Best Tent Camping near Merriman, NE

Willow Cave area is the RV/tent campground closest to the Marina and cabins. Some sites overlook lake and there is some shade. This area is across from the dump, has electric, a fish cleaning station, picnic benches, and fire rings. These spots are nice and spacious.

Most cities in Nebraska have these type of site. Grass and sand but has 30 amp electric. Has a dump station along with restrooms and showers. Good place to stay one night. Need to check out the grocery store next to the site.

Wuiet campground with restrooms with plumbing and showers. Sites with and without power for tents and RVs. Miles of quiet beaches, even on holiday weekends.

Beeds landing is next to Cedar Bay. It has tent and RV sites, boat dock,bath house and fish cleaning station. Area has electric and sites are spacious and mostly shaded. Nice area

Pine Area is a small primitive campground with only 3 sites. All with Great Lake view. Each site has a bench and fire ring. These sites are very spacious and could have multiple tents.

We look forward to this camping trip with friends every year. They made it so there is good cell service now so that’s a bonus. About half of the sites are reservable and half are first come first serve. When you get there you must have a nebraska park permit and also pay a parking fee at the self registration box. Be sure to make the trip to snake river falls and smith waterfalls.

We visited in May of 2017, and we stayed at Cedar Bay campground site AA. The area offers great views and close to unity to regional sites auch as Snake Falls, Niobrara, Valentine and more. The site sits right on the edge of the southern edge of the reservoir and is close to two boat ramps. There are. Number of beaches which offer good wading and places to cool off. Kayak access is everywhere and there is a lot of shade at each site. Our site was pretty close to showers and had electricity. Some things to look out for are cliffs which are about 10-20 ft high that lead to a drop towards the reservoir. If you are a paddler, the boats coming and going to both ramps give off some wakes which are not a big deal if the wind is not blowing. This is a great site in the Nebraska Sandhills which offers clear water and good fishing.

We have camped here for years...it’s a small camp ground but it has low traffic so makes for a nice place to go to and relax and do some fishing.

Pulled in at dusk, had the place to ourselves. Absolutely beautiful. Only one site in the campground had a bit of level ground. Pit toilets pretty clean, though one had a door that wouldn’t close. Someone pulled in late and started a long process of what looked like processing a goose - a bit unnerving. woke to hunters on the dam. probably wouldn’t stay here again. a couple of sites further down the road. this place is probably thick with mosquitos in the warmer months

Has a boat ramp for lake access . Quiet area . No cell service.

A little confusing finding camp grounds because it seems some are dispersed. However, the close sites were nice and had a ton of animals nearby. Aside from the animals, it was quiet and pretty. Had a picnic table and fire pit at each site.

While it's technically National Forest land, most is Sandhills prairie which is awesome for off-trail hiking and exploring. You can do free dispersed camping according to USFS guidelines, or camp at the Steer Creek campground on the west side of the National Forest which is under pine tree canopy. Do exercise caution by wearing bright orange when hiking there, as it's a popular destination for hunters.

We went WELL off the beaten path. Not far into the national forest, Google maps showed a road leading to a river. The "road" is a grass trail. Not very hard, but definitely want a vehicle that isn't low to the ground to avoid bottoming out. Went about 3-5 mph for maybe 10 minuts, didn't make it to the river but found a beautiful succeeded spit by a pond. Not something I would swim in but my dog had a blast, and the views were beautiful. No fire, no water, no amenities at all. Just good Ole country camping!

This isn’t a very busy campground. It’s far south of Badlands NP and most people stay North in Wall or out near Rapid City.

We’re not sure about boondocking in the regular parking lot since the casino has their own campground here. There’s not much shade but it’s right on the water which delivers nice views.

All sites are electric only but there is a dump station where you can dump and fill.

Basic camping with long drop and right on reservoir. Most of the spots are sandy but found a few on grass. Only one other camper in the campground. Had a family of coyotes close...enjoyed hearing them talking at night and they stayed away from camp.

Snake River Area Campground near Valentine, NE is on the Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area.

Can you say sand! And fishing. The nice thing about this entire area is one: you don’t see much of the park employees, it’s pretty much all honor system based. Which means if you occupy an entire campground you can stay up as late or early as you want. You can also be as loud or quiet as you like too. Two: This is definitely a water based vacation. The reservoir offers plenty to do and the campground is shaded and did I mention sandy. Dark at night, like pitch black. Critters are around so secure your food. Picnic tables, pit toilets, fire pits and a trash receptacle.

There is the Niobrara River nearby which is the major attraction of the area for float trips. Valentine, NE has food and fuel plus events throughout the year.