48 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2015
f you're like me, a case of spring fever has morphed
into a full-blown case of summer hyperpyrexia by
the time Memorial Day weekend rolls around. The
state's most popular parks and recreation areas are
the chosen cure for thousands as they flock to sandy
beaches with big campers, motorboats and Jet Skis in
tow.
With my wife stuck near home for work obligations last
Memorial Day weekend, I had pretty much written off a
family excursion with our pop-up camper. Our children, 11
and 7 years old, weren't so sure, however. They, too, had the
fever.
The prescription on that Friday before Memorial Day was
a drive east from Chadron on the Bridges to Buttes Scenic
Byway to Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area, the
quaint little Sandhills lake near Merriman that I'd stopped
at a few times but had never camped. As our truck entered
Cottonwood, carrying a tent, two kayaks and just the bare
necessities, we weren't sure what kind of crowd we'd meet.
The bad news: One campsite had been taken. The good:
About three dozen remained.
At Cottonwood, it was easy to find a spot with two
of my favorite attributes – shade and shoreline. All the
campsites are near water and trees. The cottonwoods, which
f
in
th
st
th
b
tow
Kiera and Sawyer Haag swing at the Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area playground near Merriman.
Story and photos by Justin Haag
If you want, or need, to get away from it all for the unofficial start
of summer, don't overlook the lesser traveled state recreation areas.
