Openings · last 7 days
0
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-234120
When Bessey Recreation Complex reopens
Bessey Recreation Complex's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
3
Openings · last 90 days
4
Only 4 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 48 monitored sites
Of the 5,170 tracked site-dates (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 209 open for online reservation · 112 reserved · 1,791 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative) · 3,058 unavailable (cause unspecified). Of the facility's 48 monitored sites, 24 can be reserved online and 24 are first-come, first-served.
Where the open windows are
96% of tracked site-dates are not currently open for online reservation. 209 of 5,170 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027Not open online96%
Open site-dates209 / 5,170
Reserved (of online inventory)112 / 321
Weekday openings133
Weekend openings36
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 133 fall on weekdays and 36 on weekends (Fri–Sun). The split covers the 169 open site-nights on mapped sites; 209 site-dates are open across all monitored inventory.
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Mar 2027November shows no online availability. 0 of 660 tracked site-dates are open there — 660 unavailable.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 47 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open | |
| Thanksgiving | THU Nov 26 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Nov 27 | 0 | None open | |
| SAT Nov 28 | 0 | None open | |
| Christmas | THU Dec 24 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Dec 25 | 0 | None open | |
| New Year | THU Dec 31 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Jan 1 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: no online availability on any tracked night. Christmas: no online availability on any tracked night. New Year: no online availability on any tracked night.
Holiday windows — day use
Units open per date · of 1 day-use unit| Window | Date | Units open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open | |
| Thanksgiving | THU Nov 26 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Nov 27 | 0 | None open | |
| SAT Nov 28 | 0 | None open | |
| Christmas | THU Dec 24 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Dec 25 | 0 | None open | |
| New Year | THU Dec 31 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Jan 1 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked date. Thanksgiving: no online availability on any tracked date. Christmas: no online availability on any tracked date. New Year: no online availability on any tracked date.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| GRP01 | 25 |
| 010 | 9 |
| 016 | 9 |
| 019 | 9 |
| 029 | 9 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Availability by day-use unit
Most open reservation dates · tracked window| Unit | Open reservation dates |
|---|---|
| BESSEY PICNIC SHELTER | 40 |
This day-use unit currently has 40 reservation dates available.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateTue · Sep 22
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25
November0 of 660 · unavailable
The next bookable night is Sep 22; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
169 open site-nights across 23 sites at Bessey Recreation Complex, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
47 overnight sites and 1 day-use unit are represented in the current inventory. Day-use inventory is excluded from every night-based figure on this page — site-nights, longest runs, multi-night stays, holiday stays and RV fit; its reservation dates are listed separately below.
Multi-night stays. 41 2-night, 31 3-night, 5 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 22 at site 010.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 50 ft. 39 sites take 25 ft, 24 sites take 35 ft, 16 sites take 40 ft. 7 sites of 47 have no recorded maximum and are not counted.
All 23 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRP01 | 50 ft | Yes | 25 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 11, Oct 12 +13 more |
| 010 | 35 ft | Yes | 9 | 9 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 016 | 35 ft | None | 9 | 9 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 019 | 25 ft | None | 9 | 9 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 029 | 25 ft | None | 9 | 9 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 038 | 30 ft | None | 9 | 9 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 003 | 27 ft | Yes | 8 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 018 | 25 ft | None | 8 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 013 | 35 ft | Yes | 7 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 009 | 30 ft | Yes | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 011 | 30 ft | Yes | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 014 | 45 ft | Yes | 6 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 015 | 40 ft | Yes | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 023 | 27 ft | Yes | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 024 | 30 ft | Yes | 6 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 028 | 45 ft | Yes | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 030 | 50 ft | Yes | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 031 | 50 ft | Yes | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 006 | 35 ft | Yes | 5 | 4 nights | Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 012 | 30 ft | Yes | 5 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 025 | 30 ft | Yes | 5 | 4 nights | Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 032 | 50 ft | Yes | 4 | 2 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 30 |
| 004 | 40 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24 |
Day-use inventory
40 available reservation dates across 1 day-use unit. Day-use inventory is reserved by the date, so it carries no stay length.
All 1 day-use unit with current availability
| Unit | Open reservation dates | Consecutive dates | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| BESSEY PICNIC SHELTER | 40 | 40 dates | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +28 more |
About Bessey Recreation Complex
Overview
Bessey Recreation Complex and campground is located in central Nebraska, adjacent to Middle Loup River, offering visitors
opportunities to enjoy the scenery, relax, and recreate.
Download the Recreation.gov app from your app store to pay online for first-come, first-serve sites.
Recreation
Waterfront activities are popular and plentiful at this facility. Adjacent to the campground, Middle Loup River is shallow and steady flowing, providing good conditions for tubing and canoeing. A seven acre pond stocked with largemouth bass, blue gill, trout and catfish offers great fishing for the whole family. There is also an accessible fishing pier.
Facilities
Bessey Recreation Complex has camping sites able to accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs, including one group site and several tent-only sites.
The campground is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, seasonal flush toilets and drinking water. Electric hookups are available at the group site and several of the standard sites. A group picnic area is also available for use.
Restaurants, gas stations and a grocery store are available in Thedford, Nebraska, 16 miles to the west. Halsey also has a restaruant, and Dunning 10 miles east has a gas station with groceries.
Natural Features
The Nebraska National Forest, Bessey Ranger District is located in western Nebraska.
The campground within the Bessey Recreation Complex is located next to the Charles E. Bessey Nursery, oldest tree nursery in the Forest Service.
Wildlife in the area abounds. Prairie chicken, sharp-tailed grouse, mule-deer, whitetailed deer, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, turkeys, coyotes, bobwhite quail, eagles, hawks and falcons all find habitat in surrounding ecosystems.
48 monitored sites24 FCFS sitesRVs up to 50 ft28 with hookups46 shadedWaterfrontRiverfrontPets OKFire pitsMax party 150
Getting there
From Interstate 80, travel north from North Platte, Nebraska on U.S. Hwy 83 for 65 miles to Thedford, Nebraska. Continue East for 16 miles on Nebraska Hwy 2, then South .05 miles from Hwy 2 on State Spur 86B.
40637 River Loop, Halsey, NE 69142(308) 533-2257 (NO RESERVATION INFO AVAILABLE AT THIS NUMBER)
CampingFishingHikingHistoric & Cultural SiteVisitor CenterWater SportsWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-234120 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-234120 · Bessey Recreation Complex · Halsey NE12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Bessey Recreation Complex?
Reservations for Bessey Recreation Complex are made through Recreation.gov. 96% of tracked site-dates are not currently open for online reservation; 209 of 5,170 remain open. Campsite Sniper has also detected 4 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site or unit on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this facility for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Bessey Recreation Complex?
Campsite Sniper detected 4 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Bessey Recreation Complex?
31 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 22 at site 010. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Bessey Recreation Complex fit a 35-foot RV?
24 of the 47 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 50 ft. 40 of those 47 sites have a recorded maximum length and 7 do not; they are not counted as fitting.
Which month has the most availability at Bessey Recreation Complex?
September 2026, with 159 open site-dates in the current snapshot of 624.
When is the next open date at Bessey Recreation Complex?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Tue, Sep 22 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 25. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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When a match opens, you get a push with a Recreation.gov link so you can review and book it yourself.
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