Lake Minatare State Recreation Area

Lake Minatare State Recreation Area is immediately adjacent to that part of North Platte National Wildlife Refuge located on Lake Minatare. The Lake Minatare State Recreation Area encompasses some 2,970 acres (2,158 acres of water) about 12 miles northeast of Scottsbluff. The property also sports Nebraska's only lighthouse. The Recreation Area offers unsupervised swimming, fishing (and three established fish cleaning stations), three boat ramps, three docks, picnic tables, shelters and modern restrooms. In the campground are 52 sites with camping pads and 20/30 amp electrical hookups, 49 camping pads with no electric and another 110 primitive sites (no pads, no electric). The park also allows for another 100 undesignated primitive campsites around the lake. In the main camping areas are showers, modern restrooms and laundry facilities. There is also an RV dump station available. Most designated campsites have picnic tables and fire grates with drinking water nearby.

There is an office on site but no visitor center, no fuel, no concessions, no lodging except what you bring yourself.

To get there: from Scottsbluff go three miles north of the intersection of Highways 26 and 71 on Highway 71. At Lake Minatare Road turn east and go eight miles to a "T" intersection with Stonegate Road. Go north one mile on Stonegate Road and immediately after crossing the canal bridge, turn right into the Lake View entrance. The office is one mile down on the left. From Minatare: go nine miles north of Highway 26 on Stonegate Road to the Lake View entrance. Turn right, go one mile to the office (on the left).