Best Tent Camping near York, NE

4 of us tent camped here over Labor Day weekend and there was only one other camper in the tent site. Bathroom was very clean and the space was well maintained. There’s a 1.1 mile loop trail that skirts the North side of the lake with the trail head right off the tent site. Water was extremely murky so depending on what you’re fishing for it may not be the best.

Overall we loved the campground and will be back!

Pawnee Lake State Recreation Area was within 30 minutes of Lincoln, NE . Try to make sure all essentials are packed to enjoy your stay without frequent trips to town. This is one of those spots where you can easily park the car and use other means of transportation for your whole visit.(ie, feet, bike, boat, horse, etc.)

There are options to where you camp. RV sites and tent in three different areas. This is not my favorite sort of tent camping, you have to park and walk everything to your site. Some tent sites are located right on the lake which is nice, you can easily park your watercraft nearby. However if it’s busy your neighbors are going to be very nearby. Not much privacy in that case. We however were completely alone when we visited, the crappy weather played a part I’m sure. Shade, which we didn’t need and picnic tables. If you have a hammock you may have an issue with getting it hung, bring alternate means of suspension.

The trails are multi-use so pay attention. We were hiking in the rain so did not see anyone but the trail apples were fresh. Were we hiked it was grassy and mostly level, there was an area where hikers had trails to themselves and a few benches to sit on.

The lake looked nice but I didn’t see anyone on it. I didn’t see any algae signs but the weather may have been a factor too. We overnighted so I didn’t get to completely explore the entire area. It was pretty quiet, some motor noises but they were more of a background noise. Worth an extended stay as long as the lake is open.

Great tent camping. An oasis in Nebraska. A lot of amenities including swimming pool. Very clean & well appointed bath house.

There is not an option for tent camping, van camping, or anything but RVs. The owner was kind, but explained that he has not allowed tent camping for two years.

We stayed here in June. The tent sites are very close in proximity- your conversation quickly becomes your neighbors conversation. Tent sites are pull-up which is convenient. There are RVs behind and away from the tent sites (mostly RVs here with about 10 tent sites). We met some great tent neighbors & had nice conversation. One tent neighbor was extremely disruptive (left their dog tied up crying at the site- did not give the dog water the whole time they were there which was 12 hours- It was sad- they were also all around loud and inconsiderate). Other than those neighbors all was good. Laundry on site so bring quarters. Showers are clean enough. Bathrooms are a close walk to tent sites. Not much at the camp store (they were out of a lot of stuff their site says they have & we're not making food either), but they did get an ice delivery when we were there which was helpful. We planned to cook at our site anyway- but it was inconvenient for some families relying on their pizza for dinner. Great sunset views over the cornfield from the tent sites !!!

Pioneer Trails Recreatin Area is a new campground so there is no shade available, but the sites have lots of room between them and have nice level, long concrete pads with a picnic table and fire ring. There are 10 Rv sites with electric only and a separate area with 8 tent sites. The tent sites are walk up sites. There is a nice lake for fishing or boating, and the area is well kept and will be beautiful once the trees come into full maturity.

There are 6 or 7 spots that are viable for tent camping. The other 5 or 6 spots are all gravel. Plenty of shade. The restrooms were plumbed but dirty like a typical park restroom. The showers are located at the pool.

Such a lovely park with a playground, bathroom, and pavilion. There are limited spots for camping, but we arrived around 6 pm and had no issue snagging a spot. We’re here with mostly RVs, but we’re tent camping and it’s perfect for us too.

Great campground other that you are on top of your neighbors. Thought we might not be able to open our awning, only about 3 to 4 feet between sites. Loved a lot of restrooms. Pool was nice. If you are tent camping great sites.

Change of plans last minute for my little brothers birthday brought us here. At first we couldn't figure out where to set up camp so we asked the camp host who was very friendly. Turns out that you can set up a tent basically anywhere and there's zero cost to tent camp, no fees what so ever!

Mixed reviews for this campsite, but I can say that it’s really good and well worth staying there … first of all, it’s $5 for tent camping, which is the cheapest I’ve ever paid, in the USA, the UK, anywhere! Facilities are basic, but like I say, it’s $5. The train track is close by, but it didn’t bother me. In the tent area there is a large shelter, which is handy if it’s raining. Did I mention it was $5?! Highly recommended

When arriving the first thing I noticed was how tucked back away from the roads the camping areas are. Clean bathrooms. Lots of new tree growth. I did not end up getting my boat on the water but caught a carp from shore. Each site has plenty of room and a newer picnic bench. Running water and shelter available at tent sites.

Been camping there for years , now it has been not even taken care of ,goose poop all over the beach for the 4th,  a UTV driving all over the grass , I remember couldn't even drive on the grass to unload for tent camping, trash is all over ,people arnt picking up after them self, people are fishing off the beach hooks on the beach, who ever is the camp host isnt doing there job

Late October tent camping- low around 19f... we seemed to be the only souls in the place.

Our site was a few hundred yards from the lake, and we had a great morning walk.

Downsides:

Cost- $12 for out of state plates and $15 for a site without amenities is steep.

We were also by the dumpster, and they came by to empty it around 7am. Probably a Monday morning problem, but still worth mentioning.

If you want a spot where the hookups are, go early on Thursday or Friday. It fills up very quickly. The tent sites are off to the side, but plenty of room. Loup PPD takes very good care of this place! A large pond to swim or kayak in, and great fishing in the canal. There is a four wheeler course on the other side, which can get loud, but if you can ignore that, this is a great little place!

We had a quiet weekend, though the camp was less than half full. Electrical hookups and tent camping are available. We stayed in the bottom section, close to water, the view was very nice. They have a playground and beach area, primitive restrooms, boat ramp, and at least two covered areas for gatherings. There is no dump station, the nearest one is about 6 miles North at Milligan at a gas station along highway 41. No wake boating, but kayaking/canoeing the lake is the best way to see and fish this lake. Check out web site here http://littlebluenrd.org/recreation/#Lone_Star.

The park is very nice lots of little ponds and a small lake for swimming, large beach with nets for volleyball and a play ground. The tent sites are a mix on being right in the middle of everything or far away. If you stay at K,M,N you will have a nice quiet stay, if you stay at the other be prepared for a noisy area. The shower and bathrooms are pretty well kept and the water temp is not bad at all.

Stopped on our way through to Wisconsin. We ended up coming in late so they left our information in an envelope for us. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was because we got a tent site with electricity but didn't know we were going to get a site with only gravel. It may have been user error on my part...as I did make the reservation online. Beautiful site, but we just didn't stay long enough to enjoy all that was available to us. We had Soo much fun catching frogs/toads at our site!!