Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska
Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area
Nebraska State Parks · Nebraska, United States
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 2,940 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1 · certified dark-sky place
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · Verizon good · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Merritt Reservoir
- Nearest town
- Valentine
- Address
- 88292 State Highway 97
- Phone
- 402-376-3320
74 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area is a Nebraska State Recreation Area with camping available.
Fees
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's published statewide camping rates for the tier(s) offered at this park: Electric Plus: $30/night in-season, $25/night off-season (20/30-amp with a dedicated water hookup, or 50-amp only, per NGPC's own tier definition); 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 | 35° | 18° | -13° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 43° | 19° | -33° | 71° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 50° | 28° | 7° | 75° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 60° | 34° | 4° | 83° | 10 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 48° | 33° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 83° | 61° | 48° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 88° | 65° | 54° | 102° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 64° | 55° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 81° | 60° | 37° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 64° | 41° | 22° | 81° | 5 of 10 |
| November | 54° | 34° | 9° | 77° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 37° | 23° | 6° | 65° | 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 · 15 mi
- Rosebud Casino RV Park · Tribal Lands · 31 mi · 10 sites
- Smith Falls State Park · Nebraska State Parks · 35 mi
- Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 46 mi · 30 sites
- East City Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 53 mi
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.