Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Atchison? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Atchison. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
This recreation area is part of Clinton Lake
The land for this area was donated to the Conservation Department in 1991. The timbered property straddles Rock Creek Road. The north tract of the area offers walk-in access to the Platte River. A graveled parking lot is located south of the county road. Both tracts are prone to flooding.
On department areas where camping is allowed, camping is limited to a period of 14 consecutive days in any 30-day period. Personal property must be removed at the end of the 14-day period. Unless a special use permit is obtained, total camping days on all department areas are limited to a total of 30 days within one calendar year. Groups of more than 10 people must obtain a special use permit prior to camping. To obtain a special use permit, contact the area manager at the phone number listed for this area in the area details section.
Quiet hours are in effect in camping areas from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. Visitors who are not occupying a campsite are required to leave the campground by 10 p.m. On camping areas with established campsites, only two camping or sleeping units are permitted in each site.
Guide
My husband and I tent camped one night at this park. We arrived around 8 pm and even though the office was getting ready to close, the woman behind the counter was very kind and helpful. She helped us with finding our spot and with getting firewood. Our basic tent site was lakeside and had a fire pit and picnic table. The site was so well maintained it was hard to find small sticks for kindling.
The grounds have private bathrooms with toilets and showers. There are two nice playgrounds and a swimming pool. Most campers were enjoying fishing in the small lake. Kayaks were available to rent for a small fee. Kids enjoyed riding bikes around the flat roads.
This is a great spot off I-29 to set up camp and have a rest. It's also a good spot to take young kids fishing.
Guide
Camp host was friendly. Very few primitive sites so we tent camped on an electric site. Clean facilities.
Guide
Stayed for a one nighter on a tent site. Area was clean and maintained. There is no restroom close to tent sites but it is just up the hill at the rv side.. also when I decided to camp here showers were not listed as an amenitie but there are showers in the restroom which was a present surprise. My kid enjoyed the playground near the lake and I enjoyed the disc golf course on site. Bring cash for your fees to put in the drop box.
Guide
Camped here many times. Even before had camper and was still tent camping. Great fishing not far. Boat ramp close. Have left boat in water on bank.
Guide
This campground is on the northwest side of Clinton Lake. All the activities one would associate with a lake like boat ramps, beach, hiking/biking trails, full hook-up sites, tent camping, playgrounds, etc. The small town of Clinton is nearby and has a small store for items you may forget. It's our go to when we go to Clinton Lake.
Scout
This park is convient to I-29 but far enough off the highway to be quiet and peaceful. Tent sites, full hookups as well as rooms and cabins are available. As a point of interest, this used to be a favorite fishing spot of President Harry S. Truman, check out the Mother in Law cabin—built at his request.
Scout
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.
Traveler
We used our motorcycle tent trailer. They were kind enough to let us stay in a tent site which was actually by their ponds. It had electric and a light with a switch which was perfect because we arrived just after sundown. I was able to setup my outdoor kitchen and cook without fumbling with a flashlight. The facilities were nice and clean. The main building is a refurbished old barn which was very cool!
RangerThis 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!
LegendIn the home of Amelia Earhart, you will find Warnock Lake, a small lake property with big opportunities for camping!!
The lake itself is smaller and allows you to fish or take out small kayaks or paddle boats for recreation although you must provide your own. Swimming is also an option and there is a small dock which can be access from the side of the camping area or the entry.
A large special earthworks is on property, created to honor the likeness of Amelia Earhart herself, although viewing it from above is suggested as the viewing platform leaves much to be desired. And continuing with the legacy of the famous aviator, a park called the Forest of Friendship allows you a get away with a unique atmosphere. It is here that you will find the bicentennial dedication from the city of Hutchison to the US honoring the many trees from around the world in addition to some very famous people which have made it possible.
In addition to all of these amazing things rests a camping area designed to cater to those who are looking for a day away. Offering both RV and tent camping options the space is nice and has large shade trees. RV offerings are equipped with 30 amp connections and shared water spigots. Primitive tent camping is located a bit further down the roadway and is spaced much more loosely with common areas for trash collection and water.
I noticed that pets are allowed at the campsites which makes it great for the entire family.
Pricing for stay is very inexpensive and there are roll over campsites available outside of the main camping loop with a bit less privacy from the traffic of the roadway. The community itself is only a short drive from the campsites and it wasn’t crowded even on a summer day.
Great place to relax if you are in this area of Kansas!!
Traveler
We live near Crow’s Creek, and enjoy making spur of the moment camping trips here throughout the year. There are many spacious tent sites with great views of the lake. Miles of paved walking/biking trails around the water offer for a nice activity!
Tip: Before choosing your site number, ask which loop is furthest from the horse camping as there can be some noise from the barn at night. The park staff has typically made this suggestion to us when we arrive!
RangerCampground is great overall, with a walkable trail just past the showers, clean restrooms and easy to access sites. There are only 3 basic tent sites, making it hard to nab. #4 had a decent amount of privacy, however most other electric sites do not. As an electric site, there was not a lot of ground space for tents, we settled on gravel with reflectix to buffer the ground. Check in was easy, and in walking distance. Site was pretty noisy, even after hours, a few kids running around with speakers on blast definitely were less than optimal.
Guide
I’m in my 30s traveling solo and this stop was a great place to regroup and take advantage of their amenities like shower, laundry, etc. The bathrooms were clean and the staff was very friendly. If you are traveling with kids this is a terrific place to stop because there are lots of things to keep kids busy like a playground and pool. The sites aren’t very private and road noise from the nearby highway can be heard throughout the night if you’re tent camping but it didn’t really bother me.
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Guide
This is a neat area if you're into some light hiking. It has a loop trail starting at a parking area. You can also tent camp at the trailhead. It has a pit toilet and water access. The trail is maybe 4-5 miles long and takes you up and down some slight grades. There are numerous primitive campsites along the trail that are marked, or you can venture off to your own site within the area. Many are directly up against the lake. The marked sites are relatively cleared and many people have improved them by building benches, fire pits, etc. My son and I had a great time the 2x we've been out here.
Guide
We booked a site along with a couple of family members and the website for this park is ancient. Couldn't get anything booked online because the website wouldn't cooperate, save yourself time and just call the campground once you've looked at the map and chosen where in general you want to camp at.
Tent sites are okay sized, and many are close to the water. Not a lot of trees for shade, so bring a shelter for some relief from the sun.
The camp store sells wood and everyone was extremely friendly. There's a swimming beach nearby that you will have to drive to but it is included in the stay! No alcohol is allowed at the beach.
Traveler
We called ahead so they were expecting us and the staff knew who we were when we pulled up. Very friendly and helpful staff. Beautifully kept grounds with lots of lush grass. There is a lake/ river at the edge of the property with fish, plenty of frogs and I even saw a beaver or otter swimming across it. You can fish but it is catch and release. Surprisingly not buggy at all for being right by the water. The playground is great and they have lawn games and a large dog park. Nice clean bathrooms with hot showers and great water pressure. They even have a pool which I didn’t end up taking advantage of but would have had we stayed longer. They had the cutest little benches to sit on and look out over the water and at the stars. We also had so much fun chasing fireflies.
We camped in a tent with our 2 dogs and young toddler and had a great stay.
It is close to the highway and we could hear traffic but it was easy to tune out. The cicadas and bullfrogs are loud at night but we really enjoyed that.
RangerPros 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.
LegendMost KOA campgrounds I have been to are exceptional with great sites for all types of camping. However, there are a couple of them that have one or two sites that leave you scratching your head. We were supposed to camp at site 18, but it was not level and had tire ruts all the way to the back of the site. There was nowhere to set up our tent without it being uncomfortable throughout the night. With that said, we moved over to site 19, which was level. The tent sites are small for the tenters and there is little to no shade.
The good things about the sites are that they have water and electricity. There is even a night light and a place to charge your electronic devices. There is a fire ring but no lantern hanger.
The bath house is modern and up to date; however, the shower dressing area has got to be the smallest I have EVER seen at a campground. I estimated the dressing area to be about 18” x 24”. I’m not a math whiz, but even I can figure out that an average sized person would have difficulty moving around in the dressing area.
I might give it a higher rating if we were camping in an RV or even in our teardrop camper, but another problem was the noise. I was warned that there would be a train passing through, and the person I spoke to offered to throw in a pair of ear plugs and a night mask. Now I know why. There was a light from a nearby cabin lighting the whole tenting area, and the trains were one right behind the other… ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!! Every thirty minutes or so(could have been every twenty minutes, but I’m not sure), a train passed by. It wouldn’t be so bad, but it was LOUD!!!!!!!
We were on our way to Colorado, and the next time we are passing through, I will make sure to skip this campground.
LegendGetting to the state park off I 29 and through the countryside was easy as the route had Weston Bend SP signage. We followed the SP signs to the campground(CG) where the gate was not manned so we headed to get water, but someone was sitting in the dump station waiting for another person to arrive so we went around this one-loop CG to see if there was a convenient spigot. There are spigots but with a larger rig, you will block the road, and/or you will be on a hill. We went back around and the person moved so we could get water. After that, we headed to pull through site 28 with electric(50/30/20 AMP) only. The site is long but has a 1/4 moon turn so we had to pull back around to get better positioned on the pad so we could disconnect our 39’ 5th wheel and F450 for our 3-night stay. There were tree branches overhead that we could not avoid. RVers next to us in site 30 had just arrived as well and were having trouble getting their travel trailer unhitched and leveled due to the pad’s slight incline and unlevel asphalt. They got their trailer positioned so they could get somewhat level. We got a solid two bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. Due to our proximity to Kansas City, we got a lot of OTA channels. A satellite connection would be iffy in most sites here due to the number of mature trees. The trees in a lot of sites would also scrape the top of larger rigs. There’s a variety of sites with most being good for regular trailers versus tall rigs, and tent sites. They have a nice shower house with 1 washer and 1 dryer both for$1.50. There are also vaulted toilets here and there. There’s a 1.7-acre fenced dog park that includes one large area for large dogs and two other areas with one dedicated to smaller dogs. The dog area is at the front park entrance away from the campground and it would be a long walk to get there, so we drove up. There are a lot of hiking trails here plus an old tobacco barn that’s worth a look.
Scout
Set up my nice brand new tent on Sunday. Confiscated by Rangers on Tuesday while I was at work. My animals were sent to the Humane Society & sterilized. (Breeder meat rabbits). They claimed they had the authority to enter the tent to see if anyone was sick or dead. My name & phone number were inside the tent. The tent was returned but not put back up. My animals were not returned. 10 days after, 2 rangers opened & entered my tent AFTER being told by another camper that I had been there & had gone to work. Another tent was clearly abandoned, ratty & in a clearly marked no camping zone. The left it for 8 days, falling down & unsightly. Other campers left/leave gross amounts of trash, a sleeping bag on a smoldering campfire... Litter (including feminine products), liquor bottles & fishing lines & hooks are left all over the lake fishing & camp sites. No rangers. The good ones are kept busy elsewhere & the bad ones - - ? Really sad. It's such a beautiful & sometimes peaceful lake.
Guidesite: large. private. shaded. amenities: clean. well maintained. attractions: hiking. biking. close to Kansas City (40 minutes) I would go camping here again.
Guide
Close to Kansas City so it makes a great quick getaway. Clean, friendly, and right next to Smithville Lake. Our pick for a short trip.
TravelerWe missed a KOA in Kansas City because of construction. Went to Lawrence KOA instead. Glad for the misfortune. The park has all you need for short or long term camping and RV trips.
Traveler
On the way back east after spending 2+ weeks on the road, we desperately needed a place to set up our tent and lay down for the night before continuing on. We found this little gem and it wasn’t very far off the “main” road. Basically in the middle of nowhere we found this spot and were able to easily set up our tent, then leave in the morning without seeing another person or being bothered by anything. No facilities, except a small bathroom that was closed, but it was exactly what we needed.
Scout
Beautiful lake and great sunset. Tent spots are on gravel so bring a very good sleeping pad
Scout
We brought our two dogs here with us and camped. There are so many spots you can set up at on the trail that nobody went to. Keep in mind though that the trail gets very muddy if it has just rained! We had a great experience here right up until the last morning when a hobo that was sleeping in his tent there decided to knock on our tent at 6 am wondering if we stole his wet wood from outside his tent. And YES he indeed was homeless because he told us himself and then shortly after that said he was drunk as well. We got up and started packing to leave as we were talking to him because we felt we were in danger. Told the man to leave several times and he didn’t even want to step away from our site. Over all was a good place but just anywhere you go keep an eye on others around you and definitely bring protection, people are CRAZY!
LegendWe were not impressed with this little state park. The trails were the best feature of this park. The campground was small and not very many campsites for tents. The restroom/showers were modern. It is close to KC
Tent camping near Atchison, Kansas offers a variety of options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to enjoy nature and the great outdoors. From primitive sites to well-equipped areas, there's something for everyone.
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