Best Tent Camping near Newcastle, NE

Recent Tent Reviews near Newcastle, Nebraska

243 Reviews of 6 Newcastle Campgrounds

• C

  Carly P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 25, 2018

  Riverfront Campground — Ponca State Park

  Highly developed campground

  This campground has seen huge improvements over the last decade. They now sport an impressive set of cabins and other facilities for the 21st century camper. Tent camping continues to be available and has better privacy than many sites throughout Nebraska. The park isn't far from a small town where you can easily get anything you might need for your trip. Explore some of the activites that staff hold weekly or go take a hike! There's also playgrounds and a pool for the kids.

• 

  Leasa W.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 25, 2016

  Oak Bluff — Ponca State Park

  Beautiful Nebraska tenting experience

  Camped in tents. Was impressed with the options of tent sites. Offers all the amenities we needed while tenting. Wooded sites. Beautiful scenery and plenty outdoor activities to take in. Would recommend to those seeking a lake, woods, hiking, swimming, and family friendly camping adventure.

• 

  Amy C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 14, 2020

  Weigand - Lewis and Clark SRA

  Quiet, clean

  Each campsite has a gravel pad, picnic table and fire pit. We had electric only but water is available. Tent sites are also available. Bathrooms are very clean and well stocked. Fishing and boating

• M

  Mary

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 15, 2021

  Willow Creek Campground

  Well maintained

  They have 62 RV spots and seven tent camping sites the RV spots have a really nice level concrete pad half of them have electric and water and the other half also have a sewer hook up charge was $20 a night beautiful old trees new management that is really keeping everything clean Showers and restrooms Fills up on weekends

   

• A

  Austin and Natasha S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2022

  Union Grove State Park Campground

  Be prepared…

  Be prepared to higher your campground expectations after this one! Definitely one of the cleanest most well kept campgrounds I’ve seen in a while. Shower rooms/bathrooms are immaculate, and smell so nice. Site was perfect for both an RV or a tent. They offer tent, back in, or pull through. We tent camped at an back on site across from both the play area and the shower rooms. Loved it! Hope to come back and hike the trails x kids said they looked beautiful.

• 

  Julia V.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  Stone State Park Campground

  Great for a night

  Had a grassy & shady tent site. There were vault/pit toilets close and regular restrooms with showers a little walk away (showers needed to be cleaned). Water spigot was close by too. Wish we had more time to explore the park itself because there was lots of hiking/waking trails. Overall no complaints

• K

  Kimysue J.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 24, 2022

  Weigand - Lewis and Clark SRA

  Just Ok

  RVs are very close to tent sites. Sites are a decent size. Campground us very open. Sites are a very long way from the lake, showers, and beach. They charge for showers bring a lot of quarters. Staff are very friendly. The marina store has a small selection of house hold items and fishing supplies.

• 

  Sarah H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 26, 2016

  Yankton — Lewis And Clark Recreation Area

  Boating and Camping

  This place is gorgeous with its flat grassy camping area, distant hills, and lots or water and sky. Tent camped along the waterfront with friends. Spacious campgrounds were well maintained. Spent our mornings fishing for walleye, our afternoons were made up of great boating, tubing and water skiing. The nights were filled with stars. Went with friends this time, but am eager to bring my family for another visit.

• M

  May M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 1, 2018

  Clay County Park — Clay County

  Local RV camp

  Most of this open campground is devoted to RV's, most are unoccupied during the week. There are only 4 tent sites on the south edge of the area, the acreage is covered with tall cottonwood trees which provide partial sun/shade but no privacy. There is a short trail which goes down to the Missouri River. There was a pit latrine in the tent area and two shower houses in the RV sections. Tent fee $10 per night

• 

  Kaitlin B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 14, 2022

  Rivers Bend Campground

  Very nice campground

  Decent size spots with lakefront views at just about all of them. There is a swimming hole with a little beach and walking/bike trail. They have tent sites that you have to walk to but they are right on the water away from all of the RV sites. The town of Rock Valley is small but very quaint. I'd reccomend the coffee shop Rooted. Will definitely be coming back here.

• E

  Erin J.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 23, 2023

  Union Grove State Park Campground

  Mad

  The address is WRONG. The location for is NOT. had to call to make reservations and the lady was unhelpful and rude. $15 for tent site. Then was told it was $25 and change to make a reservation online to save my spot and if anyone was there they would make us call back to reserve the site. This was abnormal for a state park and wish I had just camped somewhere from a local.

• 

  Emily C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 19, 2020

  Sioux City North KOA

  Very fun

  A tent site was $40 with no electricity so it’s more pricy then other sites but they have a ton of things to do. Checkers, chess, swings, play set, mini golf, inflatable bouncy blog, pool, and more. They had a gift shop with anything you needed to buy. The bathrooms were very nice and clean but did smell a bit. They had electricity/ wall outlets in the bathrooms. The highway is very close so you do hear cars. Privacy fences around the site to block out the neighborhood. Very nice staff!

• 

  Dan N.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 1, 2016

  Riverfront Campground — Ponca State Park

  Missouri River camping

  They have a lot of different sleeping options, from tent to hotel-like cabins. We went a long time ago when it was just tent sites. Some were along the river but most are back in the forest. Aside from the river, there are trails and a pool. Friends have said there are many very recent additions including rock climbing walls, archery, horseback riding, etc. The charm of the area is still there: riverfront views, rolling hills, simple trails through nature. Many other small parks along the whole river nearby, plus a full golf course and Sioux City. Perfect for a road trip stopover or a long weekend for locals.

• 

  James D.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 1, 2016

  Nebraska Tailwaters

  Had a good time fishing in the Missouri River

  This campground is situated along the Missouri River. There is a fishing pier and boat ramp. There are only about 10 tent campsites and a bunch of RV sites. The shower facilities were clean. It is near Lewis and Clark Lake which is a very nice lake. There is a dam which takes away from some of the natural feeling, but hey, there are showers here too. The Missouri River Valley is worth seeing at some point in your life. There are a lot of birds in the park which my wife appreciated.

• 

  Leni K.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 12, 2020

  Union Grove State Park Campground

  Cute, Clean and Quiet

  Was only on site for 7 hours, but was very impressed with our spot, the clean, modern shower and bathrooms, and nature (there were turkey feathers from a night visitor when we woke!) We had the best tent site on the grounds, corner spot with decent trees and distance, most other spots are right on top of each other. Case in point, the only place for our car was on the road, no pull off.

  Reservations can be made ahead of time online. However day passes have to be purchased in person, cash, on site day of.

  Would definitely come back for a longer stay if we could get #4 or #5 for sure.

• 

  Tony B.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 25, 2020

  Riverfront Campground — Ponca State Park

  Hiker's delight

  This park is definitely a must see for all types of campers. They have everything for all types of campers. There is a visitors center that has a little bit of the history of the area as well as education of the Missouri river. There is different types of cabins, (or look more like houses). There is a little fishing pond by the visitors center, as well as a swimming pool. There are paved roads through out the park with a few designated rv campsites. As well as tent camping scattered throughout the park, and camping off the Missouri river. There are several hiking trails, horseback riding, archery, 2 lookout points, and even a golf course. This is a place that anybody can find a outdoor activity to do.

• 

  Tony K.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 6, 2023

  Clay County Park — Clay County

  Same great park with some recent changes!

  Clay County Park underwent some staffing and management changes at the beginning of last year. The whole area was thoroughly cleaned, trees trimmed, trails groomed, restrooms spiffed, etc.  Guest feedback on these changes was overwhelmingly positive and we expect further growth this season. 

  We've begun working closely with SD Game, Fish and Parks and they are a great partner. This season, we will be adopting their reservation platform for guests to register. We expect to continue making incremental improvements and are looking forward to the 2023 camping season.

  For additional information, please visit our Facebook Page (Clay County Park). We will be open for campers beginning Saturday April 15, 2023. Reservations can be made online at campsd.com or through the call center at 1-800-710-2267 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Follow the link and select "Make a reservation" tab. Reservations are accepted up to 90 days in advance of your arrival at the park.   **Camping reservations must be made before setting up on a campsite. 

  Clay County Park features 40 electric campsites, 8 tent sites, 1 cabin, a multi-use trail, picnic shelters, and a boat ramp. We look forward to seeing you at the park soon! Thank you.

  Park staff and volunteers did a great end of season cleanup and are now fine-tuning details for Summer 2023.

• 

  Louis E.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 28, 2018

  Nebraska Tailwaters

  Look out for Camp Squatters

  We ended up at the Trailwater site because of a overbooking at lewis and clark. The afternoon was pleasant but as soon as it started to get dark all of the camp squatters started to arrive. First, about 9:30 PM, a group with several small children arrived and they were running all over the place crying screaming. The adults didn't seam to care and for some reason kept locking their car repeatedly. Beep, Beep, honk!This continued until about midnight when the children passed out. Then at 1:15 AM a large group with about 15 adults, several children, 2 dogs, 6 trucks and a boat arrived. They proceeded to set up their 6 tends even right next to ours and in front of our fire ring as if they were sharing it with us. They were loud and intoxicated. The yelling and commotion continued. They were carrying on as if it were the middle of the day. At 3:15 AM I asked if they could quite it down. I was met with hostility and and was told that they did not give a F@%*. Then they proceeded to mock and insult us in spanish. We felt very intimidated and scared for our safety. Needless to say we packed up our camp all wile being jeered and insulted and drive 2.5 hrs back home. DONT TENT CAMP HERE. We will never stay at this campground again.

• 

  Joe R.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 9, 2019

  Oak Bluff — Ponca State Park

  Gorgeous Nebraska State Park, primitive site T45 review

  I had the please of staying at this beautiful Nebraska state park with my youngest son on a return trip home from North Dakota over the July 4th weekend 2019. We pulled in after office ours and easily found several primitive walk up sites to choose from. We selected T45 for it’s proximity to a scenic Missouri River overlook and it’s flat, shaded ground. Ponca SP is a large clean and hilly state park offering just about everything you could want from Glamping in cabins to roughing it on one of several pack in trails. There is plentiful wildlife to observe. We witnessed deer and many species of birds in our one evening and morning stay. Guests to the park can partake in horse trail rides($), golf($), fishing, hunting, shooting/ archery range, biking/hiking, water activities such as kayaking or canoeing on the Missouri River, and a large pool near the entrance. Food service is also available on site if you get tired of cooking at your camp. If you want a power site for an RV I’d highly recommend reserving well in advance because this is a popular SP. For those of us who tent camp without power you’ll likely find the perfect spot for your small to large tent on a walk up site with plentiful shade trees at all of the sites that I observed. I highly recommend trying to get the site one spot to the North of T45, it literally looks right over the Missouri River and sits just steps away from the scenic overlook. The bathroom facility right by T45 was clean and well maintained and there was a water faucet next to this site as well as the trash bins. Scenic hikes, drives, or bike rides around the park are largely shaded with a rich tree canopy over rolling hills throughout the park. There are at least two scenic river overlooks with historical referenced to the area’s rich history including the Lewis and Clark expedition. Check the park’s web site at outdoornebraska.gov/Ponca/ to find out what educational and fun events might be happening at the park. They hold a Harvest/Halloween event over a few days in October each year, but you’ll have to book a site a year in advance if you want to for sure get a spot during that time. Don’t forget to stop in to the education center and learn all about the river’s history. The education center is top notch and one of our favorite things about the park. This is a five star state park by any measure and I can’t wait for a return trip to this park.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 6, 2020

  Stone State Park Campground

  Small campground in a large state park

  This is a large state park in the northwest corner of Iowa, surprisingly wooded considering how close to Sioux City it is located. Touted as a year-round park, there is a large network of trails, some of which can be used as equestrian. HOWEVER, the trails are not labeled and there is no (or very fleeting) cell service so that even after looking at the map (located on a board in the park, not a paper one), I wandered aimlessly around the park getting lost. One of the trailheads requires that you tramp directly through Site 12 to access! I explored this trail for approximately a quarter of a mile, but it became very overgrown and because I was not sure where I was going, I ended up turning around.

  The campground is divided into three sections

  • Sites 1-11 are located on either side of the access road are a bit too close together for our preference and despite the park being so wooded, have no foliage or other visible separation between the sites. These sites all have electric hookups

  • Sites 12-14 are at the top of the hill and have the easiest access to the restrooms; they also have electric hookups. In my opinion, Site 14 would be the most desirable. Given that there are only three sites here, there was a surprising number of cars driving past these sites.

  • Sites 15-30 are primitive tent sites and located near Cabin#3 (a CCC cabin). 

  The bathrooms were clean and (don’t laugh at me), the toilets had lids! Given the current virus situation, this was a nice and welcome surprise! 

  There was no camp host and we only saw one ranger during our stay. There is a nice playground, but it is not located anywhere near the campground (it is located closer to two of the cabins). If you are camping with children, please note this. There are three cabins, one that was built by the CCC and a lodge which also looked to be a CCC product, although it did not appear to be open when we were there.

• S

  Shari M.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2021

  Turkey Ridge — Ponca State Park

  100 years anniversary for Nebraska State Parks

  We arrived on the cusp of the 100 year anniversary celebration of the Nebraska State Parks. Lots of fun extra things to do!

  We found a great space in the Turkey Ridge campground. Electric with a water spigot between 2 spaces. We were in a tree cave with very little sunlight. Another campground Oak Bluff is for reservations only. Lots of tent spots and primitive tent only.

  We rode our bike around and got an incredible workout with lots of hills.

  Great views of the Missouri at the 3 state corners viewing area.

  For the 100 years celebration they had re-enactments, making walking stick adornments, bird catch and release to show an up close and personal peek at the local birds.

  The town of Ponca is a few miles outside the park and several nice little places for groceries, beer, a pharmacy, pizza, etc!

  Pretty warm and humid for us high desert folk but we enjoyed our stay.

• N

  N I.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 30, 2021

  Miller Creek - Lewis and Clark SRA

  Country Roads

  • ARCHERY HUNTING ONLY

  • Must have a Vehicle Entry Permit

   Nebraska Resident         Non Resident 

  Annual  $30.00 Annual   $45.00

  Daily$ 6.00 per day          Daily$ 6.00 per day

  Basic camping per day $15.00

  • Picnic table

  • Fire ring

  • Boat ramp

  • Water

  • Pit toilet

  • Trash

  • Fishing pie

  r• Parking for boat launch

  • Check in 4 pm check out 11 am

  This campground is open and nicely shaded. Very quiet and secluded. Several mature trees surrounds the camp. The campground is very well maintained. If you want to get back to the basics this is your camp. Great for birding, kayaking, fishing or just kicking back.

  This campground is sitting on the second largest lake, Lewis & Clark which runs along the border of Nebraska and South Dakota. The lake is about 16 miles long and up to 3 miles wide. It has a maximum depth of 45 feet.

  If you are planning a visit to Miller Creek you need to have a small rig or tent. If you come by way of Springfield, South Dakota or Neobrara, Nebraska on Highway 12 then Highway 12 from the west of Miller Creek the road becomes dirt. If it has rained the dirt will turn to a nasty mud. The road is also very potted and rough.

  A bonus for visiting Miller Creek is the joy of feasting your eyes on the natural beauty of what makes Nebraska great. The rolling farm land and friendly locals that wave as you pass by. Whether fishing, birding, hiking, boating, or fishing is your passion a country campground in Nebraska can help sooth your soul.

  Firewood Alert: Please purchase firewood in the local area. Do not transport from another state, if you do please burn immediately due to the Emerald Ash Borer. Proper permits/Licenses and park entry passes may be purchased in advance online at http://ngpc-home.ne.gov/

• D

  Denise A.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 10, 2021

  Yankton — Lewis And Clark Recreation Area

  Lewis & Clark Recreational area

  Great place to camp!!! South Dakota has it right with making reservations! Nebraska is HORRIBLE!!! We quit the Nebraska State parks years ago! Putting in coins to take a shower?! Really?! South Dakota doesn’t do that!!! South Dakota State Parks ROCK!!!!!

• M

  Mark H.

  Scout

  

  May. 29, 2019

  Riverfront Campground — Ponca State Park

  Great quiet pretty place

  If you want a nice place to camp in NE Nebraska, this is it. Lots of shade, hiking, trail rides, campsites are pretty and easily usable. Enough space for 6 people easily. Showers, campfire rings. Nice place to spend a few days or just an overnight.

• 

  Molly M.

  Guide

  

  May. 20, 2018

  Riverfront Campground — Ponca State Park

  Fishing, trails and fun.

  So much fishing! River and lake. Very peaceful during the spring and fall. Great mushroom hunting in the hills. Lots of spots for rvs, tents, and they have cabins. Love the shooting range.

• N

  N I.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 30, 2021

  Nebraska Tailwaters

  Huck Finn Time

  Open year round

  Reservations:  Mid May - Mid May

  FCFS  Mid Oct - Mid May

  42 sites    31 electric   11 non electric

  Group camping with electric

  ADA Accessible fishing pier 31 electric sites 11 non electric Modern showers Flush toilets Shore fishing Boat ramp Fish cleaning station RV dump station Group camping Picnic shelter Fire ring/grill Vault toilet Cell service Paved sites Pets allowed Trash Security lights Drinking water 

  This campground is a gem snuggled along the Missouri River on the Nebraska side of the river. Lewis and Clark journeyed up the Missouri River on their way to the Pacific Ocean. In 1874 a group of Mennonites settled along the now Lewis& Clark Lake. Ground was broken in 1952 at the damsite. Now the public is able to recreate in numerous campgrounds and recreation sites along the Nebraska and South Dakota shore line

• 

  Cameron W.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 4, 2020

  Stone State Park Campground

  Good enough

  $11 for one night in a tent. Was a halfway point to my destination and a last minute thing. Has some cool trails, and the area is nice enough. Bathroom/showers are a mess, but it’s a state park so I didn’t expect much.