Campgrounds in IA and NE?

[barring]

I have been following the forums for a year, now am going to MN In March to pick up the new 13. Any suggestions as to a good stopping point in IA or NE for the trip back to Colorado? We'll do Interstate all the way given the season and a tight timetable. Don't want to get too backwoods in March and first camp with the new toy!

thanks for any advice.

Barring

[Adrian W]

The only time we stayed in IA was returning from the Twin Cities area and the poorly built Firestones, the one on the front left our RV came unraveled and broke the brake line, lucky for us we were just at the two exits for Clear Lake and the one we pulled off with the brake fluide flowing was by a Ford Dealership, about 4 pm on a Saturday. They could not work on it until Monday, but we could park and stay in the motorhome until then. In looking the neat little town over (it was where Buddy Holly took off on his last flight), we discovered a neat little "beach town", a nice lake and a neat state park. It isn't to far from MN but if you need a place and your close. It would be a good stop.
http://www.roadcamping.com/rv/Iowa/Clear_L...ampgrounds.html

It could be to far east however. Backus being more to the west. Maybe wrong interstate for your route. More than likely, you would be hitting an interstate by Fargo, ND. But I did a mapquest from Pueblo, Co to Backus, MN and they did map it through Clear Lake, IA and by Twin Cities?

Sorry, not much help.
I found this one while surfing: http://www.visitnebraska.org/myplanner/acc...Parks&id=57
It is Buffalo Bill Ranch SRA
US Hwy 83 N. to US Hwy 30, 2 mi. W., 1 mi. N.
North Platte, NE 69101-9706

It sounds interesting.
AW

[Judy N]

A great web site is the one by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

WWW.ngpc.state.ne.us.

They have a link to state parks, then permits, then reservations that will give you an overview of all the parks and what type of camping is available. Some in the northeast along the Missouri River would be great. Then to Lake Oglala in western Nebraska for camping and fishing.

Nebraska is my home state and I have camped from east to west. Some casual spots to camp are along the interstate at the sand pit lakes were sand and gravel were excavated to build the road.

Have fun in Nebraska

[Roger L.]

Some casual spots to camp are along the interstate at the sand pit lakes were sand and gravel were excavated to build the road.

Fort Kearney State Park off I-80 is one of those parks. We camped there on our way back East from Colorado Springs and liked it. Also... a great Cabela's in town.

R and R

[barring]

Thanks, everybody, for the ideas. The sand pit lakes sound interesting, and this is an excuse to visit Cabelas, which I have never done. A trailer changes one's perspective on camping. I am really looking forward to this after many years of freezing in tents.

Barring

[Vivian]

Although this is off the campground topic, I will be very interested to hear about your trip and how you like your new Scamp 13'.

Vivian

[barring]

Vivian -

I'll post a report when I get back! Going early March.

This is a new approach to the outdoors for us, but 5-6 days in the tent in Montana and Wyoming last summer convinced me that the old bones are giving out. (My wife thinks I'm wimping out). Sleeping on the ground is not the problem, it's getting back up afterwards....

I also found that out West one does not have to stay in a campground, even with a trailer! So I hope that this new acquisition will encourage us to spend more weekends exploring the mountains and rivers than we have to date. I expect we will be putting on a lot of miles, many of them on dirt roads.

Barring

[Karalyn]

You are comming to Minnesota in March.
I doubt you will find ANY campgrounds open here that time of the year. We get a LOT of snow storms in March. I hate to dampen your thoughts of camping, but a truck stop might be your best place to stay overnight.
Bring lots of warm clothing. Backus is up north and there will still be snow on the ground, the lakes will be froze over, and you will most likely want to motel rather than camp up there.
Most campgrounds here open in May.
We do want to hear about your trip when you return.. Wow, a new camper to start off the spring with

[Candi Woods]

Thanks, everybody, for the ideas. The sand pit lakes sound interesting, and this is an excuse to visit Cabelas, which I have never done. A trailer changes one's perspective on camping. I am really looking forward to this after many years of freezing in tents.

Barring

There's a bigger and better (in my opinion) Cabela's in Sydney, Nebraska. But it may be a little north of where you would be turning off to join I-80. We sometimes take the detour on our way down to Colorado just to go there. There is also a brand new Cabela's in Omaha.

The sandpit campgrounds are nice, we've stayed at Windmill SRA when Mormon Island SRA in Grand Island was filled up. If you want to go to Cabela's in Omaha I recommend staying at Mahoney State Park just west of Omaha, in Ashland. They are almost a resort type park with everything you would need and the Strategic Air Command Museum is literally right next door. The museum houses many old WW II airplanes( B-17, B-20, B-25, B-29, B-36, B-47, B52, XF-85 just to name a few ) as well as some modern planes as well.

Perhaps you've already come through our state, in which this information is too late. I hope you enjoy your new camper, though.

Candi

[Lyndon Laney]

We are in mid south Mn ,Just south of Saint Cloud and every year go south for a few weeks the last week in March, And come back early April. And of corse find nothing open In northern Ia We quite often Stay in the Lewis and clark Corps of engineers camp just south of Souix City just west of hi # 29. If you get a later start from Bakus and you would like you could spend ypur first night at our place and make Souix City the next day . the roads are super from here down 71 to 60 and SW to 29 and south. From there things should be open . Most COE parks are partialy open and are free before April. we are in the country Lots of room and can plug you in.

[barring]

Thanks. We are going to be coming through early March, I think we'll just play it by the weather, and try to get back to sunny southern CO as quickly as possible! I need to see your part of the country in the summertime!

Barring

[Roger H]

If you'd give me a little better idea of your route, I could probably make some suggestions for you since I live in Iowa... I presume you're driving I-80... where do you plan to cut north? I-35 at Des Moines?

Roger

[Patrick M.]

I plugged your trip into Streets&Trips to see if it went by any place we've been, and see it's 1,220 miles one-way.

The only place near your route where we've stayed is North Sterling State Park in Sterling, CO. Very nice. Almost empty when we were there last July!

Good luck! I recommend 60 MPH and let the cares of the world just pass you by!

[jim munson]

Don't miss Mahoney St. Pk. Nice camping and an awesome buffet at the visitor center. Never seen anything so good. Not expensive either.

[Candi Woods]

Don't miss Mahoney St. Pk. Nice camping and an awesome buffet at the visitor center. Never seen anything so good. Not expensive either.

We go there every few months or so. Beautiful scenes out the window of the lodge restaurant/visitors center. This campground is right off the interstate and I highly recommend it. It shouldn't be busy this time of year but call early just in case.

[Patrick M.]

Mahoney is in Nebraska to end all the guessing.

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/parks/guides/p...asp?Area_No=273