Best RV Parks & Resorts near Tekamah, NE

This basically a parking lot with rv hook ups, for the casino people. It is probably a cool place for someone spending a lot of time in casinos. It's not really a campground and there are no outdoor activities on site.

Cottonwood Cove Park was the fifth campsite we rolled into in this tri-state area looking for a spot that we actually liked, and boy did we score! This is a little municipal park with only 12 sites, water/electric/cable TV for $22/night. Be aware that there is no dump station here. There's a small bath house that's presently closed for COVID-19 precautions.

Driveways and the road through the campground are crushed white gravel, but there are small concrete pads at each site for the rig and patio area. Large cottonwood trees tower throughout the campground. There are tiny campers and large fifth-wheels here, both. There's a campground host occupying one site, and you pay the host. Spacing between sites is very, very generous -- kudos to Dakota City for not cramming people into this place just to double the revenue.

The campground buts up right against a pretty natural stretch of the west bank of the Missouri River, with a boat launch and interpretive platform discussing Lewis & Clark's expedition that passed through here. The campground itself is tucked right into the middle of a neat, tidy residential neighborhood, such that it almost feels like you're part of the neighborhood.

It's been amazingly quiet during our stay. We've barely seen our neighbors, much less heard them even though the campground is mostly occupied. There are several rigs here that are long-term, presumably they're working at the massive Tyson Foods plant just up the road.

Cell service on Verizon is an impressive 4 bars, 42ms ping/65.6 Mbps down/24.8 Mbps up/3ms jitter.

We'd stay here again in a heartbeat.

Great RV park with lots to do. Only wish there is more trees.

We were having a hard time finding an RV park since it's the off season. This place popped up and we've been so blessed. The host was so kind and helpful to us new timers. The park is a giant loop with many potable water fountains around. The dumping station is at the front of the park. We felt super safe letting our kids roam the park. We will definitely use this park again if in the area!

I arrived February 28 to visit the casino and friends in town. I couldn’t figure out where to check in so I called the number on the website. Turns out the RV parking is closed for the winter. Oops. But the gentleman on the phone was very nice and said I could park overnight in the North Lot. It’s just a giant parking lot but it is level. I would definitely stay here again but I feel bad. There is truly nowhere near Omaha to camp in the winter.

Nice KOA. There is a nice playground for the children and a pool with snack bar. Management was very friendly and helpful. We had a nice end campsite that gave us extra room with full hookups. The wifi was good and we were right next to a cell tower. They also had some nice cabins!

We like a primitive camp with pit toilets and basic water. This camp was a great stop off of I-80, further out than the closer in crowded RV parks. First come first serve, it was 10% full on the last Thursday in June. Great little stocked fishing lake with sites all fairly close to the long northern shore of the lake. Redwing blackbirds, geese, and lightning bugs tucked in between the corn fields. We camped in #19 which was in a dark spot between the bright peach streetlights on either end of the campground. Much better than we expected to find for just a utility stop. Highly recommended! Memphis sleepy little prosperous town, Ashland bigger with sweet downtown area

Oh my the rate was 19.00 for full 50 amp hookup Beautiful state park in the water nice level sites paved Fire rings and tables Would definitely recommend this place it is a must stop!

This is my first time staying at a KOA, and I think it’s fine for an overnight RV stay, but I definitely wouldn’t make an entire trip of it. The campground is crowded and the sites are very crammed together. I believe all of the sites have full hookups (power/water/sewer) which is nice if you’ve been without for a few days like I had. I can’t comment on the bathrooms, didn’t use them. The playground and other amenities looked extremely old, rickety and borderline hazardous. The noise from I-80 is definitely present and pervasive, but I didn’t hear it from my RV. Like others have mentioned, the entrance to the campground is next to a blind hill, but it’s not impossible to see oncoming traffic.

This is a pleasant campground. There are water lots available. Some spots can be reserved. Others are walk in only. Decent room between lots, though I would prefer a bit more room. Most sites are electric only. A slim amount are full hookup. Excellent playground for children. Popular place for boating in the summer months. Dirt trails to explore around the grounds.

When reviewing this campground it is important that I preface anything with a note about the campground condition.  This entire area has been inundated with flooding off and on since March 2019.  This review is taking these issues into accord and basing the review on the areas that have been repaired in the park since the flooding.

Campground Review:

When entering the park you will notice some areas that still show signs of being impacted by the historic flooding this year.  The road was completely wiped out during the flooding, but due to some intense work the road was replaced to the campground.  

At the park entrance there is a park office to purchase park permits for either day use or for the season. A yearly in-state park permit is $31 and a daily is $6 per day.  You will also notice another building at the entrance that during the active season (April-September) is the concession stand.  They have a decent spread of options to purchase like drinks, firewood, bait, etc., but you are better off price wise bringing your own supplies to save money.

Just past the entrance you will see a row of 10 former Union Pacific Cabooses that in lieu of actual cabins can be rented for a nights stay.  They have restrooms, a deck, beds, etc. , but you do need to bring your own bedding when staying in a caboose.  These can be rented for $75 per night.  One unfortunate part of the caboose rentals is there are no pets allowed when renting.

There are multiple lakes within the campground to use for fishing.  During peak season these lakes are often overly packed-in with people trying to catch something.  Lake number 5 is popular for Trout fishing.  During normal years that aren't heavily impacted by flooding you can also do some river fishing on the Platte River.  Due to the flooding this year though, access to anything by the river is closed due to the area being a mess and some areas undermined by the water that sat for months.

Two Rivers SRA provides tent and RV camping, but again due to the flooding this year a couple of the more popular areas are closed for significant repairs.  One of the busy areas for RV camping and where we stayed was the Lakeside Campground.  With it being off-season it wasn't too busy but there were close to a dozen campers there over the weekend.  RV camping can be done for $25-$35 per night at Two Rivers SRA.  The more expensive "Full Hook-up" is actually only water and power.  There are no sewer hook-ups that I have ever seen for our multiple stays.  Since it is off-season the dump station is closed for your post camping routine.  There is a Love's Travel Stop about 5 miles away where you can dump for $5.  While the primary water is shutoff as well this time of year, there are multiple Iowa hydrants that are still available for filling the holding tanks.

Tent campers can use any of the open spots at any of the campgrounds, but if you are using a spot with power it runs $15 per night.  The normal primitive campground is closed from the flooding, but when open it runs $10 per night.

Two Rivers SRA also offers Horse Camping for those that want to bring their horses out and do some trail riding.  This has been closed all season due to the flooding, but when open there are usually 3-4 groups that bring their horses in for trail riding and camping, so it is pretty popular.

**All off-season camping is $5 off the normal rate with exception of primitive sites.

The campground has multiple vault toilets throughout the campground and a few new full service bathrooms/shower houses, that double as shelters during Tornado season.  These fully concrete facilities have been built in the last couple years and are still in really good shape.

The campground areas that are open have been rehabilitated pretty well since the flooding.  They are fairly clean and maintained, about the only real issues are the presence of more sand from the flooding and some roads that need attention.

Pheasants Forever also has a wildlife preserve within the campground.  The organization maintains the grounds as a habitat and also performs hunts here throughout the year.  When it is not being used for hunting, it is a really nice area to go for a hike and see some wildlife.

Unfortunately due to the flooding a lot of the areas along the banks of the Platte River that are usually used for hiking cannot be accessed.  There is some danger involved with trying to get to some of these areas due to the conditions post-flood.  You can still hike around the rest of the park using the roads, or even take your bikes out for some fun riding.

The area has really been impacted by the historic flooding, but they are really doing everything they can to bring the area back to what it was before the flooding.  Take the time to stop out and if you do, offer a hand at helping to clean-up!

Product Review of HeadSpin Light System:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I am offered the chance to test from time-to-time.  On this camp out I was provided with the chance to test the new HeadSpin Light System.  If you would like to know more about the HeadSpin Light System check out their website: www.headspinoutdoors.com

When I un-boxed this light kit with my boys we were all immediately taken aback by the options this light provided for use.  The light system comes in a well designed case that houses all the components in their own foam lined spaces.  

You receive the light unit itself, a handlebar mount, a head mount, a flashlight mount, and a wall charger mount.  The kit also comes with a hex wrench for mounting the handlebar mount to a bike, a mini-usb charging cord, directions, and HeadSpin sticker.

The first thing we tested out was the brightness of the light while we were in the campground.  We were very impressed with how bright this light is and how well it was able to show us much more of the campground than we expected based on previous headlamps we have used.  The headlamp is easily adjusted for size and my boys were constantly changing the fit between each other.  Adjusting the light intensity isn't too difficult either once you identify which button is used for each task.  The buttons were a little awkward to identify with gloves on during the cold night when we were at the campground.  I would suggest making the buttons easier to identify in some manner, possibly raising them a bit.

While I did not have my mountain bike out with us on this trip, I did identify another way to use the handlebar mount.  This mounted quite well to the bottom of the grip of my trekking pole.  This worked out really well when we were walking around the campground and really added just that much more functionality to the HeadSpin Light System.  I do look forward to getting this mounted on my mountain bike as well and trying it out on some of the local trails.

Now for full disclosure, I have always been into different types of flash lights as it always seems as though I have a job where they are required in some way.  I was really impressed with the flashlight handle for the HeadSpin Light System.  It is too often when you are carrying a flashlight where you notice the grip is either too big or too small.  This grip really fit in the Goldilocks arena for me and I expect to use this quite often.

When charging this light system you have the ability to use the wall plug base or the USB cable.  I received this light earlier enough and I was able to use the wall plug.  The light had no power when I received it and was fully charged in an hour after being plugged into the wall. In my book that is impressive, and I used it all weekend and it is still going on that charge.

I really appreciate the versatility of this light system overall and recommend it to anyone looking for a good interchangeable light setup.  This works for campers, cyclists, DIY addicts, etc.  This is really a great kit and I plan to use this setup for years to come.  Again, to find out more about this fantastic light system check it out on their website at: www.headspinoutdoors.com

We needed an overnight stop on our way to Kansas and this KOA was perfect. We pulled in just after dark and there was a note on the door stating staff was limited due to Covid. We pulled into a very large pull through on the west side of the campground (site 16). The KOA was pretty full but everyone was respectful and we didn’t hear much noise. We had full hookups & the site we were in was spacious with a picnic table and fire ring with grate. It had rained quite a bit before we arrived so we didn’t sit outside, due to mud close by our site, but we had a nice view. The next morning, we paid at the office before we left & the Manager only charged us half price (we intended to pay the full price) because he felt bad for not being able to be on site when we arrived (the schedule on the KOA app said staffed until 7pm & we were there just after 6pm).

What a great campground!Arrived on a Sunday afternoon and there were only 3 other rigs here. Spacious sites, full hookups. Some sites have shade.

Pros

-Water/Electricity/Dump station

-Public restroom 

-Near a gas station and convenience mart

-Free will donation for firewood

-Flat camping spots

-Park nearby

-Fire Rings

Cons

- There are only around 6 spots

-You share your water connection with your neighbor

-RV slips are right at the park entrance so there is the risk of traffic non stop if the park is being used for an event

I came in a couple days before memorial weekend and all of the RV spots were reserved so I only did a short drive around grabbing some photos. It looks like a great spot to swing in overnight if there are any open spots.

With tent and RV camping, this is a great place for a quick getaway if you live in Southeast Nebraska. There are picnic facilities and a snack bar, but you're also not too far from Fremont where you can buy supplies or grab something to eat. There is not much privacy as a side effect of having few trees. The lake is stocked so it's a decent spot for fishing.

Hitchcock Nature Center is north of Crescent, IA and just let outside Omaha, NE. A short drive from the city and you are in the Loess Hills that were explored by Lewis and Clark on their trek west. The is a $3 day use pass or a $20 yearly pass available.

This place has a lot to offer anyone. They have Nature education events, archery range, a handicapped accessible boardwalk trail, hiking trails, camping, etc. There are miles of trail available with backcountry camping available for $10 per night. RV camping is also available for $15 per night with electric, showers/bathrooms, picnic tables, fire rings, etc. They also offer a couple cabins for rent.

The hiking is fantastic and offers something for every skill level. There are absolutely gorgeous views of the Missouri River valley below. All trails are marked and the a multiple different trailheads, many which start around the visitors center/tower Overlook. During the winter they even over snowshoeing events. It is really a nice place to get outdoors anytime of the year.