Looking for the best options for tent camping near Ogallala? Find the best information on tent camping near Ogallala, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Guide
I stayed at a tent site and it was small and very close to other campers (it’s like a parking lot in size and closeness), but I liked feeling a part of a community. If you want some space though, it may not be for you (with tent camping that’s all they have). Big plus for me since it was so cold and windy, was that the restrooms and office were right next to me. They also offered to leave firewood that I wanted in my site, and in case of rain ended up setting it inside at the registration lobby since I came after office hours. One staff member checked to make sure I found everything okay and I appreciated that. They have a K-9 enclosure for a bit of pupper exercise, a playground, and a pool when it is in season. Not much of a view anywhere but they have cool old pioneer wagons all around so that was neat. No complaints and if it weren’t so windy I would have really enjoyed having a cozy site near possible new friends.
Guide
Ok so first off this was a pretty site BUT... we had a tent. There was some kind of thorny thing all over the ground it mad it very hard for my kids to play or even have a blowup mattress. It literally stuck into everything. If you had a camper it was a great spot. If your camping in a tent would not recommend this site at all. Also you have to pay with your showers with tokens 1 token is 2 mins worth. It was not worth the money to me to stay here.
Legend
We loved this camping area and have been dreaming of returning.
The view was spectacular from the tent site, but there are plenty of full hookup sites available.
Though most lakes in Nebraska are man-made and muddy, this manmade lake is in the sandhills so it is all beach and clear water. The showers are free and there are plenty of hydrants for non-hookup sites.
There is good trout fishing here and excellent bird watching. We saw the Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, and several other birds checked off our bucket list.
The towns of both Ogallala and Lewellen both had plenty to see.
The camp host was exceptional and helpful beyond what is typically expected.
Guide
Nice small campground next Buffalo Bill Ranch Historic Site. 50/30 amp available. Water is confusing. Water at site 6 and 20. Also water available at tent site at end of campground. Water spigot is located at the back of both sites and tent site so confused how everyone else can get water. Just plan ahead. Only one other camper was here so we parked in site 6. 🤷♂️🤷♂️. Verizon was 5G.
Traveler
Tent camped on the shore of the reservoir, this was a nice enough spot although a little noisy from the road and power station across the reservoir.
Traveler
Quick Notes: RV Pads w/ water & electric Tent sites Group & handicap sites Bathhouse Boat launch Sandy beach Wake lake Fishing Dumpstation
Traveler
Real quick review: Nice little no wake lake. We enjoyed the lake to paddleboard around. Tent camping one side and RV on my the other. Bath house Boat launch Playground RV hookups Dumpstation Short walking trail to the damn spout ..water all sites ..some electric Sites
Guide
We pulled in and asked the man in the golf car for a spot. He informed us “No Tents” He failed to mention we could tent camp in the city park across the creek. Thanks Buddy! In the Pony Express Park across the bridge you can camp in a RV or Tent for free.Just leave it cleaner than you found it.
LegendI entered the south side camping which is much like other sites with close camping, there is electric and a vault toilet. If a person follows the small road at the end of the south side camping it takes you to the west side camping which is random spots along the road to camp next to the water. Some have tables and fire rings other do not. There is a vault toilet at the end of the loop.
$30 for electric sites $7 daily vehicle fee for NE license $14 daily vehicle fee for non- NE $15 tent sites
Legend
Lake Ogallala Trail is a 9 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Ogallala, primarily used for hiking. The lake itself is pretty small (large pond) especially compared to its neighbor Lake McConoughey
The camping area was a little on the primitive side. Morning catfishing right off the banks is excellent!
ScoutStayed one night on the Big Lake and one night at the small lake. Both are very good, just more quiet and less traffic at Lake Ogallala. Very nice camp sites and good fishing.
GuideLake Ogallala and it’s campground was beautiful! Plenty of fishing, great area for walking, and you can hop right over to lake McConaughy for even more water action, restaurants and beautiful seeneri! The camp sites of most of the campground we small and very close together though.
LegendThis is one of our favorite campsites in the country. On a tall cliff, lake breeze blowing through the popup window, sandy beach that is as big as the panhandle itself (these are the sandhills of Nebraska). My 'Dyrt' profile picture is of our site at Cedar Vue.
Ogallala was a raunchy western town and has q boot hill full of cutthroats and cowboys.
The lake is huge. one of the few man-made lakes that are visible from outer space. Nice wide open country side all around with much wildlife to see. If you are a bird watcher, head north to crescent lake and see the burrowing owls, long billied curlew, or a vast amount of other birds. The fishing is renowned.
Warm showers, flush toilets, full hookups (though we prefer the scenery of our primitive site). Nice visitor center at the dam
GuideSuch a beautiful place to stay. Ideally, you would want a spot by the water and/or under the shade trees more. For the reservable side, it has electric hook ups and community water spouts you can fill your tanks with. Spots are pretty spaced out. The big lake is easy to get to. Dump stations are at the big lake and should be marked better. There used to be a playground at the campground, but it is gone. Did find one by the dam at the non-electric side of Lake Ogallala.
ScoutThis campsite is beautiful - a nice quiet lake with fishing & kayaking, shady spot with electric hookup, and a pretty nice fire pit. Huge cottonwoods surround us with birds chirping into the evening & the crickets singing at night. No water hookups at the site but there is water available - though not a RV fill/dump station. Paid showers available. A great retreat after a day on Lake Mac, which is right next door. No quiet hours on Saturday night. Worth it for the water access to Lake Ogallala!
ScoutThe views are pretty but the lack of full hookup sites and dump stations aren't worth it, in our opinion. When we booked our reservation, we utilized the options for 50amp site for a 40' camper and water. What we got was a 50amp site with "community" water available for us to fill up jugs and whatever else held water that we had to walk several sites down to get from a communal water faucet. Had we known this, we could have filled out fresh water tank completely to prepare. It isn't like we never dry dock but a more clear booking site would have helped us prepare. The trash dumpsters are in the worst possible spot for longer rigs pulling out from Lake Ogallala's SRA sites, including #36. And, finally...the fact the dumpstations are no where near most of the camp sites, nor are they clearly marked for convenient finding ensures we will not using this location again.
LegendMid April, we were one of a handful of campers. We had our pick of sites at Lake Ogallala located at the base of the dam. We selected 38. Due to the high winds and cold, we weren't able to kayak/SUP as planned, but it would be a good place. Also, great places on the other side of the dam. The bath house was open, but not the showers, which are pay by the way. There are also Porta Pottys in addition to the 1 modern bathhouse. The tree shaded sites are pretty level, but the tree rooms have buckled a lot of them. There is no dump station here, you have to go down the road to Little Thunder, but no extra charge. Speaking of charges, its pretty pricey. Sites $32 Plus a separate daily park pass. State residents $6. Nonresident $8. Lastly, the campground is next to a huge open pasture with lots of cows grazing. We didn't notice any smell, though. We would stay again
Guide
Pulling off I 80 we saw RVs park around a pretty lake in a nice park. We drove over and asked someone in an RV if there was an honor box or if somebody would come collect a fee. He said “no the rule is just leave it cleaner than you found it.”
Be sure to drive your tent stakes deep in the sandy soil as the wind can blow pretty hard in the Nebraska panhandle at times.
Scout
We were absolutely desperate to find a spot late last night so we figured we could trust a KOA to stop at in Nebraska. We’ve stayed at numerous other KOAs where they were conveniently/inconveniently next to the highway. Usually happy that it’s a close drive to get back on the highway but if you’re in a tent at this one it sounds like you’re about to get hit by a truck every 30 seconds. We pulled in around 11:30PM after driving for 11 hours and set up our tent and woke up before 5 to absolutely insane traffic going by. Also if we had realized it was going to be $45 for the site we would have found a hotel for another $20. Waste of money...should have risked just pulling over and sleeping on the side of the road somewhere. But at least the bathrooms and showers were VERY clean
Guide
We stayed one night at "Big Mac" on July 6th on our way out to Colorado in beach area 12. We were able to pull right up to the shore. There was a heat wave coming through so it was very hot. The bathrooms (In our spot they were just biffy's) are a bit of a walk from the spot we were at.
We had 3 setups, a roof top tent, inside the 4runner and a ground tent. All parties slept pretty happily including a 6 year old. We cooked right on the beach and had a campfire.
Towards midnight we saw some amazing stars that the pictures I included don't do justice. We would stay here again but I would caution anyone coming here to bring some sun screen and ensure you drink a lot of a water. There are some tent spots among the trees that provide more shade.
If you're from a state (Like we are from MN) with lots of beaches and Lakes, it's really "just ok". Don't get me wrong, It's cool you can camp right on the beach and it's probably the most exciting place to be in Nebraska, but that's not saying much.
Traveler
We never thought we would be staying on a beach in Nebraska! It was so clean and pieceful!! A wonderful camping experience!!
Guide
We stayed at the Little Thunder campground for 1 night while passing through Nebraska. Wow! The views were wonderful. We had to pay $8 for an entry fee into the park. Camping fees were paid at the campground using an envelope and a drop box. They offered full hookup sites 1-8 for $37/night and sites 9-42 are $32/night w/ electricity. We chose site 25 It has a nice sandy trail that leads you right to the beach.🏖 We arrived at 4:00pm on a Friday evening in September and there were plenty of sites to choose from. We seen a few campers & tents ⛺ boondocking on the beach, we wanted to go out there but after boondocking in Colorado for 5 days we wanted to enjoy the electricity hookup for the night. The cons to this site is there were tiny cockle burrs on the ground EVERYWHERE! Our poor dogs were injured immediately after arriving before we realized these cockle burrs were on the ground by then we had tracked them inside the camper, vehicle on our shoes..My family got them stuck in their hands and feet ouch! I wasn't a happy camper while getting those burrs out of the dogs paws and out of the camper and clothes. There are no signs stating dogs weren't allowed on the beach so we carried them down there where they were safe to walk around. I am not sure if these burrs are all over the campground because I did not leave our site other than the path to beach which didn't have these burrs. The wind had picked up out of nowhere and the clouds rolled in then sand was blowing hard everywhere so we retreated to our camper for the night. Be prepared there is alot of white sand here.
TravelerReservation highly recommended, we got super lucky and was given a spot that had been recently cancelled. Decent facilities, pay showers. The reservoir was beautiful, for the middle of nowhere Nebraska :)
GuideRV, tent and cabins. Wi-Fi, small store, meals. Hiking trail nearby.
www.eagle-canyon.com (308) 287-2673
GuideExtraordinary location given that you are in the middle of Nebraska. I didn’t expect to be camping on a beach! Beautiful scenery. You can camp anywhere on the beach, so I was able to find a quiet spot. Expensive given basic facilities. Coin operated shower. No potable water
RangerStayed here on my cross country drive. Real calm at dusk on this reservoir, it picked up real fast into a certified windstorm by 2AM when I felt like my tent was about to be blown away into oblivion. LOTS of RVs.
RangerI stopped at this campsite on a cross country road trip from NY to NV, as I didn’t know anyone who resided in the great state of Nebraska. Talk about a total hidden gem!! This campground is one of the most beautiful, quiet and serene campgrounds I have ever been to. There are lots of sites right along the water and perfect for fishing!! Absolutely some gorgeous views here.
Tent camping near Ogallala, Nebraska offers a unique experience with beautiful lakeside views and a variety of outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, the area has something to offer every camping enthusiast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ogallala, NE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ogallala, NE is Martin Bay - Lake McConaughy SRA with a 4.5-star rating from 4 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Ogallala, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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