Campgrounds and RV parks near Ord, NE

Ord sits in the North Loup River valley in central Nebraska, on the eastern edge of the Sandhills. The town serves as a practical staging point for RV trips to a cluster of state recreation areas and small reservoirs within about an hour's drive, most of them managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The closest options range from tiny local parks to large reservoirs. Lake Ericson Campground offers a small village-lake setting north of town. Bowman Lake State Recreation Area sits just west of Loup City on a 20-acre man-made lake with Middle Loup River access. Sherman Reservoir State Recreation Area spreads across a much larger footprint, with a 2,845-acre lake and 4,721 acres of surrounding land. Northwest of Ord, Calamus Reservoir State Recreation Area and Wildlife Management Area anchors the region with a 5,124-acre reservoir and multiple developed campgrounds, including the Homestead Knolls - Calamus Reservoir State Recreation Area area on the north shore. Expect a mix of modern electric pads and basic primitive sites, with reservations handled through the state park system and many sites still first-come, first-served.

Nebraska state park campsites are booked through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's ReserveAmerica portal at nebraskastateparks.reserveamerica.com, or by phone. At both Calamus Reservoir State Recreation Area and Sherman Reservoir State Recreation Area, roughly half of the electrical sites are reservable in advance and the other half are held as first-come, first-served. Additional RV sites and cabin rentals at Sherman are handled separately through the Trade Winds Marina concessionaire. A Nebraska Park Entry Permit is required for every vehicle entering a state recreation area and can be purchased online, at park offices or through permit vendors. Basic sites at smaller areas such as Bowman Lake State Recreation Area and Lake Ericson Campground are typically first-come, first-served, so arriving earlier in the week helps on summer weekends.