Located less than a mile from highway 34 just outside of York, this easy to access recreation area offers the largest lake and one amenity not offered at any of the other NRD managed areas—an archery range. The 14-acre outdoor range features 25 covered bale targets, elevated platforms, and a variety of shooting situations. The lake was originally constructed for a five-year aquifer recharge study but is now used primarily for recreation. While many still know it simply as Recharge Lake, it was renamed in memory of Bruce Anderson, conservation advocate and longtime member of the Upper Big Blue NRD board of directors. Anderson Recreation Area has everything you need for family fun, including tent and RV camping, grills, picnic tables, and restrooms. Two dock areas offer ideal spots for fishing and wildlife viewing, and a kayak launch is attached to one of the docks. Hiking trails surround much of the lake. A playground and amphitheater make it an ideal gathering spot for groups.
The Bruce L. Anderson Recreation Area features a 44-surface-acre lake which stores 310 acre feet of water on a tributary of Beaver Creek.
If you see vandalism or another illicit activity taking place, please call the sheriff's department immediately: (402) 362-4927.
Tent and RV camping are allowed at Anderson Recreation Area and Pioneer Trails Recreation Area typically from mid- April to the end of October, but dates vary each year depending on weather. The cost is $5 for tent camping/night and $25 for RV camping/night. Payment is made on-site at the parks and camping spots are first-come, first-served. No advance reservations are available.
Fish Consumption Advisory: Many waterbodies in Nebraska have an increased load of certain toxins that may cause health concerns for those that consume a large amount of fish from these lakes and rivers. The most recent Fish Tissue Monitoring Report (2024) and Fish Consumption Advisory (2025), both from the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, indicate Recharge Lake at Anderson Recreation Area has increased levels of mercury. The advisory is not a ban on eating fish from affected waterbodies, but it is suggested that the public limit long-term consumption of fish caught from those specific waterbodies to eight ounces per week (for adults). Women of child-bearing age, those who are pregnant or nursing, and children under 15 years of age are the population most sensitive to the effects of mercury.
York
See what's available in nearby York from events, to restaurants, to attractions, on the Chamber of Commerce website.
