TWO RIVERS
State Recreation Area
27702 F St.
Waterloo, NE 68069-7012
Phone: 402-359-5165
NGPC.Two.Rivers@nebraska.gov
CHECK THE WEB!
Visit the Game and Parks Commission home
page to discover Nebraska’s other great state park
lands, make your camping or cabin reservations,
acquire your park entry permits and fishing &
hunting licenses. Plan your getaway today at www.
OutdoorNebraska.org. Web reservations available
24/7 or call 402-471-1414.
Venice
Under federal and/or state law, discrimination is prohibited on the basis of race,
color, religion, age, gender, marital status, national origin, disability or political
affiliation. If you think you have been discriminated against in any program, activ-
ity or facility or want more information, contact the Affirmative Action Officer,
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE, 402-471-0641; the Equal
Opportunity Commission, Lincoln, NE, 402-471-2024, TTY / TDD 402-471-4693.
USFWS, Division of Bird Habitat and Conservation, Civil Rights Coordinator,
4401 North Fairfax Drive, MBSP 4020, Arlington, Virginia 22203.
Printed on recycled paper with soy ink. SO-02/10
including the steel grate platforms and the 25-inch
steel doors. Railing clearance is still the standard 30
inches. The first and only cabooses so adapted in the
nation, they offer an uncommon lodging adventure.
Cabooses are air-conditioned for hot summer use. They
sleep six people, with two bunk beds in the rear and
two mattresses in the cupola. Each is equipped with a
modern bathroom with shower. A stove, refrigera­tor,
sink and a few cabinets make up the kitchenette. A table
with four chairs and a couch for two serve the dining/
living area. For those who like outdoor dining, there is a
deck with picnic table and grill.
Since the integrity of the cabooses has been retained,
they are not handicap accessible.
To enjoy your caboose to the fullest, please plan ahead
to bring the following items: Bedding or sleeping
bags (mattresses provided), towels and soap, eating
utensils, charcoal and lighter fluid for grill cooking,
cooking utensils, pillows. No pets are allowed in the
cabooses.
CAMPING
Campers will find a variety of facilities at Two Rivers’
six campgrounds. There are 208 hard-surfaced pads,
of which 113 have electric hookups. Cottonwood and
Fawn Meadows campgrounds have a shower house;
Cottonwood has 49 individual sites with electricity,
while Fawn Meadows has 12 pads with electricity and
water hook-up. Oak Grove Campground, north of the
trout lake (No. 5), has 16 pads, which have electricity.
Lakeside has 36 pads with electricty. Pad camping is
available at Goldenrod camping area (56 sites); and
Riverside (49 sites) with 10 being tent sites.
Fees vary according to the facilities provided. Stays
are limited to 14 days. All vehicles in any camping
area between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. must pay the
camping fee. Camping is open year round however
the showers close for the winter.
RESERVATIONS
Reservations are accepted for two or more nights up
to a year in advance of arrival date and can be made
on-line, by phone or in person during regular park
office hours. A two-night minimum stay is required,
unless it is a one-night stay positioned between two
prior reservations or a walk in registration for that
day's business.
Half of the modern campsites at Two River's
campground can be reserved up to 3 days prior to
Popular Two Rivers State Recreation Area, with
Two Rivers
State Recreation Area
arrival; the remainder are available on a first come, first
serve basis. Reservations may be made a year in advance
of arrival date, except no reservations are taken inside of
3 days of arrival and can be made on-line, by phone or
in person during regular park office hours.
To make reservations online, go to www.
OutdoorNebraska.org. Phone reservations can
be made through the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission call center at (402) 471-1414. The
center is open from 9 AM to 6 PM Central Time
Monday-Friday.
There is a nonrefundable reservation fee for each site
or unit reserved on-line, by phone or in person. The
reservation fee applies to each site or unit reserved,
regardless of the length of time of the reservation.
FISHING
Two Rivers’ ever-popular trout lake (No.5), normally
opens to pay fishing on the second Saturday of March
and remains open until sometime after Labor Day.
Call the office for fall closing. Those with physical
disabili­ties can enjoy the trout lake, too, since an
easily accessible fishing pier is located at the south
end of the lake. The restrooms located near the lake
are also handi­cap accessi­ble. Regulations governing
the trout lake, including fees and fish allowed per
tag, are posted on the area. A valid Nebraska fishing
permit is required in addi­tion to the trout tag.
Fish species available in lakes No. 1, 2, 6 and 7 include
largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, bull­head, catfish,
and carp. Lake Nos. 3 & 4 are catch and release lakes,
and barbless hooks are required. All lakes are open
year round except for Lake No. 5
HORSE CAMPING
Horse camping is allowed in the horse staging area
by registering, and paying, the current camping fee.
Please, no riding through other campgrounds or in
the wildlife management area from September 15
through January 31 due to the hunting season
SWIMMING
Unsupervised swimming is available at Lake Number
4. The beach is open Memorial weekend through
Labor Day.
BICYCLE RENTALS
For fun and exercise, Two Rivers has bicycle rentals, so
visitors can pedal around the area. Bicycle rentals are
avail­able from Memorial weekend through Labor Day.
its distinctive Caboose “cabins” and put-and-take
trout fishing lake is unique among Ne­bras­ka’s state
recre­ation areas.
Two Rivers SRA encompasses some 644 acres of land
and about 320 acres of water in the form of sand pit
lakes, just off of NE 92, 1 mile south and 1 mile west of
Venice. Acquired by the Game and Parks Commis­sion
in 1958 and open to the public since 1960, Two Rivers
devel­oped into one of the state’s most used recreation
areas during its 45-plus year history.
Other facilities and activities include excellent
campgrounds, a swimming beach, picnicking, fishing,
handi­cap fishing pier, playgrounds for the children
and hunting in season. A concession is also on site.
CABOOSE PARK
Visitors here can climb aboard an actual Union
Pacific Railroad caboose for a truly unique experience
in park lodging. Donated to the Game and Parks
Commission by the Union Pacific through the Game
and Parks Foundation, 10 colorful cabooses sit on
their own tracks and are open from May 1 through
Sept. 30 and can be reserved for two or more nights.
Relics of yesteryear, cabooses are no longer used by
most railroads, but they do recall those bygone days,
when the railroads helped settle the West and draw a
mighty nation together. Once the trains were the only
way to “travel in style.”
Remodeled and restored for use as park lodging,
cabooses can be reserved for two or more nights up to
a year in advance.
Railroad buffs will find that the integrity of the
cabooses was maintained in the restoration process,
HUNTING
Unless otherwise posted, the WMA area is open to
hunting, in season, through the conclusion of spring
turkey season. Waterfowl hunting is permitted as
posted. Temporary blinds may be used, but they must
be removed from the area at the close of hunt­ing each
day. Permanent or seasonal blinds are not allowed. In
addition to waterfowl, species available include quail,
pheasants, squirrels and cotton­tails. Archery hunting
for deer is permitted as posted. Please no horse riders
or hiking during hunting season in hunting area.
REGULATIONS REMINDERS
Fires are allowed only in the facilities provided.
Removing, defacing or damaging property is
prohibit­ed, and trees, flowers, shrubs or other plants
may not be cut, picked or carried away.
Dogs must be kept on a 6-foot or less leash at all
times, and other household pets must be under
physical re­straint. Consumption of alcoholic beverage
is prohib­ited on state property.
AREA / OFFICE HOURS
Entrance gate hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from
Memorial weekend through Labor Day. Off-season
hours are 7 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset but are
subject to change. Please call for current information.
The area office is open 7 a.m. to mid March into
September. The office may not be staffed from
October through March. However, personnel may be
on hand most days for routine park duties.
PARK ENTRY PERMIT
A valid Nebraska Park Entry Permit is required for
all vehicles entering Two Rivers State Recreation Area
or any other Nebraska state park area. Permits are
available online at www.OutdoorNebraska.org, from
Two Rivers or any Game and Parks Commission
office, and hunting and fishing permit vendors.
MORE ON NEBRASKA PARKKLANDS
To learn more about Nebraska’s many fine state
park areas, call or write to the State Parks Division,
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, PO Box
30370, Lincoln, NE 68503, 402-471-0641.
To receive a 52-page, full-color Nebraska State Park
booklet, please call toll-free 1-800-826-PARK (7275).
Just leave a message with your name and complete
address and request for information.