Samuel R. Mckelvie National Forest

US Forest Service · Nebraska

Samuel R. Mckelvie National Forest in Nebraska. Ringed marker is this site; the other dots are the 91 public campsites we map in Nebraska.

Located south of Nenzel in Cherry County, this 116,000-acre national forest is a fantastic representation of the unique Nebraska Sandhills prairie ecosystem. Popular uses of the forest include hunting, fishing, horseback riding, camping and bird watching. There is one small campground located on the southwestern edge of the forest. Steer Creek Campground has 23 campsites, 8 horse corrals, potable water, and the 1-mile Blue Jay hiking trail.

What we know about it

Managed by

US Forest Service

Fee

Not published (the agency does not list one)

Booking

first-come, first-served

Dogs

Allowed on a leash (USFS policy)

Coordinates

42.71900, -101.02480

Nearest sites we map

• Steer Creek Campground11 km · US Forest Service
• Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area Campground17 km · State park system
• Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area Campground57 km · State park system
• Smith Falls State Park Campground61 km · State park system
• Long Lake State Recreation Area Campground89 km · State park system
• Keller Park State Recreation Area Campground102 km · State park system

Source: Recreation.gov, dated 2026-02-25, fetched 2026-09-07. Official listing.

All camping in Nebraska