Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska
Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area
Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska, United States
- Sites
- 30
- Hookups
- 30 no hookups
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Dump station
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 3,238 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Cottonwood Lake
- Nearest town
- Merriman
- Address
- 33850 US Highway 20
- Phone
- 308-684-3428
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area is a Nebraska State Recreation Area with 30 campsites available for camping.
Fees
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's published statewide camping rates for the tier(s) offered at this park: Basic: $15/night in-season, $10/night off-season (no electric hookup; possible access to a shared hydrant). A Nebraska park entry permit is also required per vehicle, on top of camping fees: $7/day or $35/year for Nebraska-plated vehicles, $14/day or $70/year for non-Nebraska-plated vehicles. (Source: outdoornebraska.gov/parks/park-pricing/.)
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 19° | -13° | 55° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 44° | 20° | -26° | 72° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 49° | 28° | 10° | 76° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 60° | 34° | 6° | 82° | 9 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 48° | 32° | 84° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 82° | 61° | 48° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 89° | 65° | 52° | 101° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 63° | 54° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 82° | 59° | 36° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 62° | 41° | 22° | 84° | 6 of 10 |
| November | 54° | 33° | 8° | 76° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 38° | 23° | 1° | 64° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Steer Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 31 mi
- Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 46 mi
- Walgren Lake State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 52 mi · 40 sites
- Rosebud Casino RV Park · Tribal Lands · 56 mi · 10 sites
- Cedar Pass Campground · National Park Service · 59 mi · 100 sites
All public campgrounds in Nebraska · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-23. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.