Getting Tanked Nebraska Style
It seems all of the news these days out of Nebraska and the Great Plains is of the ongoing drought - or, in several cases, catastrophic flooding. However, most of the water in Nebraska is tame, picturesque and an absolute joy to experience.
Tanking is a tradition begun in the Nebraska Sandhills and carried on throughout the state on the many shallow and slow-flowing streams. In fact, did you know that Nebraska has more miles of streams than any other state? Just look at the map and see the ladder of rivers that flow from central and western Nebraska to empty into the Missouri.
Locally our Platte river offers only sporadic opportunities to drop a tank in and float, depending on the irrigation season and snowpack in the Rockies. However, as listed below, you'll find many, many outfitters specializing in water recreation of many kinds.
Here are some of my previous posts about our tanking experiences:
Tanking is a tradition begun in the Nebraska Sandhills and carried on throughout the state on the many shallow and slow-flowing streams. In fact, did you know that Nebraska has more miles of streams than any other state? Just look at the map and see the ladder of rivers that flow from central and western Nebraska to empty into the Missouri.
Locally our Platte river offers only sporadic opportunities to drop a tank in and float, depending on the irrigation season and snowpack in the Rockies. However, as listed below, you'll find many, many outfitters specializing in water recreation of many kinds.
Here are some of my previous posts about our tanking experiences:
And I can't say as I blame people for their interest in tanking. It's a great way to spend time with friends and family, you get to see beautiful scenery,
And lots of wildlife. Some big...
Some small.
Of course, you know that we are fortunate enough to have access to a tank, a river that this year has had plenty of water in it, trailers and 4x4's to get us to the river. But you really don't need all of that. There are great outfitters throughout Nebraska that can get you on a river. Just this past week, we had the opportunity to go tanking with the Calamus Outfitters on the Calamus river near Burwell.
I'll be doing an entire post later on about what fun they have to offer, but even on a chilly overcast day, the tanking was wonderful.
Nebraska seems to be most known for the long, straight, flat drive along Interstate 80. I've tried to educate the world that this ain't necessarily so, and I'll continue to do so. However, at one time Nebraska was also known as The Great American Desert, and this ain't necessarily so either. Remember what I told you about our miles of rivers? Just look at this map that I got off of Geology.com. Look at all of the rivers that run nearly border to border, and of course there's the Missouri that forms the eastern boundary.
Another interesting statistic that I learned recently is that Nebraska is second only to Florida in the number of airboats operating on it's waters. Pretty cool, huh? I know of at least one outfitter, Bryson's airboats ,that offer airboat tours.
And lots of wildlife. Some big... 
Some small. 
I'll be doing an entire post later on about what fun they have to offer, but even on a chilly overcast day, the tanking was wonderful.Nebraska seems to be most known for the long, straight, flat drive along Interstate 80. I've tried to educate the world that this ain't necessarily so, and I'll continue to do so. However, at one time Nebraska was also known as The Great American Desert, and this ain't necessarily so either. Remember what I told you about our miles of rivers? Just look at this map that I got off of Geology.com. Look at all of the rivers that run nearly border to border, and of course there's the Missouri that forms the eastern boundary.
Another interesting statistic that I learned recently is that Nebraska is second only to Florida in the number of airboats operating on it's waters. Pretty cool, huh? I know of at least one outfitter, Bryson's airboats ,that offer airboat tours.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has compiled a list of all outfitters offering water adventures in Nebraska.
Nebraska River Outfitters & Rentals
State sections indicated on map inside. This list is compiled by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the convenience of the outdoor enthusiasts. The Commission does not endorse any outfitter.
PANHANDLE
Oregon Trail Wagon Train
RR 2 Box 502
Bayard, NE 69334
308-586-1850
www.oregontrailwagontrain.com
rompnreds@scottsbluff.net
North Platte River
SOUTHWEST
North Shore Marina
Canoe Rental
Gremlin Cove
Harlan County Reservoir
70738 Lake View
Republican City, NE 68971
308-799-2315
www.harlanlake.com
Republican River
SOUTHEAST
UNL Campus Recreation
Canoe Rental
Outdoor Adventures
841 North 14th St.
Lincoln, NE 68588
402-472-4777
www.crec.unl.edu/outdoor/
Canfield’s Sporting Goods
Canoe & Kayak Rental
Rich Canfield
8457 W. Center Rd.
Omaha, NE 68124
402-393-3363
800-333-2263
www.canfields.com
UNO Campus Recreation
Canoe & Kayak Rental
Outdoor Venture Center
6001 Dodge St.
Omaha, NE 68182
402-554-2258
unoovc@mail.unomaha.edu
Tanking Down the Elkhorn
Tanking Outfitter
Jill & Steve Evers
P.O. Box 45064
Omaha, NE 68145
402-709-8693
Elkhorn River Tubing & Adventures Brock Beran - (402) 301-7482
www.tubingandadventures.com
NORTHEAST
Lakeside County Store & Grill
Canoe Rental
Fremont SRA
3120 State Lakes Rd.
Fremont, NE 68025
402-753-0957
www.lakesidegrille.net
Missouri River Expeditions
1011 S. Hawthorne Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
866-US-KAYAK
www.missriverexp.com
trips@missriverexp.com
Missouri River
Missouri River Tours
Marlin Roth
86990 – 564 Ave.
Randolph, NE 68771
402-985-2216
Missouri River
Broken Arrow Wilderness
Douglas & Darla Russell
1025 N. 4th St.
Fullerton, NE 68638
308-536-2441
www.brokenarrowwilderness.com
Cedar and Loup Rivers
SANDHILLS
Glidden Canoe Rental
West Hwy. 2 Box 368
Mullen, NE 69152-0368
308-546-2206
888-278-6167
www.gliddencanoerental.com
Dismal and Middle Loup Rivers
Trapper’s Creek Outdoors
Mary Hughes
RR 1 Box 64
Burwell, NE 68823 - 308-346-5024
www.cornhusker.net/~tcohughes
tcohughes@cornhusker.net
North Loup and Calamus Rivers Allison Springs
Gary Hughes
82360 468th Ave.
Burwell, NE 68823
308-750-0874
North Loup River
Calamus Outfitters LLC
83720 Valleyview Ave. Burwell, NE 68823 - 308-346-4697
www.calamusoutfitters.com
Calamus River
Kamp Kaleo
46872 Willow Springs Rd.
Burwell, NE 68823
308-346-5083
www.kampkaleo.com
kamp@micrord.com
Loup River
NIOBRARA RIVER
Rock Barn Outfitters
Fred Egelhoff
Valentine, NE 69201
402-376-1764
800-335-6252
www.rockbarnoutfitters.com
egelhoff@q.com
Little Outlaw Canoe & Tube
Rich Mercure
1005 E. Hwy. 20
Valentine, NE 69201
402-376-1822
800-238-1867
www.outlawcanoe.com
outlawcanoe@yahoo.com
A & C Outfitters
Valentine, NE 69201
402-376-2839
800-691-9951
Brewer’s Canoers
Randy & Mary Mercure
433 E. Hwy. 20
Valentine, NE 69201
402-376-2046
800-346-2046
www.brewerscanoers.com
info@brewerscanoers.com
Dryland Aquatics, Inc.
Ed & Louise Heinert
HC 13 Box 33
Sparks, NE 69220
402-376-3119
800-337-3119
www.drylandaquatics.com
info@drylandaquatics.com
Graham Canoe Outfitters
HC 13 Box 16-A1
Valentine, NE 69201
Located at Hwy. 20 and 83
402-376-3708
800-322-3708
Rocky Ford Outfitters
Kerry & Lisa Krueger
P.O. Box 3
Valentine, NE 69201
402-497-3479
402-376-1124 (Off Season)
www.rockyfordoutfitters.com
Sharp’s Outfitters
Wayne Sharp
HC 13 Box 34A
Sparks, NE 69220
402-376-2506
www.sharpsoutfitters.com
sharpsoutfitters@hotmail.com
Sunny Brook Camp Outfitters
Steve Breuklander
HC 13 Box 36C
Sparks, NE 96220
402-376-1887
877-376-1887
www.sunnybrookcamp.com
Supertubes
Nola Moosman
310 W. Hwy. 20
Valentine, NE 69201
402-376-2956
800-799-9929
www.nolasupertubes.com
Heartland Elk Guest Ranch
P.O. Box 3
Valentine, NE 69201
402-376-1124
www.heartlandelk.com
info@heartlandelk.com
Niobrara River Ranch
HC 13 Box 30A
Valentine, NE 69201
866-282-8677
www.niobrarariverranch.com
So what are you waiting for? Contact one of these outfitters, plan your trip to Nebraska, and get out on one of our great rivers!
Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.
This is awesome, we always do a "Canoe The Blue" trip every summer at least one or twice! Thanks for giving us the contact info for those places too, super useful! Thanks for linking up go to my sponsor page and enter "NBC" to get a Tractor Sized Ad Space (middle one) FREE! Stick around and link up soon again!
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