Clinton State Park Campground

Overall it was a good experience. We came on a weekend with good weather and were able to reserve easily a couple days in advance. There were a few campers near to us that we could see but no one that was right next to us and we couldn't hear them at all. 

Pros: 

• Access to "modern" toilets that flushed. While the one closest to us was closed (see cons) there was one a bit further, maybe another 4 minutes walk away that was open. It had a few stalls and were in decent enough condition. 

• PLENTY of wildlife. Bunnies, Racoons (and babies), PLENTY of deer, a possum.

• Bugs - While I've been here in early July and the bugs made me want to scream, in late July it seems they are better or at least being more in the open helped. A few flies and mosquitos. Nothing too bad.

Cons:

• It didn't seem like the host was there. There was a car driving around that asked us where a campsite was but it was in a weird format and they said the host wasn't around. 
• The bathrooms nearest to us were a modern toilet and they were closed, but it didn't really say they were closed so the only indication was no lights and more spiders than I care to admit. 
• Many of the camping areas (a vast majority) are surrounded by woodland and brush that makes it impossible to see, or even smell the lake. Getting down to it is a bit of a chore if you choose to do so.
• Though it had rained a few days before our campsite was bone dry, which is fine except that the ground was so hard that 80% of our set up time was trying to stake in. Could have just been our location though

Nice park in a beautiful setting. Only downside was the bugs were horrible here. Swarms of gnats and mosquitoes. The bathrooms were pretty dated too.

Camped out at site 13 for a real peaceful Saturday. Half of our group took the trail and hiked to the campsite, the other half got there by kayak/paddleboard. The site was very secluded and had a very interesting layout. Lots of hammock tree setups too.

Only real issue we had was there wasn’t a lot of flat ground. The tents we pitched were pretty close to the fire, and the biggest patch of flat ground was down wind from the fire.

Pros Off-season was quiet Open bathrooms were nice and well kept. Easy access to trails Lots of wildlife, vultures, deer, etc. Well marked and plenty of them spots Marina was a quick bike ride away and had a lot to offer during the season. Primate loops had some good spacing and tree cover, along with views of the lake. Inner loops not so much Potable water available year round. Was drinkable.

Cons Signs marked closed bathrooms but not the closest open bathrooms. One per campsite was still open with heat and electric. Weirdly all vaults were closed Office and hosts were unavailable so we had to leave for Casey's for firewood. While before the season, someone told us it's typically impossible to get firewood because the office is usually closed. Signs to the entrance to park and n avigation were pretty small, impossible to read at night, not lit. Electric parking pass only issued one day pass at a time. Would do the paper pass across the parking lot next time. Spacing is definitely a bit crowded for tent camping privacy this time of year. Will be curious to see how it feels in the summer/fall.

It was busy and noisy up until quiet hours, super family friendly, the camp sites are quite large and spread apart. The showers & bathrooms were nice! Many spots to choose from, we were lucky to grab one with tree cover making it feel like we were really out in nature. Lovely park and campground.

We stayed a week at Clinton State Park’s campground at site 92 in the middle of July with our two dogs.

Pros: The park itself is very big so the sites were pretty big which is always a big plus. Sites come with a picnic table and a fairly large fire ring which we unfortunately never got to enjoy because we were here during a heat wave (100+ almost every day). The park is also at a lake so there’s a beach access area where you can go and swim or just sit by the very large lake. There’s also a marina and boat ramps for anyone who has a boat, which we sadly did not. Of course, it’s important to mention this was one of the most affordable places we’ve ever stayed, granted, it was with a non sewer site but still.

Cons: The check-in situation was not very good. We received our site number upon reservation but we didn’t receive any instructions on when and where to check-in or if anyone would even be there to check us in. We also weren’t aware we’d have to pay for a parking pass for both our RV and towed vehicle which is normally $5/day but since we were there 7 days they gave us the annual passes which came out to $50 total for both vehicles. This one obviously most likely just has to do with the time of year we were here and it’s out of the park’s control but there were SO MANY BUGS especially at night. We hung our outside string lights like normal and, as you’ll see in the photos, they were absolutely swarmed with bugs. We’ve never seen so many bugs in one place, not even close. We also, as mentioned above, stayed at a W/E only site in the Prairie Clover Campground and each campground only has one dump station (2 total for the whole park) and the one for ours was closed for construction, which we were not made aware of, so we had to drive a pretty good distance to take our honey pot to the only one that was open. The bathrooms/showers were extremely hot because of no ventilation, had a lot of bugs, and the showers only give you one temperature and one pressure level, neither of which were great, and the lights in both are on a sensor and they went off within about 5 minutes of being in there and no matter how much you motioned it wouldn’t come back on so you’re stuck showering in the dark. Lastly, our Verizon service wasn’t very good, only about 2 bars of LTE. We both work full time remotely so this was concerning but luckily with our jet pack connected to an antenna we were able to get around 3 bars of LTE which was enough for us to work off of.

Overall: This is a nice, affordable state park/campground overall, not exactly the prettiest but it’s big and offers big sites and a large lake you can enjoy. It would have been much more enjoyable to stay during a cooler time of the year when there wasn’t so many bugs and on a site that had sewer (a non sewer site was our choice to be fair) so you didn’t have to worry about the dump station situation. Also not having wi-fi or great phone service was inconvenient but we had enough to make it work. We don’t plan to spend a whole lot of time in Kansas but if we came back through anytime that’s not spring or summer we’d definitely consider staying here again.

I was there for a few days on business and didn't maximize fun time. It was clean. I didn't use the facilities. I'd stay here again and explore. I was up against the lake. The front check-in person was nice.

Campgrounds are laid out well, but it can get loud at night. The park rangers have their hands full and they do a good job with settling disputes and quieting the rowdy campers.

Nice weather on that day to cook out nearby the beach, and fishing at the lake. Not the cleanest spot but had to clean it with water and soap on the tables. There is trails to sightseeing and can be used with bikes as well. Five dollars for day permit.

We stayed here one night and wished we had booked a longer trip. The park is awesome, spacious sites and level. The park is well taken care of and very easy to get to from I70. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We had water and electric but no sewer, which was a little bit of a pain. However there are full hookup sites, just none available. I would definitely plan a longer trip next time. Lots of wildlife, hiking, and beautiful lake.

Easy access, many spots, bathroom that locks, with shower. A loop of camping spots surrounded by trees. Nothing to complain about. People were friendly.

This park has undergone some improvements with Prairie Clover Camping Loop {#1} showers and bathrooms clean and newly painted; dump sites and lagoons redone. Electrical sites sold out weekends so mid week may be your best bet. Patsy welcomed us at the gate and was the camp host. Part-time Employee Dianna and her husband Randy with their little dog Sprocket were fantastic in helping us getting our campsite. We ended up in the primitive loop in the trees overlooking the Clinton Marina inlet #60 which was only one without table and fire rings (didn’t need them for our first dry run camp). Saw eagles, turkey vultures, and possible osprey.

Staying 2 weeks and couldn't have been more pleased! Website is little to no help unless visiting in peak season, but the camp hosts and park rangers are the tops. Visiting in non peak is as easy as driving in, finding a spot and paying your fees. Full bath houses, disc golf, archery range, a d an abundance of hiking all around the camps.

The campsite was okay. It was a busy weekend and we were not in a preferred spot, but it was wooded. The ranger at the gate was horrid. He was rude, yelled at each person coming through. He was especially annoyed at me for wearing a mask. He wasn’t and was within 3 feet. Lawrence is a college town with high rates of covid across the campus. He is talking one on one with these kids several times a day! He seriously grabbed my phone out of my hand when I asked him not to. The dump station has pooling sewer water and the water was not working. The park lacks maintenance, and it could be cut backs due to covid. Clinton lake it nice, but beware if heading out for camping.

UPDATE--I ended up with Covid a week later. Pretty sure it was my interaction with the park ranger that did it.

My husband and I pulled into this campground around 7 pm and didn’t have a reservation. The instructions at the self pay were confusing, as the directions made it sound like you needed a reservation but when we talked to the campground host she said we could just pay at the permit office in the morning. We stayed in Campground 1 in one of the primitive sites. There were many sites to choose from even through there were quite a few campers here during the middle of the week. It was a bit of a hike to the water but the bathrooms were clean and had single room toilets with showers. Beautiful area with lots of wildlife!

Stopped here on our way from East Tennessee to Yellowstone. The campground we stayed at was called Campground #3. Confusingly called Cornflower loop on the reservation website but never saw anything with that name at the campground. The maps on the kiosks are pretty worthless. No signs point the way so not a good way to start off having a hard time finding the site. No hosts anywhere to be found at 6:00 pm either.

Campsite was nice. Look at or near Site 411 for spacious, wooded, and more spread out campsites. Some are more out in a field setting. Side bonus: Site 411 has an enormous White Oak tree next to it!

This campground has it all! Plenty of sites with both shade and sunshine. Big sites for big RVs as well as some perfect hidden little tent sites. You can also rent cabins if you please. Close access to trails and disc golf, plenty of bathrooms, picnic shelters, and gorgeous prairie views! It was a rainy day, but that didn’t stop me from loving it!

I was having a difficult time finding a campground with availability on our way back from Colorado since we were leaving on the Sunday before Memorial Day. We decided to stay a couple of extra days and we found sites available at this one. There are two separate campgrounds at Clinton State Park, and we stayed at campground 1. We checked in with the camp host since the office was already closed. We asked for water, electricity, and somewhere close to the bath house. I guess two out of three aren’t bad. The bath house that we were closest to was closed for the season. The open one was at least two hundred yards away. Getting up in the middle of the night, we decided to drive to it in the dark. We didn’t understand why we couldn’t get a site closer to one of the open bath houses since there were several available sites. Another disappointment was that with all of the recent rain, we had a huge puddle separating our pull-through from our picnic table and fire pit. Again, we should have asked for another site. Other than those two disappointments, it was a really good campground, especially for being a state park. The individual toilet/showers were spacious and very clean. There was shade at some of the campsites, and there were open fields for kids to play in. Although the playground was small, there were other things to do. There was a disc golf course, an archery range, hiking trails, and the lake. The lake is large, and there is a place to launch boats, canoes, kayaks, jet skis, etc. At another part of the lake, there is a huge marina for larger boats. Bering in such a remote area, you don’t have to worry about the sounds of traffic. Overall, Clinton State Park is a place you can stay where there is plenty to do. Although there is no swimming pool, other activities previously mentioned should keep you busy.

Sites are nicely spacious. Stayed on site 141 and it had much room and privacy. Bathrooms were clean most of the time except late Saturday I guess most people back from their activities and lots of use but overall site camp was great. U can see deers along the way too and the hiking trails are nice view of a creek but make sure u take hiking boots as some spots are very muddy

Good shade. Well maintained and good sized spots. We’ve also rented cabins which are nice.

Another great state park. Stayed in camp ground 1 in the off season so wasn’t too packed but it was busy. The great part is that the sites are so large, at least on the lake side, which is actually a bit away from the lake, but accessible by stairs from the camp sites. Plenty of distance between campers. The gravel pads and paved roads made it very easy to get into spot and set up. The park had all the amenities and not too far a drive from town for supplies if needed. In addition to a number of hiking trails, they had a disk golf course and an archery range. The park has a day use fee of $5 a day per vehicle which is independent from the state camping fee. But they offered me an annual pass (calendar year) of $25 for the day use.

Overall it’s a very nice park, close to the lake and lots of space.  The biggest drawback is some pretty poorly maintained showers & bathrooms.  The larger shower houses were fine but the satellite vaulted toilets looked like they hadn’t been swept in a few years.  If you’re an rv camper who showers in your rig it’s a great place, if your a tent camper be ready for some ick.

Free dispersed camping at camp area 3. Showers have warm water. Very muggy in the summer.

Weird campsites, not enough trees, super loud at night due to traffic, the lake is disgusting and we ended up leaving after one night. Would never return.

We have tent camped here often. Most of the sites are spacious. It's not unusual to find a site with no neighbors. The campground is uphill from the lake but the are hiking trails to the lake as well as other trails around the park. Vault toilets and flush toilets with showers are available. They could be better maintained. Overall it is a nice quiet campground for a quick getaway. Also, very close to Lawrence.

It's good for kids because it has a field and a playground. Some primitive sites do NOT have a fire pit. Bathrooms are bug filled. Even the showers that close all the way. Some campers look like they live there.

We love this campsite, especially in the off months! We always get a great private campsite, but I can see where in more popular months, it can get crowded! Bathrooms are clean, dog friendly! Hiking trails are great too!

Had a large family gathering here. crowded but clean and fun.

I stayed at the free site a ways from the lake called Woodbridge public use area and the hiking trail that connected this spot to the lake was killer as well as the campground was beautiful I camped in the rain for 2 of the 3 nights I stayed here and it was still a very very enjoyable experience and it FREE!!

If you enjoy no privacy and camping on top of your neighbor, look no further! If you the your dogs like we do, expect to keep them tied up on a short line and for the park rangers to come check every few hours. For a place with issues of bodies in the lake and homeless squatters, strange for rangers top consistently come into other campsites to check on illegal activity. We tried to go swimming once and was met with piles of dead fish on the swimming beach. Plus side, it's close and bathrooms are clean.