U.S. Forest Service · Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands · Nebraska

Red Cloud Nebraska NF

The Red Cloud Campground is located one mile south of Chadron State Park on the west side of Highway 385. Situated in the middle of the Pine Ridge area, the campground has 13 sites with picnic tables, parking pads, pedestal grills, fire rings, and a vault toilet.

Open nowFirst-come, first-served13 sitesFrom $15 per night

Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.

More like this: first-come in Nebraska

Red Cloud Nebraska NF
Photo from the area. dvs from Vermont, USA (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Site map

13 campsite locations mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The site numbers are theirs and may not match the posts at the campground. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Amenities & rules

Fees$15/night/vehicle. $7.50/extra vehicle. Interagency Senior/Access Recreation Passes provide a 50% discount to single campsites ONLY. *The discount applies only to the fee for the campsite physically occupied by the pass holder, no to any additional fees or campsite(s) occupied by members of the…

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestNebraska National Forests and Grasslands
Fees$10/vehicle/night.
RulesCertified noxious weed-free hay/feed is required on national forest lands. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on Pine Ridge Trail.

Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Red Cloud Nebraska NF20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.55 inches of precipitation, 5.8 inches of snowFebruary: 0.64 inches of precipitation, 8.6 inches of snowMarch: 1.34 inches of precipitation, 7.9 inches of snowApril: 2.16 inches of precipitation, 5.6 inches of snowMay: 2.99 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowJune: 3.22 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.93 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.70 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.50 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.39 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowNovember: 0.69 inches of precipitation, 6.3 inches of snowDecember: 0.64 inches of precipitation, 10.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 25.3°F averageFebruary: 27.7°F averageMarch: 37.2°F averageApril: 45.1°F averageMay: 55.5°F averageJune: 66.4°F averageJuly: 74.0°F averageAugust: 72.3°F averageSeptember: 62.3°F averageOctober: 48.2°F averageNovember: 35.8°F averageDecember: 26.2°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Chadron 3Sw, 8 miles from the campground at 3,383 feet, station USC00251575 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 19 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 50 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Chadron, NE travel eight miles south on U.S. Highway 385 to the campground.

Coordinates42.6958° N, 103.0036° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗1.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Red Cloud Campground | Nebraska National Forest | 142K Acres | Nebraska at It's Finest

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.8 mi
    Pine Ridge B ↗
    5.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.3 mi
    Pine Ridge Mt. Bike G
    0.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.8 mi
    Strong Canyon
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.8 mi
    Pine Ridge A ↗
    7.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.4 mi
    Pine Ridge Mt. Bike D
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.5 mi
    Pine Ridge Mt. Bike E
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Recreation

Access the nearby Pine Ridge Trail system via Outrider and Strong Canyon trailheads. The Pine Ridge trail passes through a wide variety of landscapes ranging from grassland, ponderosa pine forest, creek bottoms, canyons and open ridges with views of the nearby buttes. Motorized trails can also be accessed nearby at Strong Canyon trailhead, Spotted Tail trailhead, and the Cliffs trailhead.

Guidebooks for Nebraska and camping across the country

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Custer, Cody, and Grand Duke Alexis
    Douglas D. Scott, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Lincoln and Omaha
    Michael Ream, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Frommer's Exploring America by RV
    Harry Basch and Shirley Slater, 2012
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Red Cloud Nebraska NF?

No. Red Cloud Nebraska NF is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Red Cloud Nebraska NF?

$15/night/vehicle. $7.50/extra vehicle. Interagency Senior/Access Recreation Passes provide a 50% discount to single campsites ONLY.

Source: Forest Service

Is Red Cloud Nebraska NF open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Red Cloud Nebraska NF have?

13 sites.

Source: Forest Service

What is there to do at Red Cloud Nebraska NF?

Access the nearby Pine Ridge Trail system via Outrider and Strong Canyon trailheads. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Red Cloud Nebraska NF is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Roberts Tract Nebraska NF (7.6 mi, first-come), Soldier Creek Nebraska NF (29.1 mi, first-come), and Toadstool Nebraska NF (31.5 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby