Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska
Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area
Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska, United States
- Sites
- 30
- Hookups
- 30 no hookups
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Dump station
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 3,238 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Cottonwood Lake
- Nearest town
- Merriman
- Address
- 33850 US Highway 20
- Phone
- 308-684-3428
About
Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area is a Nebraska State Recreation Area with 30 campsites available for camping.
Fees
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's published statewide camping rates for the tier(s) offered at this park: Basic: $15/night in-season, $10/night off-season (no electric hookup; possible access to a shared hydrant). A Nebraska park entry permit is also required per vehicle, on top of camping fees: $7/day or $35/year for Nebraska-plated vehicles, $14/day or $70/year for non-Nebraska-plated vehicles. (Source: outdoornebraska.gov/parks/park-pricing/.)
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 19° | -13° | 55° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 44° | 20° | -26° | 72° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 49° | 28° | 10° | 76° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 60° | 34° | 6° | 82° | 9 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 48° | 32° | 84° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 82° | 61° | 48° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 89° | 65° | 52° | 101° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 63° | 54° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 82° | 59° | 36° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 62° | 41° | 22° | 84° | 6 of 10 |
| November | 54° | 33° | 8° | 76° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 38° | 23° | 1° | 64° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Steer Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 31 mi
- Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 46 mi
- Walgren Lake State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 52 mi · 40 sites
- Rosebud Casino RV Park · Tribal Lands · 56 mi · 10 sites
- Cedar Pass Campground · National Park Service · 59 mi · 100 sites
All public campgrounds in Nebraska · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-23. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.