Ponca Campground

The Great Outdoors

If there's one good reason to book an RV in Dixon County and find a campsite at Ponca Campground, it's the opportunity to explore the Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway by campervan rental. Stretching almost 240 miles from just south of Sioux City, IA to Valentine, NE, the twisted course of the historic trail, or Nebraska Highway 12, follows the footsteps of legendary Wild West horse thieves, lynch mobs, and lawmen who sought refuge in the jagged cliffs, hills, and valleys of Nebraska's northern border.Renting an RV in Ponca allows you to meet Highway 12, not far from town. Before long, you’re on the road, admiring the soaring bluffs, bush-clad slopes, and lush, rolling green hills as you drive down the byway, making stops in small towns for a chance to go on a wine tour, watch rodeos, and experience pow wows.Camping at Ponca Campground puts you within 90 minutes’ drive of some of northern Nebraska's popular recreation areas. Some of the closest to town are the Maskenthine Lake Recreation Area, the Willow Creek State Recreation Area, and the Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area. Explore the hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails of Maskenthine and Willow Creek, and cast a line out for bluegill, channel catfish, and largemouth bass, just a few of the most populous fish species in the two lakes.Inject your outdoor adventures with an appreciation of history when you visit the Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area. Not far from here is the camping site of the 1804 Lewis & Clark Expedition on their way to explore the rest of the Louisiana Purchase. Today you can imagine what it was like for the explorers and their party to have come upon this bend on the Missouri River as you launch a kayak onto the lake, hike the trails, or contemplate the scenery while spotting wildlife every now and then.

Exploring the Area

Dixon County's museums give a more well-rounded picture of what life was back then when communication was exchanged at the speed of rail, and are worth a visit. The Historic Chicago & Northwestern Depot Museum in Wakefield provides a glimpse into this past, along with a visit to Adam's House Museum in Allen, where more than 150 years of Dixon County's history can be seen in their original pot-belly stove, light fixtures, and kitchen. Ponca contributes its share to county history with its Cook's Blacksmith Shop, where you can view the tools of the trade and learn how blacksmiths helped shape the daily lives of American communities.Rent a camper near Ponca Campground in the summer, and you’ll get to take part in one of the many exciting happenings around Dixon County, including one of Nebraska's largest rodeo events, the "Days of '56" in Ponca. Bull riding, arena races, and rodeo competitions are the main draws of this affair. In Wakefield, balloons rise out of corn and soybeans fields when the city celebrates its annual "Balloons 'n BBQ" in September. Tailgate parties are popular during this festival, but you can bring kids along for pony rides and cornholes.There’s more to Nebraska than corns and soybeans, of course, if you take the time to explore. Riverside bluffs, verdant hills, and lakes teeming with fish are just some of the treasures you’ll uncover if you find an RV rental in Ponca, Nebraska, and take it to wherever the road leads you.