in their pricing.
LegendIt was interesting to learn about Chimney Rock and definetly about how it was taller but got hit by lightning. This is a small RV campground but perfect to stop when we were tired. And definite bonus is they light up chimney rock at night while everything is pitch dark. There is a small pond you can fish at and so my husband did. It’s catch and release only. While he fished I walked around the pond and saw the biggest bullfrogs ever. I could hear a lot of traffic and some peacocks yelping. Also beware of rattlesnakes they are thick in this area. It’s open all year, has pull thru sites, full hook ups, dump station, picnic tables, and cute gift shop with ice cream parlor.
LegendThis campground is in the city park right next to the zoo so you can hear the peacocks screaming. Says you must reserve ahead of time online but it must be done before 12 hours prior. We need to make a stop because of pouring rain so called the number and spoke with camp host. They said they would send a confirmation by email but never got one. We didn’t get any code to the bathroom or any information at all. Even called the next morning to remind them but still got nothing. All sites are full hook ups and have benches and fire ring. There is a playground and picnic area next to the area along with walking/hiking paths. In the park there is a nice size dog run/agility area. For the price it was a good place to stop for the night but wish we would have gotten some info
GuidePulled in and found the office, found our reservation off the wall & made our way to our camping spot! Beautiful place….LOVED OUR VIEW!!
ScoutWe stayed for just one night. It was pretty nice, quiet place. It’s about a 7 minute drive from Black Canyon. The spot we choose was by the highway but didn’t keep us awake at night.
GuideWe loved this experience, which is more than just camping. Lisa was exceptionally welcoming and helpful. The prairie is beautiful and the views of the bluff are spectacular! Horses and cows roam. Camping is in an open prairie…plenty of space. Port-o-potty is very clean and convenient. Water is available…cool fresh well water. Truly a magical spot!!!! Shhh…it’s amazing!
Traveler
This was a great little campground for a one night stop on the way to Colorado . Campground was clean and looks maintained . It was empty for us , however there are a limited number of established campsites . This campground has some great views and a few hiking trails . It sits behind the local gun range but there was no noise , and it’s set back far enough from the road so there zero traffic noise
Guide
Grounds just outside of Alliance off Hwy2. Quiet area, grounds maintained nicely with trees in most lots. Owner is very nice and a pleasure to talk to. Assisted with getting 40’ class A into spot. Full hook-ups in all sites. 30/50 amp. Overall nice place to stay a few days.
Guide
We originally were planning on staying at West Wind, but our GPS couldn’t locate it at first and since it was late we just settled here. The reservable sites aren’t too bad being paved and somewhat near the bathrooms. However, the camping on the beach is not very well maintained. There was trash everywhere. People also pulled in at all hours of the night and when you are tent camping it’s not the best. The staff was friendly which is a plus. The showers cost $$$ which after paying $$ to both camp and park seems outrageous. If we go back we will more than likely try to stay at a different campground around the lake.
GuideEasy to find-Easy to park-Easy to enjoy
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Melbeta, NE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Melbeta, NE is Robidoux RV Park with a 4.4-star rating from 14 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 26 dog-friendly camping locations near Melbeta, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
