Searching for a tent camping spot near Omaha? Find the best information on tent camping near Omaha, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Omaha, Nebraska's most popular destinations.
Preparation Canyon State Park, in the heart of the Loess Hills in western Iowa, encompasses 344 acres, including what used to be the town of Preparation. Today, Preparation Canyon is a quiet enclave offering backcountry hiking, picnicking and beautiful views of the unique Loess Hills.
Camp in one of ten hike-in camping sites, which are some of the only hike-in sites in the Iowa state park system. The trailhead to the hike-in sites is located in the southeast corner of the park. The sites each have a table and fire ring, but no bathroom facilities. Registration is on a first-come first-served basis with self-registration in the east parking lot.
$9 / night
$15 / night
Guide
We tent camped in the modern loop. Bathroom was clean, lit, and stocked - even had hand sanitizer! RV loops had flush toilets and showers, but we didn’t stay long enough to make the trek worth it. The walk down to the tent sites was annoying at worst, but plenty doable. Campsites were level enough, and there were a few sites with pads. Lots of ticks to look out for. There’s an airfield nearby so plane noise was regular but not frequent. Wifi didn’t quite reach the tent campsites; nor did Verizon service, but T-Mobile was good. All around a fine campground.
Guide
A short drive from Omaha, two rivers offers generally clean TV and tent camping sites across multiple campgrounds. I camped right by the river. Also a short walk to the outhouse and playground. Fun and quick trip if you’re in the Omaha area. My boys (4&7) loved it.
Legend
This is another NRD lake, and pretty well maintained. However unlike Wanhoo you don't need a pass or permit. Also the tent camping is free, and electrical is 18. From what I heard the fishing is good and the lake itself is beautiful. Not to mention there is the little town of Prague and the lake itself is in the Bohemian alps of Nebraska. It is also quiet and peaceful. The few down falls I can see is the lake is not simply accessible from the rvs. Also the trees in the tent area, that are close to the lake, and could cause issues with mosquitoes. So if your looking for something different, but not a ling drive from Omaha or Lincoln area, I would tell you to give it a try.
ScoutThis is my favorite place to tent camp! Nice bathhouse, and even the pit toilet is clean and unoffensive. Tent sites are spacious and most are separated by lots of trees so there's plenty of shade, privacy, and wildlife. Firewood is available and hiking trails are nearby. Unfortunately, I have to find a new favorite spot because I can no longer lug my gear up and down the hill between my car and my tent.
Scout
We had two problems with our stay here. 1. The tent sites seem to have been an afterthought of the planning they have little to no shade/shade, no privacy and a very busy roadway quite close to them with nothing to separate them. There also is pretty much no flat ground.
Guide
There really is so much to do, from putt putt to iceskating, climbing, the water park, this place has it all. It can be pricey depending on what you're looking for. Cabins are cute and spacious but book up very quickly. Tent camp sites are open more often than not. It is always super busy is the only real downfall.
Traveler
I arrived just in time to see the beautiful sunset over the small lake near the primitive campground closest to the Park Office. It only cost $10 for tent camping and $3 for a vehicle pass. Campground and vault toilets were pretty clean. There is a fire ring and picnic table at each tent campsite and there are plenty to choose from near the water. You can bring your own kayak or canoe and even fish here. We had a nice encounter from the campground employee who explained how to put the stake out to claim our campsite. Right away, I saw abundant wildlife, including turkey, deer, black squirrels, woodpeckers, geese, ducks and bats. Come prepared for the mosquitoes but overall I would highly recommend this place!
GuideOur family and another family shared a primitive tent site near the back of the park. We were first and foremost impressed with the freedom we had in choosing our site. Tent camping here is non-reservable, but once you enter the park, you may choose from any spots containing a fire pit outside of RV loops. Tent sites range from lake-front, to playground side, to more private sites on the outer rim of the park. We chose a large, private site at the back of the park. This site was well maintained and had enough space to easily accommodate two families of four. We even had a picnic shelter all to ourselves. Our site was lined by woods and farmland and had a good view of a small pond. The night was full of exciting animal noises from both the nearby farm and pond. Vault toilets were a short walk away with clean shower facilities just a few loops away. The kids enjoyed riding bikes up and down gravel roads, looking for frogs, and playing on the playground. Canoe and paddle boat rental is extremely reasonable. Hiking trails near the park entrance are rugged. The staff was incredibly kind and easy-going, yet attentive. Just a short drive from neighboring towns, this is a good starter campground for families with younger kids. We hope to return in winter to check out the camping cabins.
TravelerWe camped in a tent and it was $10 so great and the bathrooms were super clean
ScoutWe use this campground the most often for our weekend getaways. Our favorite campground is Riverside for tent camping. There are spots where you can tent camp right by the river. It does get loud during weekends but that's because everyone is having so much fun! When the river is low, you can go play on the beach. We've even walked through the water to go play on the "islands". There is a convenience store ran by a very nice family and they make a great breakfast for a low cost. We like to get up early and walk across the park to breakfast and then walk back to our campsite.
Okay, we use this for family weekends and friend gatherings. But, we have also used other campgrounds at Two River SRA for Cub Scout campouts. (It's just safer being away from the water.) The park has many, many opportunities to earn badges. You can even take a short hike into a little outdoor nature classroom.
The park has deer and turkey and many birds. There is also fishing. It's far enough outside of Omaha to feel like a getaway and get back to nature. And close enough to Omaha to not feel like much work to go camping! Enjoy!
TravelerStopped overnight in late August. Did not want to drag our gear up/down a hill to the tent campsites in the lower loop. Paid more to stay in the upper RV loop where we listened to a neighbor's generator all night. Pretty buggy. Showers/toilets okay. Note there are at least 2 railroads running nearby in the wee hours of the morning. Also, this is on the flight path for jets leaving (I assume) the Omaha airport. Not a restful night--won't be back.
Guide
This is the best lake in Nebraska for camping! They are tent sites right by the lake. The bathrooms are pretty clean. There’s a huge no-wake area of the lake for kayaking and paddle boarding. They also offer boat rentals.
Guide
Louisville Lakes has a decent beach area. Not too many amenities but the bathrooms are clean. The tent sites are close together but usually are not full, RV sites ARE full often. Some tent sites are on the river side and I'd consider very pretty. I like Louisville Lakes atmosphere but it can get pretty busy depending on the summer weekend.
GuideI have only ever used Tent sites by the river. For the tent sites I wish there were more amenities but the one we stayed at was in a nice location. The river is decently safe and a good place to tube. There were not any other campers but I could see it getting pretty busy on the weekends. Definitely for relaxing on the river but not much else.
Guide
Grew up camping and hiking here. Not many amenities but the bathrooms are clean and the trails are fantastic. The view is great from the side bluff train. Close to Nebraska city. Tent sites are not too close together. Can get pretty busy on weekends in the summer.
Legend
Nice smaller park with good tent sites on Missouri River and next to DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge.
TravelerA nice campground . The tent sites are nicely spaced. The rv sites are pretty close together. Nice clean showers and toilets.
Guide
Small park in a cute neighborhood. 8 RV spots with electric and water. Tent camping as well. $15 / night for RV spot. $10 / night tent spots. 5 day max. Pay at the bath house, no host on site.
Single free dump station as well.
LegendThis is my second review, because second time is a charm. Even though the campsites are closer together than I am use to. We actually took 2 sites, one for us and one for my oldest sons site. This worked out and gave a little more space needed. This also gave us time to really explore those trails I was drooling over. We took one of the more scenic trails and took us over the top of some of those beautiful Loess Hills. I still believe it us a great hiking park, and is only a hour away from Omaha for us.
TravelerThe park has cabins, rv sites, tent camping and backcountry hike in camping. The nature center is a nice place to cool down the the summer and learn about the loess hills. The backcountry campsite have pads with pea gravel for tents and fire rings. Nice and quiet.
Traveler
Enjoy the 4 tent sites. They are spread apart enough that your not on top of each other. Lots of wood to find on the ground
Guide
The lake was awesome, not much shade on most tent sites. make sure you ask when they dredged the lakes that you want to stay on.
ScoutI like that you can tent camp anywhere in the Camp area down by the lake with all your friends close by. the trails and playground equipment is nice and the fishing is great! Great Lake for kayaks or canoes as well.
GuideThe people who run this campground are really nice! There are really none camping and only 10 dollars a night with electricity for a tent site. Showers and large campsites.
LegendThe sites for tent camping are okay pretty close together and down a hill, no parking next to your site. There are also pack in sites available and depending on location very nice. There are electic hook ups and cabins to. The bathrooms are a vault toilet.
GuideThere were a lot of day use areas and tent sites. It was very beautiful and open. We went in the off season so we had a lot of space to ourselves.
GuideOne of our favorite places to camp when we don't want to go too far from home. We've RV camped there several times and I plan on doing some tent camping there as well. Nice little hiking trails and a fun Geocache find (if you're into that sort of thing). Great prices!
Explore the great outdoors with tent camping near Omaha, Nebraska, where you can find a variety of campgrounds offering unique experiences and amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Omaha, NE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Omaha, NE is Saunders County Fairgrounds Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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