Fort Robinson State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Fort Robinson operated as a fort during the Old West period until after World War II, and it became a state park in 1962. USA Today has named Fort Robinson State Park as one of the top family reunion spots in the United States. You can see many of the original buildings, and some of them were reconstructed. Historic events that took place at Fort Robinson include the Sioux Wars, the Fort Robinson Massacre and the Battle of Warbonnet Creek. The park is located in the Pine Ridge region, an escarpment that's mostly in northwestern Nebraska with a small section dipping into South Dakota.
Nearby Cities
Crawford, NE
Alliance, NE
Scottsbluff, NE
Chadron, NE
Spring 25-72 F
Summer 53-87 F
Fall 24-76 F
Winter 16-43 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Fort Robinson State Park
Campground Accommodations
Red Cloud Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 70 feet
Other amenities: Picnic tables, fire rings, grills, dump station, drinking water, coin-operated laundry, ADA-accessible campsites available
Soldier Creek Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: No
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 60 feet
Other amenities: Restrooms, showers, picnic tables, fire rings, grills, dump station, drinking water, coin-operated laundry, ADA-accessible campsites available
Mare Barn Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 60 feet
Other amenities: Equestrian camping, a barn for your horse, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, fire rings, grills, coin-operated laundry
Sage Motel and Sioux RV Campground
A teeny tiny motel and campground in a teeny tiny town, Sage Motel and Sioux RV Campground isn’t fancy but it does have a lot to offer. The campground has full hookups on each and every site, and the location couldn’t be better for those visiting Fort Robinson State Park. Best of all, the staff here are wonderfully accommodating.
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Other amenities: Horse motel; motel attached
Crawford City Park
Looking for a super cheap option? Crawford City Park offers $10 dry camping to anyone passing through. Of course, some people prefer to camp with hookups. In that case, you can pay a mere $20 a night for water and electric hookups. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy this lovely park.
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: No
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Other amenities: Playground; restrooms; basketball; volleyball and tennis courts; water fountain
Eagle’s Rest RV Park
Eagle’s Rest RV Park is a bit further out of the way. That said, it’s a full-fledged RV park that’s perfect for longer stays. The park has everything you’d expect from an RV park including full hookups, friendly staff, and a laid-back atmosphere.
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
Pet-friendly: Yes
Other amenities: Restrooms; pull-through sites
What to Do at
Fort Robinson State Park
You can go on a horse-drawn tour, a horseback ride and an open jeep ride at Fort Robinson State Park. Catering for group functions is available from mid-April to mid-November. You can eat breakfast, lunch or dinner at Fort Robinson Restaurant during the summer. There are also reservable picnic shelters and group and meeting facilities at the park. Learn about Fort Robinson's history at the on-site museum, and continue venturing the great outdoors for a mixture of historic sites and breathtaking natural scenery.
In addition to exploring the Old West territory via horse-drawn tours and open jeep rides, you can go hiking, fishing and more.
Inside Fort Robinson State Park
Fort Robinson State Park has all kinds of awesome things to see and do. Below are some of our favorite activities to participate in while visiting:
Walking/Hiking/Biking — With 60 miles of hiking trails and 20 miles of mountain biking trails, there’s no shortage of awesome things to explore in this park. You can even rent a mountain bike from the activity center if you don’t have one of your own.
Swimming — There’s nothing like taking a dip on a hot summer day. At Fort Robinson State Park, you can swim Memorial Day through Labor Day in their amazing, Olympic-sized indoor pool.
Rodeos, Performances, and Other Events — The park hosts an old-fashioned rodeo every Thursday at 8pm and admission is 100% free. Additionally, guests can enjoy performers of all sorts at the onsite Playhouse, as well as scheduled events such as breakfasts, dinners, and more.
Jeep and Stage Coach Rides — Fort Robinson State Park is a truly beautiful place. It’s also enormous, meaning you won’t be able to explore the whole park on foot. Why not take a stagecoach ride through the park or explore the park’s buttes on an off-road Jeep adventure?
Museums — Finally, we must mention the park’s awesome museums, which feature a variety of artifacts and some truly fascinating information on the history of the area. Be sure to check them out.
Fishing
You can fish from 10 ponds and several cold streams at Fort Robinson State Park. Top catches include rainbow trout, tiger trout, yellow perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and black crappie. There are fishing piers and boat ramps at Cherry Creek Pond, Ice House Pond and the three Grabel Ponds. An ADA-accessible covered pier is at the southern Grabel Pond.
Nature Watching
Try spotting one of the buffalo and longhorn herds at the park. Other wildlife that you may see at Fort Robinson State Park include bobcats, coyotes, turkeys, hawks, eagles, woodpeckers, bighorn sheep, mule deer and white-tailed deer.
Stargazing
Take a look at the sky at night for a relaxing experience. Rated a 3 on the Bortle scale, Fort Robinson State Park offers a decent stargazing experience. In spring and autumn, the zodiac lights are bright, and the Milky Way looks its best during the summer.
Flora and Fauna
Wildflowers bloom in the spring and summer. Flowers to look for include smooth blue aster, dotted gayfeather and snakeweed.
Hiking
Mexican Canyon Trail takes you through one of the most beautiful canyons in the park. The canyon is two miles long, and the elevation gain from the trailhead to the trail's highest point is 370 feet. Several other canyons branch off along the route if you want additional exploration opportunities. You may see bighorn sheep, deer, longhorns and eagles in Mexican Canyon. Lover's Leap and East Red Cloud Buttes Loop Trail ascend one of the steepest buttes in Nebraska. You can expect a rock scramble for part of the trail. Other noteworthy trails at Fort Robinson State Park are Turtle Rock Trail, White River Trail and Wagon Wheel Trail.
Boating
Kayaks and canoes are allowed on some of the ponds if you'd like to go boating and fish from your boat.
Swimming
You can go swimming at the park's Olympic-sized indoor pool. There is an outdoor wading pool and a sun deck at Lindeken Pool, too.
Biking
Mountain biking is allowed on at least 20 miles of trails in Fort Robinson State Park, including White River Trail. You can bring your own bike or rent one at the activity center.
How to Get to
Fort Robinson State Park
Fort Robinson State Park is easy to access in an RV, though you need to put chains on your tires if you visit in the winter. The park is located at Soldier Creek Road & US Hwy 20, Crawford, NE 69339. From Crawford, travel on US-20 W/Bridges to Buttes Byway for around 3.3 miles. You'll see the museum and lodge on the right-hand side.
Entering Fort Robinson State Park
To access the park, you need to have a park permit, which you can buy online and at park offices for $12 as a non-resident and $6 as a resident. Annual permits are $61 for non-residents and $31 for residents. Fort Robinson State Park has a lot of parking spaces, so you can usually find a spot for any vehicle. There is no additional parking fee.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Robinson State Park
Summer is the best time of year to visit Fort Robinson State Park because jeep rides operate daily and all of the possible amenities are available. The park turns off the water during winter, so you won't be able to use their showers or drinking water in the winter.
You can find buffalos, longhorns, bighorn sheep, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bobcats and coyotes at the park. Mountain lions also live in the park, but they are rarely seen. Common bird sightings include woodpeckers, turkeys, hawks and eagles.
Fort Robinson State Park has designated RV camping spots at three different campgrounds. Sites may come with electric hookups or full hookups.
You don't need to reserve a camping spot, but you may want to if certain hookups or other features are important to you. Around half of the campsites with electrical hookups allow reservations, and the others are first come, first served. The cost for a full hookup site is $35 per night. An electrical hookup site is $30 per night.
Yes, pets are allowed at Fort Robinson State Park, and most of the campsites are pet friendly. You'll need to have your pet under control and clean up their waste.