## Overview

 Canning Creek Cove Park is located on the 3,310-acre Council Grove Lake in the green expanses of eastern Kansas.
## Recreation

 Boating is a popular pastime at the lake, and two boat ramps are located in the campground for visitors\' convenience. The lake is known for its fishing opportunities, with crappie and catfish being the most abundant. Council Grove was also the first lake in Kansas to receive stocking of Saugeye. Hunters will find populations of quail, prairie chicken, wild turkey and deer on the nearly 2,700 acres of public hunting land surrounding the lake. Hiking trails wind along the lakeshore and into the forest. Pioneer Nature Trail is known as the most scenic trail, with plenty of wildlife, greenery and wildflowers creating a beautiful background. Council Grove is also a starting point for the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway. This byway travels through the best of the remaining remnants of the Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem in North America. Along the byway and 25 miles south is the National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, where visitors can spot colorful wildflowers in the spring and array of autumn colors in the fall.
## Facilities

 Canning Creek Campground offers 43 reservable campsites, including three group sites that can accommodate 40, 75 and 100 guests. Electric hookups, flush toilets and other modern amenities are provided. The campground has plenty of shade, along with open grassy areas for games and recreation.
## Natural Features

 Council Grove Lake sits in the rolling, grassy prairie of east Kansas, known as the Flint Hills. The lake was created by a dam built in 1964, and now offers recreational opportunities to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Historically this area is where the Osage Indians signed a treaty to establish the Old Santa Fe Trail. A marker in the town of Council Grove indicates the place where the treaty was signed. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The town of Council Grove, located about 2 miles southeast of the lake, is a National Historic District, with seven Santa Fe National Historic Trail sites in the community.

Canning Creek

This was a just an overnight for us as we were traveling but really enjoyed it! Loved seeing the lake out the window in the morning. Had a covered picnic table, hook ups, shade, and fairly spaced out sites. Little town was nearby for gas and groceries. 

Great View

**General:** Canning Creek is one of six camping areas operated by the US Army Corp of Engineers on Council Grove Lake. It is spread out on the lake so that all but four sites- 24, 26, 27&amp; 28 (and the group camping areas) are directly on the water. Even though there were only a handful of people camping when we were there on a Monday in mid-April, there was an attendant on duty until 8 pm. 

  

**Site Quality/Facilities:** Most sites have generous concrete pads, some of which could easily accommodate two vehicles, a concrete picnic table (covered by a shelter), a bbq, and a lantern hook. Some sites are reservable and others are not. The rates are very reasonable, as they are for all CoE campgrounds, especially for seniors. All sites have reasonable separation between them. On the map, sites 6-23 look to be very close together but they are reasonably distanced apart. Sites 1-5 (which are not reservable) have very long pull-through drives. All sites (except the group sites) have electric and water and some have 50 amp (these are noted on the map) 

  

**Bathhouse:** Some loops have vault toilets (which were very clean), some have flush toilets, and some have flush toilet/shower combos. None have soap dispensers. We were in site 46 with access to one of the combos. I appreciated the hot water, especially since we woke to snow the next morning! Sites 1-23 have a vault toilet but there is a flush facility within reasonable walking distance. 

  

**Activities/Amenities:** Swimming, fishing, and boating in season but we were passing through, so we did not participate. Minimal playground facilities (mostly in the loop with sites 1-23) and horseshoe pits. There was a hiking trail, but I did not explore it. 

  

We always have a good experience at a CoE campground – they are well run, clean, affordable and, of course, located on or near water. My only beef is that check-in time is 6 pm, although if it is not crowded, you could check in earlier.