Two Rivers State Recreation Area

This is a great campground for camping and fishing with kids. The fishing is easy in all the lakes and they have a pay fishing trout lake that nearly guarantees success. Our kid and her friends love the swimming beach. We usually tent camp but have also stayed in the cabooses a couple times, the kids really enjoy that. If your looking to get away from people this is probably not the place for you because during the summer it is busy even during the week but if you are a social camper you'll enjoy meeting people and watching the kids make new friends.

Kid friendly fishing and camping 

We live about 10 minutes from Two Rivers, but we do enjoy getting here for a quick getaway. It is popular for tent campers and RV campers, so plan ahead if you want to book online. Otherwise, you'll have to take your chances and stake your claim with a vehicle and a tent. Not sure of the requirement for campers and RVs. There's something for everyone here, but bring your Skeeter spray! There's also a cute concession store with a great breakfast. Last time I was here, there was a drunk buffoon loudly carrying on late into the night. I was afraid of that this time but it was very quiet. Only late night sound was the occasional hoot of an owl.

Quick Getaway

Take your pick, river or lakeside. Some areas are more modern than others but all are nice. A few have water hookups

Beautiful campground

It’s nice this site is near the river but it’s just your basic campground. you’ll find a pretty flat area with access to the river and basic amenities. I’ve only been to tent sites. I would suggest brining your own wood because whenwe were there, they were out. 


Just Basic

Two rivers is my favorite Nebraska hidden gem! The state Rec Park is by both the Elkhorn and Platte rivers, thus it’s name, Two Rivers.

There are several camping areas, divided into “sub sections”, my favorite place is the cottonwood division (not water hookups but electricity ones work just fine! (Water hook ups are in a different subdivision, but available) the Cottonwood camp area lays right on the Platte River and it is beautiful watching the sunset over the water.

Two rivers has several lakes with a variety of different fishing options, though I must admit we do not fish much! The crowd is always there though, for what it’s worth. A swimming beach for kids, and river access when the river is low enough. I also recommend tubing down the Elkhorn through private companies, like “Uncle Scott’s”. So much fun!

Showers are new, updated and warm! Very friendly people and a wonderful convenient store/shack/breakfast store!

Magnificent panoramic views of the River 

campground layout is not accurate on the website when reserving spot. Great fishing. Playgrounds are old, but kids had a blast

Good fishing

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

Ranger Review HeadSpin Light System at Two Rivers State Recreation Area

The camp office personnel are a bit annoying and don’t seem to want to help you much. You probably could get more help by visiting the cashier at the small camp store. We had a reservation, but the site was terrible crowded. We asked the office if they could move to a more secluded spot and they were not accommodating at all. It’s a rip off if you have to cancel your reservation. You also have to pay for the state park fees which is absurd! 

Reserve!

First off let me start by saying, I have been going here since I was very little.  So I may just have soft spot for this place.  But I have always had a fun time here.  Whether I was riding a bike around the paved roads. Fishing in one of the sandpit lakes they have to offer, or the river.  Walk around the nature trails, or lakes. Or swimming in the swimming area,  or wading in the Platte River.  I have alway felt at home at this park.  It's always clean, and quiet in frequent visits we have had.  They offer tent, and rv camping either off the lakes or river.  They have a day use area for the river where you can go and visit in the day or picnic. They also have old remodeled Union Pacific caboose you can stay in.  

Been going here since I was a kid

Spent the 4th of July weekend out there to get away from the city and the fireworks. Camp ground was clean. Well maintained and it was busy. Pads are paved and the power was working. Good shade. 

Not bad for a holiday weekend 

Friendly staff and a very nice and clean campground 