After much deliberation, and with great regret, I am declaring myself a Nebraska State Parks campground anti. There are three interlocking reasons for this decision:
Both the campgrounds I have been to (this one and Rock Creek Station SRA) seem to treat tent sites as an afterthought: each park has a very small number of tenting spaces that are kind of on the margins of the campground. At Fort Kearny, the sites that were available were also either totally slanted or full of trash. It does seem like other parks might not share this problem, but it at least indicates a pattern to be aware of.
In addition to the campsite fee, there is a $12 DAILY out-of-state vehicle entrance fee. This means that a $15 campsite is actually a $27 campsite. I will say, in fairness, that the $12 also allowed my car to enter the Fort Kearny historical site next to the campground.
The showers are coin-operated. This isn’t a cost problem so much as it is a logistical one: who has quarters anymore? Also, because the showers are timed, you can’t turn the water off and back on again, which ruins my entire haircare routine.
Obviously, these reasons won’t apply to everyone. If you have a camper or RV, your calculus will be totally different. If you’re in-state, and you only have to pay $6 for your vehicle instead of $12, I could see these sites being worth it. And if you don’t have hair that you need to condition, the shower thing might not bother you. But if you are like me, a long-haired out-of-state yokel trying to cross the country with a Honda Accord and a backpacking tent, you might take these considerations into account.
I will say that this campground is beautiful to drive through, with all the little lakes and the cottonwood trees. Also, the camp hosts offer free bikes for guests to use around the campground and presumably on the nearby hike/ bike trail, which is very kind of them and which I wish I had time to take advantage of.
Broadcasting this now because I was not aware when I showed up: there are only two designated tent sites in this entire campground. However, both these sites are clean, beautiful, and located near the trail that takes you to the (honestly very well-presented) adjacent historical park. Out of the two Nebraska state recreation areas I stayed at on my trip through the state, this one is definitely my favorite. I would give it 3.5 stars, but the coin-operated showers knock it down to a 3.
Beautiful free camping. There’s a gravel loop with some picnic tables and a couple hike-in sites dispersed along a trail. I was here over Labor Day weekend and didn’t see a single other person on the the 1/2-ish mile hike to Primitive Site 4, where I spent the night. Site 4 is right on the lake and had a beautiful view of the sunrise. The main loop/parking area had some pit toilets that are very basic but honestly no worse than what I’ve seen at some paid campsites. Highly highly recommend.