Buckley Park Campground

The Great Outdoors

Branched Oak State Recreation Area is an hour's drive east of the campground. It's a beautiful natural park that surrounds the largest lake in eastern Nebraska. This is the place to go if you like swimming and water sports. Here you will find two swimming beaches, a marina, and picnicking areas. In the marina, you will find a bar and grill, boat rentals, fuel, and more. Campsites for RV and tent camping are also available. The area has hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding trails. Archery, hunting, and fishing are other popular pastimes here.Oak Glen State Wildlife Management Area is just west of Branched Oak. Here you will find scenic landscapes made up of oak trees and prairies. Some of the activities you can enjoy include hiking, nature viewing, photography, and horseback riding. Songbirds and an array of other wildlife reside here. Game animals include deer, cottontail rabbits, pheasants, and wild turkey.Pawnee State Recreation Area is a gorgeous natural park covering approximately 2,500 acres, with about 700 acres of it being water. It is a great place for water sports, including boating, jet skiing, fishing, and swimming. There are two beautiful sandy beaches where you can swim, play with your kids, and relax. If you like fishing, here you can hook white bass, walleye, largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. There is a fish cleaning station in the park as well. Six miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails run around the lake. Archery and hunting are popular activities here, and there's a shooting range on-site, too.

Exploring the City

The small town of Stromsburg is home to The Swede Capital of Nebraska Historical Marker. The marker is in Buckley Park, only a few minutes' walk from the campsites. This historic site is dedicated to the first European settlers who came from Sweden. Residents of the city love to celebrate their heritage, and every summer, the town hosts the Swedish Midsommar Festival. Book an RV rental in Polk County during this celebration, and you can join in on the fun. Festers wear Swedish costumes, cook Swedish food, play music and games, and welcome visitors to experience the Swedish lifestyle, cuisine, and traditions.Head an hour's drive west to Grand Island, and you can spend some time at the Stuhr Museum-Prairie Pioneer. The museum has permanent and temporary exhibits, which makes every visit to this museum unique. The Stuhr Building was designed by famous architect Edward Durell Stone. Here, you will see an art exhibit, historical exhibit, a permanent exhibit about prairie pioneer life, a kid’s corner, and so much more. There are also some other parts of the museum complex to check out, including The Fonner Rotunda, the Antique Farm Machinery Building, the Railroad Exhibit, and the Hornady Family Arbor. You can also visit Taylor Ranch, Log Cabin Settlement, and Pawnee Earth Lodge for more insight into the area.Take a day trip to Lincoln and to visit the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. The zoo is home to over 350 animals, of which 40 are endangered species, including Humboldt penguins, snow leopards, and Matschie's tree kangaroos. Other animals you can see here are the world's smallest monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs, dromedary camels, red pandas, and meerkats. The zoo offers children's programs and exclusive animal experiences.Explore the sites and cities of east-central Nebraska when you rent an RV near Stromsburg. Kick back and relax at your Buckley Park campsite or venture out to see some of The Cornhusker State's best features.