If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Dorrance, look no further. Finding a place to camp in Kansas with your tent has never been easier. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
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.
$25 - $40 / night
Scout
Clean and new facilities. Lots of spots, many pull through.
Guide
Stayed on a Thursday night 9/12 and there were hardly any people there. It was a beautiful spot but quite exposed so expect some wind.. I would definitely stay there again.
Guide
It was beautiful at sunset, very nice campground with good hot showers.
GuideLast minute reservation easily accommodated. Beautiful and super clean. Amazing bathhouse and coffee house. Cabins also available for rent. One of the nicest rv parks we’ve stayed in.
GuideNice easy place to pitch a tent or hang a hammock. Primitive campground is well maintained and largely unoccupied because of the lack of hookups for RVs. Stayed on 4th of July and only one other family was in the entire campground. Close to swimming beach, but bring your own water as there is no spigot nearby. Great birds too!
Scout
If you are traveling I 70, this is a great spot for a night to break up the drive. Only a few miles off of the highway, clean, quiet, with water and electricity. We stop here almost every trip. Sites are spaced out nicely.
Guide
We 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.
Guide
Not very crowded mid-April 2024. Level sites with water available. Many trees.
Scout
We stayed at this federal campground 3/29/24 for free. 126 sides and I think there were four RVs here. No hookups or water (That's why it's free) but it had one open pit toilet. Beautiful views, felt very safe. A bit windy. Hopefully everybody will take care of this place & not abuse the privilege of staying here in the winter for free.
Scout
Tom and Heddy are very nice folks. Warm and welcoming. Their property is quiet and beautiful. We hope to visit again soon.
ScoutLove 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!
RangerThis place is GREAT!
First off - Monday - Thursday this place is free if you are in a non electric standard site.
Second, the sites are really beautiful and big with great views. We were right on thr lake and it was stunning for sunrise.
Third, the facilities are fantastic. Clean vault toilets and clean shower facilities with perfect water temp and pressure.
Fourth, the host was really nice and helpful!
You can’t really go wrong here. Would love to come back and spend a few days just relaxing. Plenty of bugs (not as bad as I was expecting though) so plan to bring spray.
Ranger
Perfect camping! Wide open spaces with lots of room. Beautiful views of the lake and lots of animal activity - cows, bunnies, birds and bugs. Lots of bugs! Not teeming with mosquitos but just many bugs. Some of them are HUGE.
I didn’t think the bugs were that bad just more interesting. Been to many other places with a bug problem and that didn’t seem like this to me. But it as prob enough that I wouldn’t want to hang outside and play cards.
Views in every direction and it’s absolutely stunning! Very peaceful and quiet and literally just perfect.
Plus if you are on a standard non electric tent space it’s free Monday -Thursday!
Great showers and bathrooms too! This is a hidden gem for sure!! Perfect sunrise from our site!
TravelerBEAUTIFUL views!!! Very windy but worth it for water front. We stayed in a loop alone that could have had 3 other sites, next to beach access. Bathrooms were a bit of a walk but again, worth it!!
Thought I had seen a mirage once we pulled into the park after miles of Kansas greens and browns.
Self reg station (electronic) at the park as well as reserve early online.
ScoutA nice layout, clean site and bathrooms. The trees are young but the over all camp is great.
GuideWhat a beautiful camp site. The ground has plenty of sites, almost all that have a beautiful lake front view. We stayed during the week and it was pretty quite - cows moooin’ were the loudest noise all night! There are walking trails, beaches, a boat launch, and bathrooms. We stayed at a non-electric but there are plenty of hookups to go around too. Happy camping!
TravelerPros:
- easy to get to from I-70
- friendly camp hosts
- lots of grass to walk dogs
- beautiful sunsets
Cons:
- 35 minutes one way to the nearest town with major stores like Walmart and Petco
- people did not care about walking through my waterfront site to get to the water (there were other ways)
- site was pretty sloped back to front and side to side but just bring leveling blocks and you're fine
- dump station didn't provide a water hose for cleaning the sewer hose after dumping even though it had water connection but must provide own hose
I didn't use the bathroom facilities and forgot to test speed but I had zero issues with Verizon or AT&T.
GuidePleasantly surprised at pulling into this great spot after many hours driving cross country. Pick your site then pay online, super easy. Verizon service was great. Very well kept grass and stone site pads. Got a spot right on the lake. We were tempted to spend a second night it was so nice.
Guide
This site is on a nice grassy area with trees and has hookups but that is a bout it. This is a small town where everyone waves to you. There is a nice community pool in town, one cafe and two restaurants. Our truck broke down here and we had to get a new transmission, so we were stuck here for a few days. We were the only campers the entire time.
Traveler
This is our new go-to place. The spots are spacious and the view is beautiful. It’s also a bonus it offers WiFi.
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.
TravelerWe've camped at Wilson State Park three times now on eastbound road trips and I can't recommend it enough! There are sheltered sites on green lawns where tent campers can spend a quiet night. Trees provide shelter from wind and thunder storms. Depending on where you camp you can walk to swim in the reservoir. And the Switchgrass MTB is surprisingly fun! Just be careful to let it dry out before you ride since that wet sand can wreak havok on your drive train. I've only camped at Wilson on weekdays and it's never crowded.
Scout
Every spring I look forward to getting out of the city and relaxing peacefully at this beautiful Lake! I love the gorgeous sunsets, the beach area, the hiking trails, and picking guitar with my besties! There's nothing better than being submerged in mother nature and I can't think of a better place to do it!!
Scout
This place is an incredible continuously working Ranch since 1884. It is also the site of the first recorded Buffalo Soldier conflict out of Fort Hays (25 miles away). So history? Check! The views both day and night? Stunning! Our hosts? The best part of our stay. They were extremely accommodating and welcoming. We will be back. Soon! And I live in Detroit…
TravelerTrails with cliffs, creeks and caves, campsites with incredible views and Bald Eagles soaring overhead. No other campers in the grounds. What’s not to love?
Scout
Awesome little stop on my X-Country route, host was very sweet, I told her I know the spots are close but I like to be isolated when I can and she gave me a great site away from everything with a fire-ring. Just what I wanted. T Mobile service is Very Good opposed to the rating I saw of Poor
GuideWe called ahead to see if they had sites available for the night. Arrived just before the office closed at 7pm. Got a pull-through full-hookups site. The campsite pads are level, nice and wide, gravel like the roads, with wide grassy/dirt/gravel areas between and beautiful mature shade trees everywhere. Also several friendly cats acting as camp hosts, welcoming us at the office when we checked in, greeting us every time we stepped out of our rig, and checking out all the campsites and trees regularly. ☺️ Our site had a picnic table and a clay/Terra cotta statue of a bear eating honey, with a hole in his belly as a small fire ring. Most sites had a covered picnic table. Full hookups worked fine.
Bathrooms were ok; dead crickets on the floor.
We would stay here again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Dorrance, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Dorrance, KS is Indian Grass — Wilson State Park with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Dorrance, KS?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Dorrance, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
