Looking for an adventure where you can explore Claflin and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent camping near Claflin, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
This recreation area is part of Wilson Lake
The first state park in Kansas, Kanopolis State Park is situated in the rolling hills, bluffs and woods of the scenic Smoky Hills region of the state. From the towering Dakota sandstone bluffs to the caves and crevices of Horsethief Canyon, the park and surrounding area offer rugged beauty and stunning vistas. The park is split into two areas north and south of the dam and there are two federal parks, as well.
Guide
Tent-camped at a walk-in site on S-loop (away from water). Gatehouse attendants were super friendly. Free shower house was clean and serviced regularly. Other loops a bit more busy but seemed nice enough.
Ranger
Beautiful site, cool and informed tour, open placement for tent sites. No water available at time of my stay. Showers available at nearby state park after park entrance fee. Enjoyed the chill time at the campfire on the silo. Worth the stop.
Scout
Love this place. Discovered it by accident trying to avoid the loud motels off I70. Love that tent sites are free during the week. It was quiet but I wasn't alone. Sunset was amazing on the reservoir. But the wind comes up quite strong as it cools down so stake that tent down!
TravelerThis is a terrific campgrounds. During a two week road trip, stopped here for a night. Highly impressed; the $14 a night rate (tent site), well maintained sites, easy access to bathrooms and bath houses. Will be back, should my travels take me across 70.
Scout
We tent camped by the lake and trail heads. Nice cove for the paddleboard even if the water is a little shallow. CHECK THE WEATHER. Ive never been in storms like the 2 nights we stayed here. I thought we were going to Oz. Beautiful besides that. We rigged up a shower curtain with treking poles and our towels. Gonna go back to ride more mtb trails.
Guide
This campground deserves 5 stars because the views are breathtaking. Electrical hook-up for RVs. Water. Dump station. Tent camps available. Our own experience is more like a 3 because while the campground was open, the bathrooms were not. Water was not available either. If this happens to you, jump in your vehicle, make a right from the park and there is a boat launch area about 5 mins from the campground with a nice composting toilet. But the skyline was worth it.
Guide
This is a busy lake campground but we were very pleased with camping here! The tent sites on Buffalograss section provide a fire ring and a table, they are spaced apart and offer waterfront views. The other campgrounds and boat ramp are close, so it isn't too quiet, but it is a wonderful spot nonetheless. Also, I must note there were some 24miles of mountain bike trails nearby and that was fantastic for us.
Scout
Being hikers at heart, we chose this campground since it is very close to the Horse Thief Trail trailhead. Unfortunately, the trails are very much built for horseback riding with sand terrain, a VERY narrow path and intense overgrowth. Not quite what we were expecting. It would probably be okay without dogs and with long pants, but unfortunately we have 2 giant dogs and it’s 100° today. The overall state park only has 2 okay-ish sized swim beaches, but overall limited water access unless you’re boating - which we are not. The tent sites have pavilions as a nice surprise, but other than that, we will not be coming back!
Scoutfastest/easiest to navigate campsite within the red. large open plain, big enough to play various sports, let your dogs run around, sun bathe, etc. no set tent sites, which i like because there are plenty of places to set up a tent and be away from your neighbors although privacy is limited since it's essentially a large field near a creek. plenty of found wood for kindling. lots of trails along the creek for easy waking/hiking. not too far from the suspension bridge. this campsite has clear view of the sky's and no campground lights/ no light pollution. great for moon/star gazing. this is a great campsite for families, young and old, and perfect for an easy camping experience. probably not suited for those wanting a more primitive and forest heavy camping experience. i've camped here 4 times in the last five years and it has been nice to see the way the creek has shaped the land.
Legend
Wilson’s Lake in Kansas is something of a departure from surrounding areas of Kansas. If you take a moment to pull just a slight distance off the major highways and toward the Wilson’s Lake area you will be pleasantly surprised as the world begins to roll and open up into vibrant hillsides winding their way though the area.
I honestly stopped myself for a moment and checked the map thinking to myself in such a cliche way,“ We are not in Kansas anymore.”
But just as the map proved, I was in fact still in the same state, I noticed more and more signs for Wilson’s Lake State Park and found it was a must see while visiting the area.
The road winds you down to the park and down to what seems like a dead end just at the Yarrow Campground. This campground is one of the most coveted in the park because of its location, its convenience and its size.
When visiting Wilson Lake you might want to consider this loop for improved camping. When I visited I noticed that the roadways in and out of the campsite were well structured to provide ample movement for larger units with back up capabilities. While this loop also offers tent camping, it really is designed for the small to mid-size RVs.
Each campsite was equipped with a picnic table and fire ring, although I must say that some of the tables in this area were lacking a bit and needed some updating. The sites also included water and electric hook ups with reasonable spacing between sites. Pull- in/ back-in sites were graveled and semi level while the area between the spaces were grassy and lush. During summer months this would be a perfect retreat for families looking to have a little fun together but still have convenience.
What I liked most about this particular site was the proximity it had to the swimming beach and also the restrooms. Within 100 yards of one another you could access flushing toilets and showers or fun in the sun. This was the best overall campground for accessing both of these amenities and therefore I believe would bring about the most fun for the family overall. Additionally, a playground was located nearby.
I would definitely recommend arriving early if visiting on a weekend or making reservations online to ensure a site at this campground in particular. The most popular of this lake region, Yarrow, stays booked well into the later portion of summer on weekends and is hit or miss on weekdays.
TIPS:
* Check out the rental shop just outside of the park where you can find anything from a paddle board to a canoe. Also this is a great place to check in if you are needing a few last minute supplies.
* Make sure to check out park rules at the kiosk before entering, this can be very valuable information especially when crowds are flocking to the area.
Traveler
Great spot. There are many tent and even RV spots that are right near the water. Some parking spots require a Kansas state park passport but we were able to buy one at the park office. The water was calm enough in the morning and evenings to kayak and explore the coves. mid day when the water started getting a bit rougher we swapped the kayaks for bikes and explored the trails. the park offers several dirt trails and a few paved paths perfect for all levels of riders! To top it off the sunsets were amazing every night. only rated 4/5 because the bathrooms/showers weren’t the best.
Guide
Quiet and lovely a clean place to camp with plenty of dead and dry fire wood to be gathered. this place has up to 24 miles of hiking trails on the north side as well as being the oldest lake in the state it has some unique history from ancient Indians and the area was frequented by Buffalo bill Cody and there aresome petroglyphs you can visit from natives of the area this lake is also a great fishing destination for all types of fish native to the state if tents and hammocks are not your thing they have cabins as well for $99 a night this is one of them lakes you should visit if your not from Kansas there is so much hidden beauty here that goes unnoticed by many
Guide
We recently camped at the Buffalo Grass campground, not once, but twice on a roadtrip. Both times were very different, but extremely enjoyable in different ways. Our first stay was Friday, August 14th. Being a Friday, there were quite a few people at the campground. We showed up a little before 8 and began the self check-in process, which was simple and very convenient, considering we showed up after the office had closed. It was only $18 for the night at a primitive campsite. We found a space tucked nicely into the trees to afford privacy. The lake was only about a minute walk, and if you don't mind a little climb down some rocks, swimming is allowed. The first night we got hit with a beautiful thunderstorm for about an hour. It may have rained, but it was worth it to see the storm. Our second visit was on Tuesday, August 25, and that time, we had literally the whole peninsula to ourselves... not a single other tent or car, and the weather was incredible. If we ever make our way back through Kansas, we'll definitely be stopping here again. It was easily one of our favorite campsites in the entirety of our three-week journey.
ScoutWINDY, WINDY, WINDY!!!!! This campsite is NOT for tents! We arrived hoping to cook and hang out on the lake but the 18mph winds had us huddled near the car as a winds shield. We had to eat sandwiches out of the cooler since anything not nailed down was gone! We even moved the car to help shield the tents as I thought the tent poles might break. If you are in an RV you could enjoy the view from the protection of the RV. Otherwise, keep driving.....
Guidestayed here for 2 nights . I have to say the views and campsites were excellent.
who knew that in the middle of Kansas there is a 9000 acre lake that is just breathtaking
I will be going back next time I go thru Kansas.
not anyone around as far as staff but well maintained .
7 miles from the Intestate so its easy to get to.
try and get the waterfront sites they are large with great views
Ranger
First time visiting Kansas. Friendly hosts. Easy check in process. Very clean campground.
Guide
Convenient location. Accommodating staff. Well lit. Good dog run. We stopped in early November and Kansas was already cold and windy!
TravelerBest site I’ve had on my 2 week road trip! Would for sure come back here if I’m ever needing a campsite in Kansas.
Traveler
Nice pull through & back in site just 4 miles from Kansas fairgrounds
TravelerI think this campground is located on the only lake In Kansas. Very windy. Nights are Gorgeous. Showers and bathrooms on site. Located 10 mins from I-70
Legend
One of the smaller camps around the park this only has 6 slots available but the views are available on 3 sides of this peninsula style campground. Available on a first come first serve basis there are no frills with camping at this location as it is primitive only style camping.
Small RVs or Vans could use this campsite however it really is designed with the tent camper in mind as it has great grassy areas which are semi flat.
Each campsite is equipped with the basics a grill ring and picnic table and there is some shade in the area scattered throughout. Access to playground and restrooms is very close by so this could easily be a great location for families looking to spend some time at the lake.
The shore line alongside 2 of the 3 sides of this area are rocky and ideal for fishing while there is also a sandy beach which is directly alongside the camp. When I visited recent rains had forced the lake levels to be very high and this made a portion of the beach submerge below the waters edge but this is not typical.
Prices here are very reasonable at only $13 a night but they do quickly fill during peak season due to the lakes popularity.
TIPS:
Guide
A city maintained park in Lincoln Kansas with 30 and 50 amp plugs, dumping station, and a nice park next door. And $20! 😀
GuideWe stayed at this COE campground on a very stormy night in June 2024. It is a well kept Corp campground and we will stay there again as we travel through Kansas.
GuideOnly stayed one night during our road trip. Lake was really beautiful and our campsite was in a great location. We stayed in a tent in one of the Coneflower primative spots. We had a great view, a little shade and a trail down to the lake. Bathrooms were decent, but very hot. Breeze off the lake was perfect but we had to secure the tent pretty good to keep it from blowing away.
The marina sells firewood, ice, and other goodies. Staff were all very friendly.
We will definitely come back here when we have more time!
ScoutFound this campground via the Dyrt and boy was it beautiful! We had a tent spot on the D loop next to the water. Not much shade available but temps definitely cooled down at night!
There was a swimming beach just a few steps away from our tent spot which was why we chose it. There was a ranger on duty but booking was done online when we arrived.
My ONLY complaint is that the bath houses had no water temperature control in the showers. It was scalding hot water only in every shower on a 100 degree day.
ScoutAmazing primitive camping with driving access to shower in park. Beautiful lake view. We are tent campers with 2 old dogs it was perfect
Scout
Stayed here while traveling from Rocky Mountain NP through Kansas. This is a hidden gem right on the army corps of Engineers lake Wilson.
Must stay if Traveling through the flat state of KS.
Water is crystal clear and affords people the opportunity to swim fish boat etc
Tent camping near Claflin, Kansas, offers a blend of scenic views and outdoor activities, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Claflin, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Claflin, KS is Eagle Point Campground — Kanopolis State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Claflin, KS?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Claflin, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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