Description
Summary
Fort Kearny SRA offers 186 acres dotted with sandpit lakes. In the spring, the world's largest concentration of sandhill cranes and waterfowl gathers in the central Platte River valley. Facilities include electrical and primitive camp pads, showers, dump station, modern restrooms, water at the dump station, picnic tables, grills, shelters, wheelchair-accessible fishing pier, nature trail, non power boating and hike-bike trail.
Attractions
Fort Kearny SRA boasts excellent camping facilities, eight sandpit lakes for fishing, a swimming beach, nature trails and historical exhibits at nearby Fort Kearny State Historical Park.
Campground Notes
Fort Kearny provides modern and primitive tent camping. There are showers and modern restrooms, plus a trailer dump station. Stately cottonwood trees, some over 100 years old, shade much of the camping area.
Services & Amenities:
- Accessible fishing dock
- Archeological Sites
- Bicycling
- Bird Watching
- Campground Host
- Canoeing
- Comfort Station
- Disk Golf
- Driftwood Collecting
- Dump Station
- Dump Station, Campers
- Fire Rings
- Fishing
- Grills
- Group/Community Facility
- Hiking Trail
- Information Center
- Jogging/Running
- Parking
- Photography
- Picnic Area
- Picnic Pavilion
- Picnic Shelter
- Picnic Tables
- Picnicing
- Pier, Fishing
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Scenic Driving Routes
- Shelters
- Showers
- Sightseeing
- Sunbathing
- Swimming - Park Lake
- Swimming - River
- Walking
- Water Drinking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Historic Sites
- Historical Areas/Struct.
- Interpretive Center
- Interpretive Display
- Office/Ranger Station
- PROGRAMS, HISTORY
- Airport
- Area Attraction
- Art & Museum
- Baseball/Softball Fld
- Car Rentals
- Cash Machine/Atm
- Catering
- Church
- Culture
- Dining
- Emergency Services
- Grocery Store
- Hospital
- Hunting
- Lodging, Group Facilities
- MEETING SPACE
- Maintenance, RV/Camper
- Maintenance,Vehicle
- Mall
- Medical Clinic
- Motel
- Museum
- Pay Telephone
- Put-Put
- Restaurant
- Retail , Bait & Tackle
- Retail, Drinks/Ice/Snack
- Retail,Supplies
- Shopping
- Town
Alerts and Important Information
ATTENTION - Firewood Alert:
Voluntary Firewood Restriction
If you have brought firewood from another state, please burn it immediately and do not transport it to another location. Many invasive pests are being transported across our country in firewood. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a serious pest that is near Nebraska's border. Your cooperation to help prevent EAB from invading Nebraska woodlands and landscapes is vital to protecting our valuable natural resources.
If you need additional firewood, your options are:
1) Purchase firewood at parks that sell it.
2) Purchase firewood at vendors near many parks.
3) Gather dead firewood laying on the ground within park boundaries.
Learn more about invasive pests and the risk of transporting firewood at:
www.emeraldashborer.info
www.dontmovefirewood.org
Camping reservations may be made a minimum of three days in advance of arrival and a maximum of 180 days in advance of arrival.
CHECK IN AND OUT SCHEDULE- If you check out early, the unused portion of your payment will be forfeited.
A Nebraska State Park Permit is required to enter this park area. A
Nebraska Licensed Vehicle Park Entry Permit is $35 for an Annual Permit, $17 for a Duplicate Annual Permit (used for that second vehicle in your family) or a Daily Permit which is $7 per day you are staying. A
Non-Nebraska Licensed Vehicle Park Entry Permit is $70, $35 for a Duplicate Annual Permit or a Daily Permit which is $14 per day. You may purchase your Park Permit prior to your stay by shopping online at
OutdoorNebraska.org.All vehicles entering a Nebraska Park Area are required to have a valid park entry permit.
See Reservation Policies details
Notes
Fort Kearny State Recreation area is located 3 miles from Fort Kearny State Historical Park, which was built to protect Overland Trail travelers, Fort Kearny SHP near Kearney was a stage station, home station for the Pony Express, outfitting depot for Indian campaigns and home of the Pawnee Scouts. The stockade, parade grounds, blacksmith shop and powder magazine have been rebuilt.
Visit the Kearney Archway Monument and the city of Kearney during your stay.
Non Licensed motorized vehicles are not allowed in the areas
Only one camping unit is allowed per campsite. An extra tent may be used for dependant children only. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Generators may not be operated during these hours. Pets are allowed, but they must be kept on a leash that is no longer than 6 feet. Campers staying over must re-register by 2 p.m. Check in time is 4 p.m. and check out time is 2 p.m. Campers must vacate their campsite no later than 2:00 p.m. on the date the camping reservation or registration expires. All persons entering the campground must be registered.
When a reservation is made one year to the date in advance, the arrival date must remain the same within that reservation. No cancellation of that arrival date is allowed.
Getting There:
GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
40.64278,
-99.00583
40°38'34"N,
99°0'21"W
To get to Fort Kearny State Recreation Area, you would take I-80 to the Minden exit,
279 south on Hwy 10 for 3 miles. Next, turn west onto Hwy 50A for 3 miles.
Or from the Kearney exit, 272 south on Hwy 44 for 2 miles. Then east on Hwy 50A for 4 miles. Fort Kearny State Recreation Area, is 1 mile east and 1 mile north of the Historical Park.
Contact Information:
Mailing Address:
Fort Kearny SRA
1020 V Road
Kearney
NE
68847-8043
Phone Number:
Project Office:
(308)865-5305