Pawnee is the lake park Lincoln uses for everything at once: 740 acres of water for boating, waterskiing, and fishing; two swimming beaches; six miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding; an archery range and a shotgun range; and 207 campsites, 68 with electrical hookups. It’s 2,544 acres total — the second-largest lake in the Lincoln area after Branched Oak, and the one with the most going on per acre.
The campsites are paved, wide, shaded, and well spaced, and there’s a marina with a gas station and convenience store on-site, which removes the usual forgotten-ice problem. It’s far enough off I-80 (Exit 388, then through farm fields) that highway noise doesn’t reach the campgrounds — but close enough that it fills on summer weekends.
The drive in is part of the charm: fields rolling out to the water at dusk, and the lake just appears. Hunting is allowed in season (small game, waterfowl, whitetail), which makes this a year-round park rather than a summer-only one. Note the coin-op showers and that the beach isn’t directly connected to the campgrounds — swim at your own risk, no lifeguards.