Established Camping
Bessey Recreation Complex Campground
Warning 1 Alert is In Effect
There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!
Warning 1 Alert is In Effect
There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!
RESERVATION INFORMATION: Half the campsites are reservable, the other half are first-come, first-served. Campsites are reservable six months in advance. Campsite reservations may be made for dates between May 15 through Oct 15. All other dates are first-come, first-served. Please read individual campsite information carefully, as it has been updated.
About
USDA Forest Service
Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands
Overview
Bessey Recreation Complex and campground is located in central Nebraska, adjacent to Middle Loup River, offering visitors opportunities to enjoy the scenery, relax, and recreate.__ Download the Recreation.gov app from your app store to pay online for first-come, first-serve sites.__
Recreation
Waterfront activities are popular and plentiful at this facility. Adjacent to the campground, Middle Loup River is shallow and steady flowing, providing good conditions for tubing and canoeing. A seven acre pond stocked with largemouth bass, blue gill, trout and catfish offers great fishing for the whole family. There is also an accessible fishing pier.
Facilities
Bessey Recreation Complex has camping sites able to accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs, including one group site and several tent-only sites. The campground is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, seasonal flush toilets and drinking water. Electric hookups are available at the group site and several of the standard sites. A group picnic area is also available for use. Restaurants, gas stations and a grocery store are available in Thedford, Nebraska, 16 miles to the west. Halsey also has a restaruant, and Dunning 10 miles east has a gas station with groceries.__
Natural Features
The Nebraska National Forest, Bessey Ranger District is located in western Nebraska. The campground within the Bessey Recreation Complex is located next to the Charles E. Bessey Nursery, oldest tree nursery in the Forest Service. Wildlife in the area abounds. Prairie chicken, sharp-tailed grouse, mule-deer, whitetailed deer, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, turkeys, coyotes, bobwhite quail, eagles, hawks and falcons all find habitat in surrounding ecosystems.
Nearby Attractions
Drive or hike to the Scott Lookout Tower for a fantastic panoramic view of Nebraska's sand hills and prairies.
Fee Info
Location
Bessey Recreation Complex Campground is located in Nebraska
Directions
From Interstate 80, travel north from North Platte, Nebraska on U.S. Hwy 83 for 65 miles to Thedford, Nebraska. Continue East for 16 miles on Nebraska Hwy 2, then South .05 miles from Hwy 2 on State Spur 86B.
Address
40637 River Loop
Halsey, NE 69142
Coordinates
41.9006111 N
100.2991389 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TGood
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Equestrian
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Great little campground !
Very nice little campground. Well manicured. Nice tent camping pads. Spots are well shaded. Has modern bathroom with FREE showers. Has primitive toilets scattered everywhere. Have walking, Jeep, ATV trails all over. Nice little pond to catch a few fish. Overall a very nice spot. A little noisy during the day with all the ATV traffic, but nice and quiet at night!
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Noisy
Trains ran all night every hour, maybe more, and blasted us each time. In the morning we were surrounded anf deafened by atv activity- we couldn't get out of there fast enough.
A hidden gem
This is a nice little campground in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Campsites are spaced apart nicely over three loops and many of the sites offer electric hookups. There are numerous water spigots around the campground and there’s also a dump station. The campground has hot showers, a basketball court and horseshoe pits available. A vending machine is located by the registration kiosks. Make sure to bring whatever you need with you because there isn’t much in Thedford or Halsey.
There are lots of OHV trails in the area or there’s also a 2.5 mile hiking trail that leads to a fire lookout tower that’s open to public access.
Be aware that there is a railway crossing at the turnoff from Route 2 so you will hear trains and train horns.
Peaceful
We enjoyed our brief stay. The campground is very well maintained, workers constantly trimming, cleaning etc.
Right off the Sandhills Scenic Byway, beautiful drive. Our highlight was floating down the Middle Loup River in inner tubes ( Thedford, 15 miles away).
Don't know if we will be back here again, but if we are I'd stay again.
Nice campground to drop in for the night.
On our road trip from MN to AZ this was our first stop. A lot of open sites. Sites where roomy and nicely spaced out.
Clean and nice for a stop through
We stayed one night on a cross country trip. It was clean and well maintained.
Want Colorado feel in Nebraska?
This location has the primitive feel with great facilities. If you want to stay to yourself you have plenty of space to do so. If your looking for a group event. They have close RV pads.
Highly recommend checking this campground out!
We loved it, we hiked it, some tanked it, others ATV'd it
We wanted to camp Nebraska's national forest for some time and we were not disappointed. The camp was full to the brim. all sites with hookups were taken, but the overflow is an abandoned, overgrown baseball field. It was great, spacious, close to the showers and flush toilets, and only $8 a night!
I think hookups were only $16, so this is a great deal no matter how you slice it.
Neighboring Thedford has Kayaks and Tanks you can rent. Tanking has become a Nebraska Thing. fitting a group of folks and possibly a keg in a horse tank and floating down river! We hiked to the ranger tower and it was a great hike with a spring fed trough half way up. Much to see in the surrounding area including art galleries, quilt shops, and more. Nice camping supply store right in Halsey.
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Under the stars
What a wonderful place with so many trees. If you get the chance to up the fire tower and talk to the park ranger.
Nice and Can't beat the price
Halsey National Forests campground is called Bessey Recreation Campground and has cabins, Rv sites, tent sites, as well as group and family sites. The Rv sites are Electric and gravel and are fairly level. They have picnic tables and fire rings and are spacious. And of course plenty of shade since you are in a forest.
There is a Nursery which grows the trees for the forest, a Look Out Tower which offers a panoramic view of the Sandhills, hunting, fishing, scenic drives, wildlife viewing, hiking and ATV trails, along with other activities.
It is a nice place to stop over and see.
STUNNING!
A delightful oasis in the sand hills. Beautifully maintained campground right beside the river.
Spotless facilities, private camp spots, pristine park like setting
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Beautiful scenery and plenty of wildlife
Only spent 1 night on our way through to the Black hills but loved the campground. Lots of pretty scenery and wildlife. Very peaceful. Nice trails. Big and deep fire pits with gravel pads and patios. Lots of ATV activity because of the great trails. Clean bathrooms/bath house, but only 4 total stalls in the main camping area. Bit of train noise during the day, but didn't really notice it overnight.
Largest man made forest
Right on the middle loup river, and in the middle of nowhere this place can get busy.
Great hiking through the Sandhills. The scott lookout tower can give you views across the Sandhills for miles upon miles on a clear day. Want stars at night? You can see them all.
Roads to drive on and explore that take you to the south of the first to the Dismal river
the campsotes are all shady lots of open spaces in the csmpground too for picnics and games
don’t forget to check out the tree nursery Pretty cool to see all the trees growing as seedlings