The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Shubert, NE

176 Reviews

Tent camping options around Shubert, Nebraska include several primitive tent campgrounds within 30 miles of town. Kirkmans Cove Recreation Area Campground offers established tent sites with basic amenities including drinking water, trash collection, and toilets. Wirth Brothers Lake provides primitive tent camping on a small recreational area with picnic tables, drinking water, and toilets. Both locations allow campfires and pets, though neither offers showers or electric hookups for tent campers.

Most tent campsites in the Shubert area feature minimal development and basic facilities. Sites at Wirth Brothers Lake include some fire rings and raised grills with a $5 daily use fee or $15 annual permit option. Tent campers should note that Pony Creek Lake, approximately 25 miles from Shubert, offers primitive camping with only vault toilets and picnic tables. Hoot Owl Bend provides dispersed tent camping opportunities but lacks defined amenities like fire pits or water sources. Several campgrounds in the area sit near bodies of water but may experience seasonal flooding, particularly those along the Missouri River.

The tent camping experience near Shubert offers varying levels of seclusion depending on location. Wirth Brothers Lake provides some secluded tent sites among mature trees. A camper observed the grounds were "well maintained" with "camping spots that offer some seclusion from other people." Mozingo Lake County Tent Campground, though farther away in Missouri, receives praise for its wooded tent sites. "Loved that the tent camping sites were actually surrounded by trees, I see way too many tent campsites that are basically just in the middle of a grass field," noted one visitor. Tent campers frequently use these areas for fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing, with several locations providing access to both wooded areas and water recreation.

Map showing campgrounds near Shubert, NebraskaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Shubert, Nebraska (12)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 12 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Shubert Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Shubert, NE

7 Photos of 12 Shubert Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Shubert, NE

176 Reviews of 12 Shubert Campgrounds

  • Michelle V.
    Aug. 19, 2020

    Hackberry Hollow Campground — Indian Cave State Park

    Great for car camping

    Just car tent camped here with my fiancé and dog over the weekend. We had many camp sites to choose from because it’s back to school time in NE (timing, timing, timing)! Basic tent sights are first come, $15 a night. The park offered firewood ($6) and ice for sale. Lots of hiking trails with different levels of difficulty and elevation. Most drive up camp sites have outhouses nearby. We sometimes drove up to the group tent sites where they have clean bathrooms, running water and showers (need quarters for shower). We had a great time and enjoyed being surrounded by all the lovely trees. Staff were friendly and the park was clean. Only bummer is the steps to the “cave” is still closed.

  • Sarah H.
    Sep. 19, 2016

    Big Lake State Park Campground

    Clean and Friendly off I-29

    My husband and I tent camped one night at this park. We arrived around 8 pm and even though the office was getting ready to close, the woman behind the counter was very kind and helpful. She helped us with finding our spot and with getting firewood. Our basic tent site was lakeside and had a fire pit and picnic table. The site was so well maintained it was hard to find small sticks for kindling.

    The grounds have private bathrooms with toilets and showers. There are two nice playgrounds and a swimming pool. Most campers were enjoying fishing in the small lake. Kayaks were available to rent for a small fee. Kids enjoyed riding bikes around the flat roads.

    This is a great spot off I-29 to set up camp and have a rest. It's also a good spot to take young kids fishing.

  • Tarrah C.
    Apr. 5, 2023

    Waubonsie State Park Campground

    Nice Trails

    This is a great weekend spot not much to do around the park. The campsites are nice but close with not much space in between. There are 2 campgrounds, the one north of the highway is a horse campground but required. There are nice trails in this area. The campground on the south is more of a tent site. There are vault toliets, no showers. A lot of great trails o this side. All campsites include a picnic table and fire ring.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2018

    Sabetha Lake

    Nice fishing lake-beautiful view

    Sebetha lake is located a few minutes from the town of Sebetha and is a nice area for camping. The camp sites are Electric and Water on gravel. For Rvers There is a group of campsites when you first come in which are not shaded very well, but there are some scattered sites around the lake that are nicely shaded. We were in site 14 with our door facing the lake. What a beautiful view! We had a fire ring, a raised grill, picnic table, and trash barrel. The grounds are well maintained. For primitive camping there are sites scattered around lake which woul make good single or group sites. There is a cement bathroom by the permit station which has vault toilets and was not something I would feel comfortable using. It looks as if they would be the Emergency shelter. It would take a really big emergency for me to go in them. Outside the bathrooms were 2 nice picnic tables under a shelter.

    The lake offers boating, canoeing, jet skiing, nice nature trails, bird-wildlife viewing, scenic drive,and beautiful lake views. There was hardly any traffic going by our area so it was mostly quiet with an exceptional train in the distance. All and all a nice experience.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2018

    Wirth Brothers Lake

    Primitive camping off highway 50

    Worth Brothers Rec Area is located west off Highway 50 on 733 road on gravel. It is a primitive camping area - no hook ups. It has a few fire rings, and raised grills. There are picnic table and a covered group picnic shelter. There is drinking water, bathrooms, playground, archery, and a swimming beach. $5 a day or $15 for annual permit.

  • Charles C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 10, 2018

    Auburn Recreation Complex

    FREE TENT CAMPING- on the edge of town @ the Auburn RV Park

    RV and tent campers only $15 a night with hookup. TENT CAMPING IS FREE! 10-night maximum. Dumping station. Water and electrical. The restrooms are quite a ways away. No showers available.

    The town has some decent shopping, such as the Catholic thrift store which is so well set up it could be mistaken for a decent antique store, and a local clothing store with unique items.

    The disc golf course in town is challenging and well laid out.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 6, 2024

    Waubonsie State Park Campground

    Really good hiking trails

    Stayed one night on Sept 4. Camped at site 35 in the non-equestrian campground; non-electric fee $15. Parked van on the grass at this site. Like nearly all of the sites in this campground, this site was close to the campground road. Overall, I felt that the campsites were all bunched together - offering no privacy and spacing between sites. The shower house was closed during our visit. Water was also turned off at the wayer pumps in the campground. There was one single vault toilet available for all of the campers; it was reasonably clean. Wayne, the campground host, was nice & helpful. There is a self-serve firewood station in the campground; cost is either $5 or $10, depending on the amount of wood you purchase. The campsites have a picnic table & metal fire ring. I wasn't too pleased with this campground, but I was very happy with the nearby hiking trails within the park. It's a pretty state park with hills & lush forest. The day use areas looked great. I recommend those traveling along I-29 to stop at this park - not necessarily for the camping, but for the hiking. Had some T-Mobile 4G service.

  • Charles C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2018

    Duck Creek Recreation Area

    New Campground by Secluded Lake

    This park is a beautiful lake. We saw white pelicans and blue herons on this visit but it is not uncommon to see hawks, owls, and eagles in the area. This is a new park dedicated this year by the Nemaha NRD: sort of a multi-county natural resource agency found exclusively in Nebraska.

    The picnic tables, vault toilets, paved walking trails, playground equipment are all new and well laid out. Gravel slabs with electrical hookup are only $12 a night but that is deceiving because you need to purchase a $5 day pass or $15 annual pass to come to the park. Yet even the some of the primitive sites have slabs for a pop-up and did not appear to cost anything beyond your vehicle pass.

    The lake is too small for any boat with more than a trolling motor (there is a boat ramp) and should be outstanding for a kayak or canoe. Fishing should be great here. Paved trail and wide gravel slabs with raised fire pits should make this a great rustic getaway for handicapped campers. There is even a paved path to the end of a jetty of fishing in the lake.

    This park is close to the Steamboat Trace Hiking/Biking Trail which is a 26-mile trail following the bluffs and coming within spitting distance of the Missouri River. Peru Nebraska is close, home of one of the oldest colleges this side of the Mississippi. Peru is also close for limited supplies such as Ice and band-aids. Auburn and Nebraska City are both about 10 miles away, Neb City has a Walmart.

    I think this park is best for a quiet weekend getaway. I recommend you contact the NRD for an annual pass and take advantage of the other parks they operate. You could hike or Bike the Trace and tent camp for free!

  • Danni A.
    Oct. 7, 2024

    Brownville Riverside Park

    Needs quite a bit of improvement

    We stayed here so that we would be within walking distance of Brownville. It took a while to figure out how to make a reservation (you call the River Inn Resort). When I made the reservation, I was told there is no electricity, which is fine since we have solar. However, we were not told there are no tables, or fire rings... there pretty much isn't anything other than land. The land that is there is pretty rough as well. There were very large burs of some sort throughout the grassy areas, which made it difficult for our dog to go anywhere during our trip. There were also an unbelievable amount of gnats, but that is probably due to the proximity to the river. The people at the River Inn Resort, where you check in, were friendly and helpful. However, we would not stay here again.

Guide to Shubert

Tent camping around Shubert, Nebraska offers rustic outdoor experiences on the eastern edge of the state. The region sits at approximately 1,050 feet above sea level with a humid continental climate featuring warm summers and cold winters. Seasonal water levels significantly impact camping conditions, especially during spring and early summer when rainfall can cause temporary closures at sites near waterways.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Pony Creek Lake provides productive fishing in a primitive setting that's about 25 miles from Shubert. "Pony Creek Lake is mainly a fishing area but does offer primitive camping on the South West area of the lake. This area is a mowed flat section," notes Shannon G. about this Pony Creek Lake camping option.

Disc golf excursions: Some campers travel to Mozingo Lake County Tent Campground for its recreational amenities. "If you like disc golf than this is the place to go, there is a brand new 18 hole course right next to the camp!" shares Sayler O., highlighting an activity option beyond standard camping pursuits.

Bird watching: The natural areas near Shubert attract diverse bird species throughout seasonal migrations. "This spot would be great for bird watchers," mentions Donner N. about Hoot Owl Bend, noting the wildlife observation opportunities available at less developed camping areas.

What campers like

Remote locations: Finding quiet sites away from crowds ranks high among camper preferences. "Nice out of the way location. No services of any kind, there is a shelter house, and trash barrel. Nice place to get away from people," shares Kory K. about Ross County Park, a free camping option within reasonable driving distance.

Tree coverage: Unlike open field camping common in some areas, certain sites offer natural shade and privacy. A camper at Mozingo Lake County Tent Campground appreciates that "the tent camping sites were actually surrounded by trees, I see way too many tent campsites that are basically just in the middle of a grass field."

Lakeside proximity: The best tent camping near Shubert, Nebraska often involves water access. "We enjoy Kirkman's for the sand beach and boating. The camper spots (electrical and non electrical) are nice, level, and shaded with mature trees," notes Caitlin R. about the amenities at Kirkmans Cove Recreation Area.

What you should know

Seasonal flooding: Water levels fluctuate dramatically in this region, affecting campsite availability. "The river has flooded it out as of June 28, 2024 and it will likely be unusable for at least the remainder of this season," warns John A. about Brownville Riverside Park, illustrating a common concern for riverside camping.

Limited facilities: Most sites maintain minimal infrastructure. "I've only ever found one small area that's actually 'officially' marked for camping, and it's nowhere near any facilities. Doesn't even use the same driveway," explains Heidi H. about her experience at Pony Creek Lake.

Wildlife encounters: Campers should prepare for animal visitors, especially at less developed sites. One camper at Hoot Owl Bend reported: "I did hear animals huffing and saw some shadows run next to the truck at like 2am haha."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Shubert, NE?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Shubert, NE is Hoot Owl Bend with a 3-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Shubert, NE?

TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Shubert, NE, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring