We
think Prairie sunsets are just as spectacular as any at an exotic beach.
However,
the most colorful shows usually occur when there are clouds in the sky.
On
this particular evening, thunderstorms were developing
to the
north and west of us.
When
observed in the wide-open skies of the Great Plains,
it’s
much easier to see and appreciate their awesome power.
And
a big relief when they go storm elsewhere.
This rec area has a nicely maintained little campground.
It’s a few miles north of McCook, NE (SW corner of the state) and easy to reach
from Hwy 83. The roads into the campground and down to the reservoir are
gravel. Most of the campsites are graveled, with two exceptions. The handicap
sites are concrete. They are placed next to the bathrooms, a handy option for
those who need or prefer to use the campground’s facilities. We used the site
closest to the campground entrance. (Karl is a permanently disabled veteran.)
The handicap accessible bathroom next to it doesn’t have his/hers sides. Each
unisex restroom has one flush toilet and coin-operated shower. The bathroom
near the other handicap site, placed in the middle of the campground, might
have vault toilets instead. (Our stay was in August. Memory is getting a bit
fuzzy.) It’s easy to identify vault toilets by their (usually) taller
ventilation pipes, handy knowledge if you don’t want to be camped next to, or
like to use them.
Wherever you stay in the campground, it looks like Red
Willow is either a new recreation area or has been recently updated. The gravel,
concrete-paved handicap sites, bathrooms and power posts don’t appear very old.
Since decent facilities are not always a given at any price range, including
more expensive private RV parks, it’s always a nice surprise when you find them.
Our only complaint here would be the coin-operated showers. Karl took a shower
there and wasn’t certain he got the amount of time he initially paid for. He
had to use more quarters in order to rinse off. We’ve now stayed at three NE state-run
modern campgrounds. (Platte River SP, Fort Kearney & Red Willow Rec Areas)
Each one of them had coin-operated showers, which may be standard for all of
their developed campgrounds. So, come prepared with plenty of quarters if you
need to use the showers.
In Nebraska, you will find two kinds of state-operated
outdoor opportunities; state parks and recreation areas. Like many states, some
of the state parks are historical sites and may not offer camping of any kind. The
recreation areas offer camping, but when deciding which facilities (park or
rec) you wish to visit, you will want to pay close attention to available
amenities. In both cases, some are more developed than others.
For those who have never visited Nebraska, there is a
reservation system for a certain number of state campsites. Some of the rec
areas are first come, first served for all sites. If you don’t find a facility
in the online reservation system, it’s because reservations aren’t taken for
that location. Both SPs and rec areas require payment of a daily entrance free,
but some of the rec areas do not have a manned entrance where your payment is
taken and a campsite is assigned. They are self-serve, and at some locations
it’s required that guests have the state’s annual recreation pass before using
the facility. Red Willow is self-serve and has this requirement. Some other campgrounds
may allow you to add the entrance fee to the envelope with your campsite
payment. Contact Outdoor Nebraska if you need to verify which rec areas require
the annual entrance pass and where at those locations it can be obtained.
Otherwise, just make it easy on yourself and purchase the pass online, far
enough ahead of a trip so it has enough time to reach you by mail. The pass
does cost more for out-of-state visitors. However, daily entrance fees can add
up when you’re spending more than a day or two at any of the campgrounds. At
the very least, you could break even. Camp long enough, or use the parks/rec
areas frequently for other activities, and the pass will actually save money.
By the way, the self-service rec areas aren’t unsupervised. They still have
state employees who keep things tidy and check up on campers.
The following is the official website for Nebraska’s parks
and rec areas. This link is specifically for Red Willow. However, it’s not
difficult to navigate if you’re looking for facilities in another area of the
state. The official state and McCook tourism sites have lots of useful
information, too. There are more camping opportunities in the McCook area,
including 3 other rec areas also on reservoirs. Red Willow worked out best for
us, since we took Hwy. 83 all the way from Childress, TX to I-80 at Ogallala, NE,
while on our way to the Black Hills. Just so you are aware, it’s on a hill
above the lake. Some of the sites at the back of the campground have a lake view.
If you want a lakeside site, you may be able to find one at the other rec
areas.
From a Colorado native and former mountain snob (Kristal),
if you’re wondering why anyone would deliberately visit a “boring” mid-western
state now that the Great American Eclipse is over, ponder this quote by Willa
Cather found on the Visit McCook tourism home page. “Anybody can love the
mountains, but it takes a soul to love the Prairie.”
