Lake Ogallala Campground

Before our planned 5 nights at a commercial park we wanted a night at a quieter and less crowded park. The campground at Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area was our choice. This campground is on Ogallala Lake which is just below the earthen dam that forms Lake McConaughy Reservoir north of Ogallala Nebraska. It's located about 14 miles north of I-80 off Nebraska 61. If driving from I-80 you go all the way across the dam and turn right following the signs to the state recreation area. The campground is about mile down at the second right.

Camping is laid out in 3 loops. The furthest loop is all first-come first-served. Most sites in the other 2 loops are reservable from May 15th to October 15th. We showed up on a Monday night at the end of September and there were only 5 other sites taken in the campground.

Most campsites have electric. There are water faucets scattered throughout the campground. There is no dump station. There's a central bathroom with showers. A new bathroom is under construction nearby with individual bathrooms. Loop roads and pads are paved which was nice after some significant rain in the area recently.

There is a pay wifi hotspot with the option to buy 24 hours for $3.99. I'm not sure how fast it would be if the campground was crowded. With the campground empty I measured 3 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up which was adequate for email and Facebook.

The campground is nicely treed. Our site was right on the lake although it was too cold to try swimming. There is a hiking/biking trail that leaves from just beyond the 3rd loop and plenty of access around the lake for fishing.

The campground is flat and shady with lots room to walk or ride bikes. Nice shower houses and bathrooms. Easy access off I 80.