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Avoiding Camping Crowds

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A family camps by a lake.
Campers at Louisville Lakes State Recreation Area near Louisville, NE have pitched their tent in a corner and between a sandpit lake and and portion of habitat for privacy. Doug Carroll, Nebraskaland Magazine

By Greg Wagner

It’s camping season and friends of mine told me the other day they were thinking of heading out on a Friday night to camp at a popular state recreation area in order to “get away from it all” on a nice weekend.

Hmmm …

I wanted to tell them that most likely, they were heading to an area to where it all will be happening with quite a few people there.

Admittedly, I don’t want to be around big crowds when I’m outdoors.

But how do you steer clear of crowds when you’re trying to plan a spring or summer camping getaway with family or friends?

Advice from Game and Parks

Here’s some advice from our Nebraska state park superintendents, conservation officers and wildlife and fisheries biologists:

  • Camp on weekdays. If possible, forego the weekend period — Friday night through Sunday is the prime time for most folks to pitch a tent or park an RV. Sunday and Monday nights are better for overnight stays. Weeknights in the middle of the week, Tuesday through Thursday, offer the best times to camp with hardly any people around. Plenty of privacy and solitude are present then. Not only are more campsites available for the choosing, so are increased opportunities for fishing, boating, hiking, biking and playground space.

  • Pass on the party. Keep in mind state park areas with lots of planned activities, functions and attractions draw the most campers, so seek an area that may be more laid back regarding the number of events. Also, be aware of significant celebrations in nearby communities or county fairs that can draw big crowds to campgrounds. Plan ahead!

  • Think small or go wild. Stay at a smaller state recreation area just off the beaten path. Nebraska has 76 areas in its state park system so it should not be difficult to find one to your liking with some advanced recon not too far from where you live so you can save fuel money and travel time. And don’t overlook some of our rural state wildlife management areas with their primitive campgrounds either. Some that quickly come to mind are Grove Lake, Pressey and Burchard Lake. Unless otherwise posted or restricted by special area regulations, you should know state wildlife management areas are open to pack it in/pack it out backcountry camping and the use of propane/gas stoves and charcoal grills for outdoor cooking unless a burn/fire ban is in effect. Campers venturing to state wildlife management areas should consider purchasing a habitat stamp. Many people do not realize that hunters who purchase habitat stamps along with their permits fund state wildlife management areas.

  • Don’t rule out the larger parks. Most of the larger state parks are expansive and have many places where you can camp, even backpack or rucksack camp. Indian Cave, Ponca and Fort Robinson are a few examples that have lots of acres available where you can truly escape the hustle and bustle of a contemporary campground. It is not uncommon to find campgrounds offering RV campsites without any hook-ups.

  • Skip the modern amenities. Living without comfort eliminates traffic. Be willing to give up some of the modern campground amenities or facilities such as shower houses, restrooms, water spigots, picnic tables, etc. and select an area that would have the characteristics of wilderness. Make sure you check regulations, come prepared and bring all the supplies you’ll need for your adventure that some call dispersed camping. Essentially, dispersed camping is the term given to camping on public land other than in designated campgrounds or at designated campsites. The Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands offer dispersed-type camping. Yes, you’ll be really “roughing it,” but think of the solace!

  • Consider boondocking with an RV. Sick and tired of camping at full- capacity campgrounds? You may want to try boondocking. Boondocking in an RV is essentially self-sufficient camping, which means having no water, sewer or electrical hookups available. This translates to parking your rig in the backcountry where permissible or pulling over to spend the night at another location like an empty parking lot, if allowed and deemed safe.

  • Look for the calmer waters. Select a public area to camp that does not allow open power boating and associated water sports. Water recreation in late spring and summer can bring a crush of individuals and the constant hum of boat motors. Public areas that have camping with no-wake boating or non-powered boating would be suggested.

  • The harder the trek, the greater the reward! Pick a campsite that would not be easy to reach. Opt for a campsite that would be furthest from parking lots, maybe in the corner of an area and perhaps with a habitat or water buffer or specific land feature that might shield you from other campers. A broad stand of mature trees, island of vegetation or shoreline area all can provide a good barrier for seclusion as does a hill or curve in the campground road. Keep an eye out for these kinds of campsites. Sure, it means probably lugging all of your camping gear a greater distance and it may be a bit buggier, but the solitude will be worth the extra effort!

  • Camp by a river. Not interested in getting too far away from the main campground, huh? Well, a trick to drown out the noise of other campers and eliminate them on one side you is to pitch your tent or park your RV at a campsite next to a river. An example of this type of camping would be located at Smith Falls State Park along the Niobrara River south of Sparks, NE. The sound of flowing water is a soothing and it can help cover voices and other unnatural sounds in the evening.

  • Paddlers can go remote. For paddlers along various rivers and streams, a water trail campsite only accessible by water may be the ticket! Isolated campsites, whether established or accessed with landowner permission, are perfect for crashing at the end of an enjoyable day on the water with the calming effect of a rippling current. You’ll also appreciate the crackling of a small campfire, the croaking of bullfrogs and the mild buzzing of insects as the only other noises being heard.

Remember, with savvy strategies to your camping plan and going without some conveniences, it is possible to avoid the crowds and experience tranquility in nature with an overnight excursion — even with a busy camping season upon us.

Get more information about areas where you can camp at www.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Greg Wagner is a communications and marketing specialist and manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Service Center in Omaha. On a weekly basis, Wagner can be heard on a number of radio stations, seen on local television in Omaha, and on social media channels, creatively conveying natural resource conservation messages as well as promoting outdoor activities and destinations in Nebraska. Wagner, whose career at Game and Parks began in 1979, walks, talks, lives, breathes and blogs about Nebraska’s outdoors. He grew up in rural Gretna, building forts in the woods, hunting, fishing, collecting leaves, and generally thriving on constant outdoor activity. One of the primary goals of his blog is to get people, especially young ones, to have fun and spend time outside!