Baldwin City, KS is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Baldwin City is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Discover great camping spots near Baldwin City, reviewed by campers like you.
This recreation area is part of Clinton Lake
Bloomington East Park includes Cedar Ridge, Hickory/Walnut, and Oak Campgrounds, Ash and Elm Group Camps, and Bloomington Beach Picnic Shelters. The park is located just west of Clinton Lake, between the Rock Creek and Wakarusa River arms of the lake, and offers several different recreational options. Within Bloomington East Park, visitors have the opportunity to reserve picnic shelters and campsites, both for group camping and individual family camping.
Bloomington Beach has a large sandy beach for swimming. Bloomington Beach requires a day use fee, for non-campers, between May 1 and September 30. There are horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts and playgrounds located several places in Bloomington East Park, making it the perfect spot for families. Clinton Lake offers opportunities for boating, fishing, canoeing, jet skiing, swimming and countless other water sports, making it the main attraction in Bloomington East Park. The lake's fish and wildlife resources provide sightseers, fishermen, and hunters, ample opportunities for their sports, and Clinton Lake is well-stocked with crappie, walleye, channel catfish and white bass. Bloomington East Park has three boat ramps within a short driving distance of the campgrounds. These boat ramps (#5, 6 and 7) do require a day use fee, for non-campers, between April 1 and October 31. Visitors enjoy viewing bald eagles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese, wild turkey and other wildlife in abundance at Clinton Lake. Three trail systems are located around Clinton Lake, including the North Shore, South Shore and the George Latham Trails. All offer hiking, biking and equestrian opportunities within a 20 minute drive.
Congress authorized Clinton Lake in 1962, and the finished reservoir was filled in 1980. While the Dam and Reservoir were originally built for flood control, the area has now become a recreational oasis for millions of visitors to enjoy the beautiful green Kansas backdrop. Clinton Lake's beautiful setting of steep bluffs, wooded shoreline and clean water is unequaled among Kansas lakes. Shoreline development has been limited in an effort to preserve as much of the natural setting as possible. Clinton Lake spans 8 miles up the Wakarusa Valley and covers 7,000 surface acres. If the lake ever approaches the top of its flood pool, an additional 5,800 acres will be covered, extending the area to 13 miles along the valley floor.
The Visitor Center, located on the northwest side of the dam, has several informative displays covering topics such as the history of the area, reasons for the dam and the wildlife in the area. The Clinton Lake Museum, located within Bloomington East Park, has several informative displays covering topics like the history of the region and the Underground Railroad. The cities of Lawrence and Topeka are within a 30 minute drive.
$14 / night
This recreation area is part of Clinton Lake
$20 / night
This recreation area is part of Pomona Lake
Blue Springs Campground features modern facilities and is located only 5 minutes from Blue Springs Lake. Some of the amenities include:
Attendant
Fire Grill
Firewood - $7/bucket (outside firewood is not permitted)
Laundry
Picnic Table
Playground
Restrooms
Showers
Premiere - Full Hookup with Concrete Pad: 29 sites
Full Hookup: 16 sites
Electric: 23 sites
Electric and Water: 13 sites
Total: 81 sites
$33 - $48 / night
10 minutes for downtown KC., MO. and 15 minutes from Overland Park, KS., Walnut Grove RV Park offers a total of 50 lots. We are not a resort, so we don't have pool or activities. You stay here so you can do all those things in the city around us. Amenities include hot showers, clean restrooms, laundromat, dump station, dog park, both 30 and 50 amps sites are available with full hook-ups at each lot. WiFi internet service is available from edge to edge of the park! Paved roads lead to our 50 sites, that our staff is more than happy to help get you in and out of with ease! Along with the historical attractions, there are also several Casino’s near the park; Harrah’s, Argosy, Casino KC and Hollywood Casino. All are located within a 15 minutes drive! Maps and Brochures are available anytime in the front of the office, or just ask one of our Staff for directions to your destination and they will print you a map on the spot! ALSO, with tournament time rapidly approaching, The National Intramural Softball Fields are located just 5 miles West of the Park on Johnson Drive. If planning to attend a tournament please make reservations EARLY. We wish to accommodate everyone, but with conventions and special events, we ask that you make your reservations as much in advance as possible, with only 50 lots, a prime location, and our rock-star staff, we have a tendency to fill up FAST! 65′ Max RV Site Available Length
$62 - $131 / night
Bloomington East Park includes Cedar Ridge, Hickory/Walnut, and Oak Campgrounds, Ash and Elm Group Camps, and Bloomington Beach Picnic Shelters. The park is located just west of Clinton Lake, between the Rock Creek and Wakarusa River arms of the lake, and offers several different recreational options. Within Bloomington East Park, visitors have the opportunity to reserve picnic shelters and campsites, both for group camping and individual family camping.
Bloomington Beach has a large sandy beach for swimming. Bloomington Beach requires a day use fee, for non-campers, between May 1 and September 30. There are horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts and playgrounds located several places in Bloomington East Park, making it the perfect spot for families. Clinton Lake offers opportunities for boating, fishing, canoeing, jet skiing, swimming and countless other water sports, making it the main attraction in Bloomington East Park. The lake's fish and wildlife resources provide sightseers, fishermen, and hunters, ample opportunities for their sports, and Clinton Lake is well-stocked with crappie, walleye, channel catfish and white bass. Bloomington East Park has three boat ramps within a short driving distance of the campgrounds. These boat ramps (#5, 6 and 7) do require a day use fee, for non-campers, between April 1 and October 31. Visitors enjoy viewing bald eagles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese, wild turkey and other wildlife in abundance at Clinton Lake. Three trail systems are located around Clinton Lake, including the North Shore, South Shore and the George Latham Trails. All offer hiking, biking and equestrian opportunities within a 20 minute drive.
Congress authorized Clinton Lake in 1962, and the finished reservoir was filled in 1980. While the Dam and Reservoir were originally built for flood control, the area has now become a recreational oasis for millions of visitors to enjoy the beautiful green Kansas backdrop. Clinton Lake's beautiful setting of steep bluffs, wooded shoreline and clean water is unequaled among Kansas lakes. Shoreline development has been limited in an effort to preserve as much of the natural setting as possible. Clinton Lake spans 8 miles up the Wakarusa Valley and covers 7,000 surface acres. If the lake ever approaches the top of its flood pool, an additional 5,800 acres will be covered, extending the area to 13 miles along the valley floor.
The Visitor Center, located on the northwest side of the dam, has several informative displays covering topics such as the history of the area, reasons for the dam and the wildlife in the area. The Clinton Lake Museum, located within Bloomington East Park, has several informative displays covering topics like the history of the region and the Underground Railroad. The cities of Lawrence and Topeka are within a 30 minute drive.
$14 / night
This recreation area is part of Clinton Lake
$20 / night
Blue Springs Campground features modern facilities and is located only 5 minutes from Blue Springs Lake. Some of the amenities include:
Attendant
Fire Grill
Firewood - $7/bucket (outside firewood is not permitted)
Laundry
Picnic Table
Playground
Restrooms
Showers
Premiere - Full Hookup with Concrete Pad: 29 sites
Full Hookup: 16 sites
Electric: 23 sites
Electric and Water: 13 sites
Total: 81 sites
$33 - $48 / night
Guide
Nice level sites. Clean facilities and friendly staff. Cost was a little steep for off season.
Scout
If your camper is 10 yrs or older then don't even try it
Guide
The hosts are very friendly and the campsites have decent space between them, restrooms are decent except there are no hooks or benches at the entrance restrooms. The other restroom is unknown to me Nice shade for most of the day and there’s a swimming beach and places you can go fishing. Water and electric are shut off on the 1st of October
Legend
Weston Bend, MO 9/24: As of early September 1/2 of the campground is closed for construction. I understand that some sites will be upgraded to full hookups. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 5 for a state park . Hiking and overlooks nearby. This is a nice campground to visit Leavenworth from. Very clean showers. Price 2024: About $15 for non electric sites. $25 for electric sites Security: Gate w code for night time entry Usage during visit: Very full during weekends. Plenty of free sites during the week Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: Some more than others Site Spacing: Very good Pad surface: Blacktop Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Pretty quiet Outside Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: No reason for Electric Hookup: All sites but # 3 and 26. Sewer Hookup: Coming to some sites by 2025 Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: Yes, at dump stations and some scattered spigots Generators: Allowed Bathroom: One building with flush toilets. One pit toilet near site #26 Showers: Yes. Clean and nice. Pull Throughs: 1 or 2 Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars Setting: Thick deciduous forest Recent Weather: Some 90 - 100 degree days in late August Solar: # 3 has better solar than the other non-electric site shady #26. Insects: Not bad Host: Great Rig Size: large rigs Sites: #3 and # 26 are non- electric. #26 is the most private.
TravelerWe arrived around 1 pm and got the pull through site. It is a nice little park that will be closed from November 1, 2024 through April 14, 2025. An electric site was $25.00. The facilities were exceptionally clean and the camp hosts were very polite.
Scout
Pretty lake views, easy to drive in and find pretty private sites, and some fire ring
Traveler
Enjoyed a quick stay here several times. Laundry facilities. Clean and spaces not too close together. Well set up for either tent or RV. Shade.
Travelera good price with 30 Dollars
quiet
clean
good and helpful staff
no pool, but you can drive to a lake
Traveler
Beautiful well-kept park with gorgeous trails, beach, lots of shade, and quiet camping. We’ve been here three times now and just love it. Outlet park is below the dam. If you’re into fishing/boating the giant lake has a marina with everything you need to get out on the water as well as a kitchen where they serve hamburgers and other food items. The Marina is currently closed as of 8-2-24 due to weather damage but will reopen.
Scout
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:
Traveler
Beautiful park. Pay more for the pull through you’ll have tons of parking even if your rig is big. Our rig is 44 ft and we parked two 2500’s on the pad no problem. We reserve our days in advance and if we need to cancel we just change our reservation to a different date with no fees. The pool and clubhouse are well kept so are the bathrooms and laundry room. This Is our favorite campsite to date. So much to do.
RangerNice park in a beautiful setting. Only downside was the bugs were horrible here. Swarms of gnats and mosquitoes. The bathrooms were pretty dated too.
ScoutVery nice lots was a Lil disappointed because this camp site was in mid missori and the agent I contacted it from was in meridian ms and had never been there was told it would have water n 30 amp service but all that was there was 30 amp no water but it was really nice I didn't have time to stay long just the night .
RangerCamped here several days in late June. The were very few campers, even on the weekends. Many slept in their cars and left at first light. I assume they went fishing at the lake. Bathroom was a little rough but manageable.
Scout
Camp spots are lakeside and adjacent to the launch ramp.
Ranger
Our site was $56.78 We were in Site# 59 The check in was at 12pm but the office was closed until 3:30pm so we grabbed our sheet left out front and got ourselves to our site.
We had Full hook- up with a gravel pull-through.
We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site along with my jeep (although the Jeep had to be parked straight across the front of our site to fit in). Also we were right on the highway.
The site was easy to level.
Our site was not shaded and without any trees. The most FRUSTRATING part is that this was a buddy site (that is NO WHERE on their website). We have rescue dogs and don’t want to share our space with neighbors we don’t know. Literally no one wants to Kumbaya by the fireside with complete strangers. Therefore our trip went from one week originally to two nights. We would have left the next day but the husband wanted to see the Evel Knievel museum.
The lot does not have a concrete patio but has a picnic table and fire grate.
They have a community fire pit with multiple swings around it. They sell wood for $6 a bundle.
They do not provide garbage service at your site so you must walk to garbage dumpster at the entrance.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They do not provide golf cart rentals. There is really not a need to have a Golf cart because it is a smaller campground.
They do have a saltwater Swimming pool. They have a catch and release fishing pond.
There is a Playground. They also offer a weight room and an adorable activities room with air hockey, a library, & a pool table. There is also a scenic walking trail. The trail is almost a mile and they’ve kept it mowed and easy to identify.
They have a basic general store. There is not a snack bar/restaurant on site.
The streets are gravel so not great for riding bikes.
They have cabins for rent and a tent area (electric & primitive options).
They have 2 shower houses. The shower house in the main barn has individual shower/toilet/sink areas. The shower house in the park has the typical stalls. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility in both shower houses. It is a cash only facility.
They have a fenced in dog park which is unfortunately located in the front of the park away from RV sites.
Some fun things to do outside of the campground are the Evel Knievel museum and Brown vs. Board of Education historical park.
Staff are very kind. I would definitely stay here in the future but will know to secure a site that isn’t shared with others
TravelerOn a road trip off the 70, pulled over to camp for the night! Quiet, only a few other campers around.. lovely nighttime sounds. Firepit. Some trash from other campers.. remember to pack it in and pack it out!
ScoutCamped 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.
TravelerThis was our 2nd stay at Weston Bend SP. Both times, we had site 26, one of the few basic sites. While some of the other sites were very close to each other, this one is relatively isolated. It's big too. There's a vault toilet close by. It was clean and roomy. We didn't use the water but there are a few spigot throughout the campground. There's also a regular restroom near the campground entrance, but we didn't use it. We will definitely camp here again if we are passing through.
Scout
This is an amazing park. The spot was 55 with a 5.50 Good Sam discount. It is gated, several spots mostly pull through. The roads and parking spots are all concrete with grass and picnic tables. Laundry, bathrooms, showers. Swimming pool and kids play yard. Large fenced pet area. This is just off interstate 70. The reservation desk was very friendly. Would highly recommend.
Traveler
We recently took our scout troop to Woodridge and had ample space for the group. The 4.5 mile trail was a nice activity for the scouts during the morning. The trail was moderately difficult and could be problematic if raining. The vault toilet was pretty clean and well taken care of. It was fairly busy between the car campers and those who utilized one of the many hike in sites. Several of the hike in sites looked promising and I hope to one day return and use one as well.
RangerWe found a great spot for our van that was right on the water and mostly secluded. Got pretty busy on the weekend and people had loose dogs that were causing some problems, but otherwise very chill. Lake is beautiful, decent cell service with Verizon. Pit toilets in good shape when we arrived Thursday afternoon but kind of rough by the end of the weekend.
Camp in main area to be near toilets, otherwise there’s lots of loops near the water where you can find sites with more privacy. No trash so pack it out.
RangerIt was pretty crowded and most car camping sites were taken when we got in at 8pm on a Wednesday in may. Some folks appeared to be staying long-term and had left their dogs completely unattended with only one tied up so they were just wandering the campground.
We left after a night because cell service wasn’t very good (1 bar on Verizon/at and t/t mobile) and the loose dog repeatedly wandering into our campsite was upsetting our dog. Sites down the trail for tents seemed okay.
Traveler
Stayed one night in Walnut at site 286. $20 a night. Clean showers and bathrooms. Plenty of hot water. Plenty of spaces in walnut, hickory was busier. Beautiful lake.
RangerCampground is hilly, sites are level, gravel pads. Lots of space between sites. Electric sites, no water, but water spigots were scattered around the campground. Majority of sites had shade. Most sites are back in, there are 2 pull through sites and 2 family sites. Firewood is available for sale on the honor system near the camp host. Nice shower facilities and laundry available (one washer, one dryer). Regular trash dumpster and also recycling. Pit toilets also available. Dump station across from dumpsters and recycling. Entrance gate closes at 9 pm.
Ranger
We booked a site here on our drive back East in August 2023. I saw “resort” and was like “Sign me up” after some real hot and grimy parks earlier in the trip.
Ultimately, most of the amenities were closed by the time we arrived. The game room, the restaurant, and store were all closing or closed. My kids did get some pool time (it was a nice pool) and loved the blob (whatever you call the bounce pads). There was a nice playground, pavilion and courts.
What is weird is that this is almost two parks - the front is the “resort” or old-fashioned campground, but where we were placed was in the back with what looked like a lot of long-term, single male residents. It was a longish-walk to front where the pool and store was and it definitely didn’t feel like a resort.
There were spots open in the front closer to the pool and lake - if we had camped there I think the experience would have been different.
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.
Camping near Baldwin City, Kansas, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and family-friendly activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or an adventure-filled trip, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Baldwin City, Kansas, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RVer seeking adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Baldwin City, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, Baldwin City, KS offers a wide range of camping options, with 96 campgrounds and RV parks near Baldwin City, KS and 2 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Baldwin City, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Baldwin City, KS is Clinton State Park Campground with a 3.6-star rating from 36 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Baldwin City, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Baldwin City, KS.
What parks are near Baldwin City, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 16 parks near Baldwin City, KS that allow camping, notably Clinton Lake and Pomona Lake.