Ellis Lakeside Campground

Driving from east to west doesn't always support an exciting camping experience, but sometimes you just need a place to sleep. Ellis Lakeside was that for my journey. I am not a huge fan of sites right on top of each other, but if you are than you will enjoy Ellis Lakeside. It does sit right on the water edge, and has some pretty great water views.  All in all if you are passing through KS and need a place to sleep, pull into Ellis Lakeside. 

Decent if on a road trip

Cute little creek with a dock.  Has a bathroom / shower but wasn’t nice or very clean.  We just stayed the night, but we enjoyed the creek and the huge trees. Wouldn’t stay for longer then a day.  

Nice stop over site

I didn’t have high hopes for a city-run campground in the middle of Kansas. No reservations. Pay with cash in an envelope. 4th of July weekend. We decided to give it a try and we’re pleasantly surprised. 

There are 15 or so sites along the lake (which seems more like a pond or a river) which had big shade trees covering them. Then another 10 or so sites behind that were in full sun. Many of the sites had power and water. Some sites shared the power with the neighboring site, and one of the two outlets for 30 amp was missing or broken. 

But there were enough open spots we found one with shade and power and water. There is a dump station by the bathrooms. We checked out the bathrooms and they weren’t clean enough for us to want to use them, so it’s fortunate we have our own. 

Some people fishing. Crazy fireworks being lit off in the park behind us. Someone doing donuts in their truck at 2 am. It probably would have been very quiet had it not been for the holiday weekend. 

A good place to stop for the night as you trek across I-70.

Good for a night

Great one or two night stop. This is a small campground that is first come first serve but there were plenty of spots open when we arrived on a Sunday. All sites are pull through. We took a lake front spot, with big trees for shade. We would stay here again!




Cute and right off the Hwy

This little RV park is a perfect no frills stop while driving through Kansas with easy access off I70. There are some sites on the small lake adjacent to the property that are surrounded by beautiful trees. We were able to grab one of these in November during the week. There are spots across the street as well, but  that is more of a parking lot looking situation. Water and Electric hookups are available. However, we read they shut the water off in December so be sure to fill up your tank when that of year. We were able to ride our bikes into the little town to grab a tasty breakfast at a diner before we packed up. I would recommend this campground for a restful over night stay. *We travel in a 37 foot 5th wheel for reference 

Quaint City Park

Great place to stay as we made our way west.  Scenic lakeside spot. Bathhouse wasn’t open but we did not expect it to be in early Feb. Would stop again 

Ellis is a nice stop.

**General:** We arrived just before 6 pm on a Sunday in mid-September and had our choice of lakefront sites but by 8 pm, it had filled in. There are other sites that are not lakefront and they would be ok if the lakefront ones were full but definitely not as desirable. The rates are reasonable -$20 for an RV site; $15 for tents (the tent area was just a grassy common area, and no one was staying there when we were there). Payment is on the honor system as there was no on-site host and as far as we could tell, no one checked to see that we had paid. 

  

**Sites/Facilities:** Each site is very large and spaced a decent amount apart but there is no physical separation between them. Each has a large picnic table set on a concrete pad and electric hookups, however, be aware that you need a very long cord to reach the electric box. Ours did not make it but we were ok for one night without electric. We also could not get the water spigot to work but again, not a big deal for us for just an overnight. There is also a free common dump station. 

  

**Bathhouse:** The bathrooms and showers were ok, but not great. They were cleaned very early in the morning. 

  

**Activities/Amenities:** The small town of Ellis is within walking distance from the campground and although it was small, the town did have a lot of civic pride. There was good internet and free WiFi, although we did not try and access it. There was a small playground, but a sign was posted indicating it had not been disinfected during Covid and it was recommended it not be used. Fishing seemed to be a popular activity and there was a fishing/boat dock. 

  

**Conclusion:** We could not hear much road noise during the day but as soon as it quieted down at night, the road noise from I70 was very loud all night long, however, this is a very convenient stopover for people traveling east or west on I70 looking for a place to spend the night.

Conveniently close to I70

This beautiful park is so relaxing, and stress relieving after traveling on a busy interstate. The amenities they provide are: electric and water, picnic tables, comfort station, wifi, trash and pet waste stations and a dump station. There is also a fishing deck and benches near the water, beautiful trees and well lite at night. 

Lovely Relaxing Treasure

Ellis RV park is located in the town center, there is a river that runs through. They have a dump station but not at your site. 
There is a little train that you can ride with a tour. 


Peaceful with good views 

For $20, it’s a nice little park. Restrooms were clean-ish, but of course you’ll want to wear shower shoes and bring your own soap. There’s a cute little playground with old equipment that is still lots of fun. It’s very quiet, and the city police patrol often enough to make you feel safe. Some sites have electric, some don’t. I don’t know if you can make reservations, but we’ve stayed there twice and easily found a spot on weekdays. There is a self-pay drop box (cash or check), and a comment/review card that you can fill out too. Again, for the price and location (right off 70), it’s a nice, quiet spot.

Right place, right cost

Clean,  quiet, pretty setting.  A nice playground if you have kids.  Great wifi. 

Wonderful place! 

We needed a place to stop for the night and this fit the bill.  Each site had a picnic table, fire pit, water, and electric. However we didn’t use any of it. We did use the showers. For a campground they were clean enough. Shower was roomy, with hooks on the wall and a bench. Better than some campgrounds we’ve stayed at. 

Great for over night

Nothing fancy, but it was a great place to stop for the night. Both times I've stayed I arrived after dark and was only passing through, so I opted not to set up the tent and instead slept in my crossover, which is set up to sleep in. The area was well lit at night, and I felt very safe.

The campground: It's small, mostly quiet, flat, and had a decent amount of shade. The area I stayed in had pull through spots that faced the water (a reservoir, I believe). There's a small dock on the water. My site included a picnic table, grill, and water spigot. I'm not sure about electric hookups and dump stations, since I have no need for those things. The bathrooms were clean, and had both toilets and showers.

Booking: The campground does not take reservations, which I think is great, as it allows me to be a little more spontaneous. There's a self-pay station in front of the bathrooms near the entrance to the campground. I stayed here on a Monday night in late October, and had no problem getting a site. The cost depends on if you're there in the off-season or not, but I believe the most expensive fee is $25 for RVs.

The area: Ellis is a small town. If you're arriving later in the evening I would recommend stopping to eat somewhere prior to arriving in Ellis. In the morning, I made a quick detour down the main street and saw a café, a pizza place, and a Mexican restaurant. There's also a railroad museum. The campground is pretty close to the highway; right off the highway are a couple gas stations with fast food places inside.

Cell Service: I have Verizon, and my service was good enough to stream a live hockey game. The campground said it had WIFI, but I didn't try it out.

Calm & Convenient Place To Stay The Night

We arriving across country and found the perfect little campground! It's super quiet and so relaxing! The river behind the site was perfect

Super easy and convenient 

Quick in - quick set up. Pretty setting right near a large creek - large trees for shade. Bathroom and shower but very old and a little sketchy. 
A lot of locals driving through - hoping that will stop after dark. Fairly level sites - a few spots for tents and pull throughs with gravel pads for RV’s with power and water. Dump station. Picnic tables and grill and/or fire ring

Nice 

Quiet, and very clean just what we needed for an overnight stay. Worth 25 dollars for a nice shower!

Nice place on the way to colorado

Ok it's more of a pond but still nice. Normal KOA esk camping. $20 in off season for pull through spots. $25 during on season.