Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska
Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area
Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska, United States
- Season
- Year-round
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 2,940 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1 · certified dark-sky place
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · Verizon good · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Merritt Reservoir
- Nearest town
- Valentine
- Address
- 88292 State Highway 97
- Phone
- 402-376-3320
74 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
74 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. 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
Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area is a Nebraska State Recreation Area with camping available.
Fees
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's published statewide camping rates for the tier(s) offered at this park: Electric Plus: $30/night in-season, $25/night off-season (20/30-amp with a dedicated water hookup, or 50-amp only, per NGPC's own tier definition); 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 | 35° | 18° | -13° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 43° | 19° | -33° | 71° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 50° | 28° | 7° | 75° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 60° | 34° | 4° | 83° | 10 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 48° | 33° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 83° | 61° | 48° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 88° | 65° | 54° | 102° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 64° | 55° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 81° | 60° | 37° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 64° | 41° | 22° | 81° | 5 of 10 |
| November | 54° | 34° | 9° | 77° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 37° | 23° | 6° | 65° | 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 · 15 mi
- Rosebud Casino RV Park · Tribal Lands · 31 mi · 10 sites
- Smith Falls State Park · Nebraska State Parks · 35 mi
- Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 46 mi · 30 sites
- East City Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 53 mi
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.