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Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park

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**COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY, SUCH AS THE RENTING OF SITES AND RESELLING SAID RESERVATION, IS OCCURRING ON STATE PARK PROPERTY THAT IS AGAINST AGENCY REGULATIONS. KDWPT REGULATION K.A.R. 115-8-19 STATES THAT NO PERSON SHALL ADVERTISE, ENGAGE IN, OR SOLICIT ANY BUSINESS, OR MAKE A CHARGE FOR ANY EVENT OR SERVICE EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT-ON-DEPARTMENT LANDS AND WATERS. PERSONS OR BUSINESSES FOUND TO BE ENGAGING IN THIS ACTIVITY CAN BE TICKETED RESULTING IN A COURT APPEARANCE AND RELATED FINES/COSTS.**

CAMPSITES Holiday Minimum Stay Rule: Memorial Weekend 4 night minimum May 22, 23, 24, 25; July 4th Weekend 3 night minimum July 3, July 4, July 5; Labor Day weekend 3 night minimum Aug 29, Aug 30, Aug 31. CABIN Holiday Minimum Stay Rule for 2025 holidays are: Memorial Day holiday is Fri/Sat/Sun May 23, 24, 25; July 4th holiday is Fri/Sat July 4, 5; Labor Day holiday is Fri/Sat/Sun Aug 29, 30, 31. CABIN Holiday Minimum Stay Rule for 2026 holidays are: Memorial Day holiday is Fri/Sat/Sun May 22, 23, 24; July 4th holiday is Fri/Sat July 3, 4; Labor Day holiday is Fri/Sat/Sun Sept 4,5, 6

Saddle Ridge Campground is for horse campers only. For reservations please call the Saddle Ridge Camp Host Station at 913-594-3600 (answering machine).

Additional tents may require an additional $10.00 per night fee at check-in.

Crappie Cove Campground near Paola, KS, is situated in a region characterized by flat terrain with scattered trees. The area experiences temperatures ranging from the 30s in winter to the 90s in summer. Nearby, Hillsdale Lake offers opportunities for fishing and boating, while Hillsdale State Park provides trails for hiking and wildlife observation.

Description

KS State Parks & Recreation

Hillsdale State Park

Hillsdale is one of the newest reservoirs in Kansas. Originally authorized in 1954 and completed in 1982, the reservoir is part of a comprehensive flood control plan for the Osage and Missouri River basins. Located in the rolling hills of Miami County, Hillsdale State Park and Wildlife Area has convenient access from urban Kansas City.
Hillsdale offers outdoor recreational opportunities to campers, anglers, boaters, hunters, swimmers, horseback riders, model airplane flyers, hikers, naturalists, picnickers, photographers, sightseers and those just out to enjoy our natural environment.

You must be 18 or older to rent a cabin or campsite.

  • Subject to regulations and posted notices, any individual over 21 may possess, consume, or drink alcoholic liquor. Kegs and party balls are strictly prohibited.
  • Any motorized vehicle must purchase and display a valid state park vehicle permit. Electric and gas powered scooters and skateboards cannot be operated in the state park. ATV use is prohibited in the state park.
  • Camping is allowed only in designated areas and is subject to restrictions as posted. All campers and camping units are limited to a stay of not more than 14 consecutive days although a 14-day extension may be obtained with written permission from the park manager. A 5-day absence is required before returning to the park to camp again. Any property left unused or unoccupied for 48 hours is subject to removal. Only one camper/RV per site is allowed.
  • Fires are allowed in fireplaces, fire rings, and cooking grills only. Fires must be completely extinguished prior to leaving the area.
  • Swimming is allowed in designated areas. For other non-alcoholic beverages, only shatterproof containers are allowed.
  • Pets must always be restrained by a camper, cage, hand-held leash, or tethered chain no longer than 10 feet. They are not allowed on swimming beaches or swimming areas that are delineated by buoys or other markers or in public buildings or structures. Dogs participating in authorized activities or assisting the visually or hearing impaired are not subject to these restrictions.
  • A special event permit is required for any event involving entrance fees, exclusive use of an area, sales, organized competition, amplified sound, or reservation of a specific site or facility. Check with the park office for details.
  • Fishing is prohibited on boat ramps, courtesy docks, swimming beaches, and in swimming areas marked with buoys. In state parks, fish may only be cleaned at designated fish cleaning stations or other locations as posted.
  • Boats may not be operated within 200 feet of any area posted specifically for swimming and delineated by markers. No-wake speeds are required within 200 feet of a boat ramp, boat dock. Vessels left unattended at courtesy docks are subject to removal.
  • Fireworks are prohibited.
  • Litter must be put in trash containers, if provided. Where containers are not provided, park users must carry their trash out with them.
  • Digging holes, removing or defacing geological formations, archeological relics or ruins, or vegetation (except for noncommercial use of edible wild plants, wild fruits, nuts, or fungi) is prohibited.
  • Quiet hours are 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Actions which alarm, anger, or disturb others are prohibited. Generators can not be used during quiet hours. Failure to comply may result in expulsion from the park.
  • Firearms may only be discharged in areas specifically designated for hunting or target practice.
  • DUMPING OF GREY WATER IS PROHIBITED. Grey water must be disposed of at the dump station.
  • Trails are open during daylight hours only. No camping, fires, or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. Please use caution when crossing roadways.
  • Cabin renters may check in after 3:00pm and check out by Noon everyday, year round. Smoking is not allowed in cabins. Pets and pet carriers are not allowed inside or on the porches of cabins. Cabin renters are not allowed to grill or cook from the porch deck. The cabin must be clean prior to departure. Cabin renters shall be responsible for full payment of any damages incurred during the length of stay. Damages will be billed to the renter for payment.
  • This is not a complete list of regulations. Complete regulations can be viewed and printed at ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Park-Regulations.
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Location

Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park is located in Kansas

Detail location of campground

Directions

**From the South and West:** Take I-35N towards Kansas City. Take the KS-68 exit toward Ottawa/Louisburg. Turn right onto KS-68. Turn Left onto Osawatomie Rd. 3 miles to Hillsdale State Park. **From the North and East:** Take I-35S. Take the US-169 S, exit 215 towards Paola. Turn left onto US-169S. Take the 255th Street ramp. Turn right onto W. 255th St. 3.3 miles to Hillsdale State Park.

Address

26001 W. 255th Street
Paola, KS 66071

Coordinates

38.65917876 N
94.92448355 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Available

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • Picnic Table
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Water Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • 30 Amp Hookups
  • 50 Amp Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

Contact

General Info

Reservations

Drive Time


Reviews

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6 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 9, 2022

Nice campground

This was our first trip to Crappie Cove at Hillsdale Lake. Overall, it's a very nice, clean and well layed out campground with several areas available with different names. Most have 50amp power and water with one area having full hookups and concrete pads available. There are many primitive sites avaliable as well. We will be revisiting on a regular basis now.

Sitesite 14
Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Oct. 11, 2020

Beautiful

This is a very nice area to camp. Quiet. The shower/ bath houses are clean. I had a great time kayaking the coves to this gorgeous lake.

Reviewed Mar. 5, 2020

Pretty view

This is not a campsite I will go back to. When we drove into the park and paid the entrance fee, we were told to find a place that wasn't occupied then go get a tag from the host. We found a site and started getting our stuff out of the car and pretty soon the campground host came by and told us we had to leave. She assigned campsites when people drove in, which is not what we were told. After telling her we wouldn't leave, she left, then came back and said we could stay. 

The campground itself was pretty, but a lot of people in RV's (we tent camp) who were there to fish and party, so I thought it was noisy.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park by Janice  O., March 5, 2020
  • Review photo of Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park by Janice  O., March 5, 2020
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2018

Nice area to camp and fish

There are limited sites for camping at Hillsdale Lake.  But they are all nice and many offer waterfront access.  Great fishing on Hillsdale and they have a really nice Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Recreation operated firearms outdoor range facility too.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2018

Great site. poorly maintained

We stayed for a week in Crappie Cove. We have relatives in the area and have always heard folks rave about weekends at Hillsdale lake. We are spending 3 months this summer in our RV traveling the country and this was one of the stops along our way.

Pros:

  • spacious site
  • lots of trees/shade
  • Mostly quiet location
  • great playground for kids (though not shaded)
  • each site had a table and fire pit
  • far enough away from the city to see stars at night. :)
  • Lots of different camping loops - from primitive to full hookups.

Cons:

  • NEVER saw the camp host.
  • not sure the showers/toilets were cleaned in the 7 days we were there. There were always puddles everywhere in the bathroom, so much that the heat made them smell very bad. One toilet would never seem to hold water. Most of the time it was empty/clogged.
  • many many cars on some sites
  • standing pond of water covered in moss/algae and caused lots of bugs/mosquitoes to be around
  • Shower curtains had black mold all over them

This campground has great potential and we found some other bathrooms that were actually decent on another loop, so walked there daily instead of the one in our loop.

No one at the front booth when we checked in (middle of the afternoon on a Sunday) but we had already paid, so we just proceeded to our site, which was already marked with our name and dates. We went in and out of the park every day with no issue. On the 7th day of our stay, my husband is stopped and asked where his parking permit is. No one came by our site after we checked in. No one ever asked in 7 days, not even the camp host who should monitor that stuff. We had ONE vehicle on our site and everywhere we have ever camped, one vehicle is included in your camping fee. We were told we had to pay an additional fee per day for the vehicle we used to pull our camper to the site. AFTER we had been parking there a week already and it was the day we were leaving. None of the other cars in our loop had permits in their windows or windshields.

We have stayed at many state parks across the country and this is one of the worst, in my opinion. Camp hosts were non-existent until the last minute and then they were rude. Facilities are not well maintained (on the Crappie Cove loop).

Site37
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park by Kristine  S., August 6, 2018
  • Review photo of Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park by Kristine  S., August 6, 2018
  • Review photo of Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park by Kristine  S., August 6, 2018
  • (5) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park have RV hookups?

According to TheDyrt.com, Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park has 30 amp and 50 amp electric hookups, water hookups and sewer hookups.

What is the max vehicle length at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park?

Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park allows vehicles up to 21 feet.

Are fires allowed at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is available.

How hard is it to get a campsite at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park?

Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park, try setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts

Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park?

There are 37 campsites at Crappie Cove Campground — Hillsdale State Park and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts