Toadstool Nebraska NF
Located on the beautiful Oglala National Grassland in northwestern Nebraska, Toadstool Geologic Park is a stark, other-worldly landscape unlike any place in Nebraska. Its name was inspired by the narrow clay pedestals topped with slabs of sandstone that resemble toadstool mushrooms. It is one of the most memorable places in the grassland with its unique layers, formations, and scientifically valuable fossil deposits. Toadstool is a key link in understanding the earth's history from 38 to 24 million years ago.
More like this: reservable in Nebraska · tent only in Nebraska
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Standard, no hookups | 13 |
| Host/management | 3 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site |
|---|
| Standard |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site.
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
| 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… |
Two vault toilets.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Forest | Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands |
| Booking | First come, first serve. |
| Fees | $3/vehicle/day use fee. $15/ vehicle/night camping fee. Day use included in camping fee. |
| Rules | In the off season pack in/pack out. |
Weather by month
Getting there
From Hot Springs, SD take Highway 71 south 37 miles to the intersection of Toadstool Road. Follow Toadstool Road for 11.4 miles to FS Road #902 and continue on road #902 for 1.4 miles to Toadstool Campground. From Crawford, NE proceed to intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 2. Take Highway 2 north for 4.2 miles to Toadstool Road.
| Coordinates | 42.8581° N, 103.5839° W · Directions ↗ |
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 30.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Toadstool Geologic Park Campground - Oglala National Grassland, NE
Worth a stop
Hudson Meng Education and Research Center Located on the beautiful Oglala National Grassland in northwestern Nebraska, the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center houses one of the most important paleo-archeological discoveries in North America. Visitors can tour the bonebed enclosure and discover the mysterious past of the Bison antiquus (extinct bison) that died here. A rancher first brought attention to the bonebed in 1954. This started an ongoing quest to discover what caused the death of so many bison. Archeologists continue to research the exact nature of past events and the role ancient Paleo-Indian people may have played in them. While theories are plentiful, there is still no clear answer to the mystery. The Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center’s Bison Bonebed Tour encourages visitors to develop their own ideas based on the evidence presented. The Bison Trail connects the Hudson-Meng visitor center to Toadstool Geologic Park. This is an unforgettable three-mile (one way) hike across the Oglala Grassland. Toadstool Geologic Park is well-known for its unusual rock formations and fossils. The natural history dates as far back as 30 million years ago.
- under 0.1 mi
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miToadstool Loop ↗1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.2 miToadstool Ancient Tracks Spur ↗0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.3 miBison3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.2 miHudson-Meng Interp & Access ↗0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
Soldier Creek Wilderness begins about 9.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 9.6 miSoldier Creek Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 7,833 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Dawes County CourthouseHistoric district · Chadron · 12.9 mi
- Army TheatreBuilding · Crawford · 14.5 mi
- US Post Office–CrawfordBuilding · Crawford · 14.6 mi
Recreation
The trailhead at the campground provides access to three hiking trails each with varying degrees of difficulty. A one mile interpretive loop highlights many examples of eroded clay/sandstone formations. The Bison Trail leaves the interpretive loop at the half way point and continues up the canyon to the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center. Toadstool Campground to Hudson Meng is 3 miles one way. A five mile loop begins at the campground and proceeds on the graveled section of the interpretive trail for a short distance before heading north through the badlands and grasslands on the Great Plains Trail. After 1.5 miles the Great Plains Trail intersects with the 918 Road. Follow the signs to return to the Bison Trail and Toadstool Campground. The loop can be done in reverse going the other direction on the interpretive trail as you leave the campground. The Great Plains Trail, developed by the Great Plains Trail Alliance, is a cross country network of public land trails and roads beginning in Guadalupe National Park and ending at the Canadian border.
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Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Toadstool Nebraska NF?
Sites at Toadstool Nebraska NF are reservable on Recreation.gov. First come, first serve. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
How much does it cost to camp at Toadstool Nebraska NF?
$15/night/vehicle. $7.50/extra vehicle. Interagency Senior/Access Recreation Passes provide a 50% discount to single campsites ONLY.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is Toadstool Nebraska NF open right now?
Open as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
How many sites does Toadstool Nebraska NF have?
16 sites, including 13 standard sites without power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I bring an RV to Toadstool Nebraska NF?
Toadstool Nebraska NF is listed for tents only.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Toadstool Nebraska NF?
The trailhead at the campground provides access to three hiking trails each with varying degrees of difficulty. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What if Toadstool Nebraska NF is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Soldier Creek Nebraska NF (11 mi, first-come), Roberts Tract Nebraska NF (25.2 mi, first-come), and Red Cloud Nebraska NF (31.5 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby