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Facilities

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Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area

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Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area, near Kimball, Nebraska, is a spacious campground that welcomes both tent campers and RV enthusiasts. With a beautiful setting and a friendly camp host, it’s a great spot for those looking to enjoy the outdoors without breaking the bank.

The campground features picnic tables and fire pits, perfect for cooking up a meal or roasting marshmallows under the stars. Visitors have noted the clean facilities, including bathrooms that, while they could use some fly management, are generally well-kept. As one camper mentioned, “The camp host is super nice and friendly,” which adds to the welcoming vibe of the area.

For those who love water activities, the reservoir is a highlight, offering opportunities for kayaking and swimming. Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate the variety of birds and even the occasional beaver sighting around the lake. Just keep in mind that the nearby train tracks can be a bit noisy, so earplugs might be a good idea if you’re a light sleeper.

Located conveniently off the highway, Oliver Reservoir is an ideal stop for travelers exploring Nebraska. Whether you’re here for a quick overnight stay or a longer retreat, this campground has plenty to offer for a memorable outdoor experience.

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Location

Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area is located in Nebraska

Detail location of campground

Address

30
Kimball, NE 69145

Coordinates

41.23112668 N
103.82410418 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Good
  • T-Mobile
    Fair

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

FREE established camping

Enjoy camping on government land. Limited or no services at this camping area.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area needs a permit.


Reviews

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4.0

out of 5

14 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 2, 2024

Large, beautiful, and affordable campground with water access... but with limitations

Huge campground with countless beautiful sites. Even if you arrive after sunset, you will definitely find a very nice spot here. The camp host is super nice and friendly. She invited us to go kayaking on the lake, lent us all the equipment for free, and we had a wonderful time with her.

It could really be the perfect campground... but there are two issues to consider:

  1. As others have mentioned, freight trains run regularly across from the campground and are incredibly loud. So definitely sleep with earplugs!
  2. The restrooms are swarming with flies. I've never seen so many—each restroom has 50-100 flies. It's a shame because this problem could be easily managed.

Still, 5/5, as everything else here is truly more than perfect.

Site45
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Martin W., August 2, 2024
Reviewed Jun. 25, 2024

Clean campground donation fee accepted

Very nicely run campground and wonderful host. All sites easy walk to or on Reservoir. Trains seemed to whistle through across highway at least 1x every hour until late at night. 🙄 clean bathrooms. Lots of grass area. Locals with their water toys made for happy campers all around. Stayed one nite 6/14/24

Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Jun. 6, 2024

great find traveling across NE

Really nice spot with free camping, donations accepted. Run as if a paid campground and lots of overflow space where there were RVs. We got the last site (#35) on a busy holiday weekend, so happy about that as it was getting dark soon!

Picnic tables and firepits with grate for cooking provided. Was able to find kindling in the trees around. 

Bathrooms were pretty nice.

Would definitely recommend.

Site35
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Becky , June 6, 2024
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Becky , June 6, 2024
Reviewed May. 16, 2023

Nearby train tracks

Really easy campsite off of I-80. Easy to navigate in the dark and flat dirt roads (Masada CX-5). The lake is a hot spot for many different birds and a beaver so no shortage of wildlife. The trains kept me awake until 10:30 and started again at 6am. The campsites that I saw all have picnic tables, fire pits, and BBQ. I felt very safe as a solo female.

The wildlife make dealing with the train worth it, would stay again.

Site6
Month of VisitMay
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  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by aly E., May 16, 2023
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Reviewed Aug. 24, 2022

Nice quiet area

We stayed overnight with no issue. Roads were fine for our class A. Two turnarounds and spacious spots available.

SiteNo numbers listed, just took the dirt road to the gate
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Apr. 26, 2022

Great stopover on road trip

We stayed on a Sunday night in April and we were able to get a campsite with no neighbors as far as the eye can see. There are long-drop bathrooms dispersed throughout the park that are pretty clean and have TP. The roads are gravel but in good shape and we had no trouble pulling our small travel trailer through the park. All facilities are free but they have a Dropbox at the entrance humbly requesting a $5-$10 donation to help the park maintain the facilities, which is very reasonable.

The only reason it received 4 stars is that there are multiple train tracks across the road and we were woken up 3 times between 11:00 and 6:00 by train horns blaring a bunch. Not just a regular “toot toot” but a “blaaaarn! Look out! Blaaaaaaaaaaaaarn” as if there were a deaf cat on the tracks 4 miles away. It didn’t overall ruin the night or anything but it sure does throw you off when you’re in happy dreamland then all of a sudden a hyper-aggressive freight train is chasing you through the dream.

I’ll reiterate that it was a great campsite and our dogs loved the freedom to run around our site off leash and we would stop here again for sure.

Sitewest end
Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Erin S., April 26, 2022
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Erin S., April 26, 2022
Reviewed Sep. 17, 2021

Nice stop for the night

Was able to find a spot in the dark and get set up away from people and close to the lake. Camping was peaceful but the best part was the pictures I got of the lake and the night sky. I was woken up quite early from a passing train so if you plan to sleep in good luck.

SiteB8
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Sep. 6, 2021

Nice Layover for a Couple Nights

We lucked out with this campground staying over Labor Day weekend. Our site (#49) was at the west end of the campground and relatively secluded with a full park. I would think non-holiday weekends would also be crowded, but would thin out during the week. Dry camping, so come prepared. Other than Union Pacific freight trains running frequently it was peaceful. Drove north about 45 miles and spent a day at Scott’s Bluff National Monument. Decent Verizon cell service.

Site49
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Rick G., September 6, 2021
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Rick G., September 6, 2021
Reviewed Sep. 1, 2021

Decent Stop Over

Close to highway and cheap! $5-$10 donation recommended.

Site#23
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jun. 21, 2021

Lovely swimming

Great small beaches to swim. Lots of people very popular spot but also lots of sites to park. Free but with a donation of $5 suggested. Windy so no bugs

Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Jun. 3, 2021

Wonderful spot for either an overnight or extended stay.

This is a large, well maintained, campground situated on a beautiful lake. It is a short hop off from I-80 on state route 30 and could not seem further from the interstate! The only drawback we saw was the trains passing by periodically. There are three entrances, any of which will lead you to a great experience. Have fun!!

SiteA40
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Apr. 29, 2021

Beautiful campground!

This place is huge! There’s 3 sections, each having around 20 campsites. There are multiple clean and stocked restroom houses (vault toilet) throughout each section. Pick out a campsite and be sure to register, camping is free and donations welcome. You can stay for up to 14 days out of a 30 day timeframe. Beautiful and spacious sites along the water and away from the water. You can pick from shaded or sunny sites. There’s no amenities so be sure to pack it in and pack it out as well as come stocked with food and water. There’s a grocery store in Kimball which is about 10 minutes away. The host was always doing maintenance during the day. Very beautiful sunsets here. I stayed late April and only ever had maybe 4 campers during the week and maybe 15 on the weekend. I’d definitely stay here again. My only con is that there’s a train track across the road so you do hear it constantly at night since they love to honk their horns. AT&T cell service was great 2-3 bars LTE.

Site22
Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Abby M., April 29, 2021
Reviewed Oct. 29, 2020

Plenty of room

Very large area so you can have your own space. The sunset over the reservoir was beautiful

Reviewed Sep. 30, 2019

Huge sites, nice lake

Not far off the road in Kimball, NE is a lake with nice large flat spaces. Huge old trees provide shade and we have excellent cell on both our Verizon and at&t networks. Good fishing and a sand swimming beach

It is dry camping with vault toilets and a dump. Actually free, but with a suggested donation. 14 day limit.

  • Review photo of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area by Jeff V., September 30, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is fair.