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Best Tent Camping near El Dorado, KS

179 Reviews

Tent camping opportunities near El Dorado, Kansas include established campgrounds at Harvey County East Park and Fall River State Park. Harvey County East Park offers tent-friendly campsites with easy lake access about 30 minutes northwest of El Dorado, while Fall River State Park provides several tent camping areas including Wind Hill, Bluestem, and South Rock Ridge campgrounds approximately 50 miles southeast.

Most tent sites at Harvey County East Park feature sandy beaches along the shoreline, with basic amenities including drinking water, fire rings, and picnic tables. Campsites are generally level with a mix of open and shaded areas. Facilities include restrooms and showers that are functional but described as dated. According to one visitor, "The bathrooms are clean but basic, and water hookups must be shared between neighboring sites with a 15-minute usage limit." Tent campers should note that many sites require shared water sources, and visitors are advised not to leave water hoses connected even with splitters.

Tent campers at Harvey County East Park enjoy relatively quiet surroundings with ample shade at many sites. The campground offers good swimming opportunities with a designated beach area that can become crowded during summer weekends. Fall River State Park's tent sites provide more seclusion and nature immersion. A camper noted that "Harvey County East Park is great for families, with clean facilities and good fishing opportunities." Lakeside tent sites at Harvey County East Park feature boat docks behind them, making this location appealing for tent campers who also enjoy fishing or boating. During off-peak seasons and weekdays, tent campers can expect peaceful conditions with fewer crowds, making these Kansas campgrounds suitable for those seeking both recreation and relaxation.

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Best Tent Sites Near El Dorado, Kansas (7)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near El Dorado, KS

2 Photos of 7 El Dorado Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near El Dorado, KS

179 Reviews of 7 El Dorado Campgrounds

  • T
    Sep. 19, 2020

    Boulder Bluff Area — El Dorado State Park

    Beautiful and peaceful

    We stayed in the equestrian loop. All but a couple primitive sites are back-in. The layout of the fire rings, grills and picnic tables are all weird... Not consistent and usually on the wrong side of your trailer. The parking pad was nowhere near level, so you'll want to plan for that. The trees are lovely. You're very near the water and the breeze was beautiful. The toilet at the loop are pit. The bath house was not clean and many of the showers didn't work.. Water is lukewarm but water pressure was great. No stall doors on toilets or showers. We used the city of El Dorado dump station. The park is massive. Lots of amenities in El Dorado. And a quick jump to Wichita. We will be back.

  • Vanessa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 25, 2020

    Chase State Fishing Lake

    Primitive and quiet

    There are several areas to set up camp, each area has different advantages: proximity to vault toilets, picnic tables, privacy... The area is easy to navigate and sites are lakeside.

  • Angie S.
    Jul. 20, 2018

    Walnut River Area — El Dorado State Park

    Big Oak Campground

    You'd think the Big Oak Campground in El Dorado State Park would be amazing. It's shaded with huge trees, nice sized sites some of which are very spread out, a quick walk to the swim beach and a quick drive to put your boat in the water. Unfortunately these pluses are far outweighed by the negatives. First the bathrooms were horrible. I realize they are older restrooms but they smelled awful, they were never obviously cleaned, the showers were not even a tiny bit private, the door to the restroom was broken and had to be propped open with a tree branch. Just over the bridge at the swim beach they were worse and some of the doors in the women’s room were missing. Yuck! Secondly basic campground rules were not enforced at all. The site across from us easily had 30 people camping and were up until 4am with loud music and a bright light on. I’m not kidding, my daughter was up around 3 to use the restroom and we walked by twice. The family in the site next to us had at least 4 cars and 2 tents set up outside the site on the walking path in addition to their two tents in their own site. The dog free swim beach had dogs on it. We camp with our dogs, one of which loves to swim and even I don’t want dogs on a public beach. Our camping weekend was negatively affected by poor camping etiquette and a sever lack of basic rule enforcement. We won’t be back to El Dorado State Park Big Oak campsite any time soon, at least not during the busy summer camping season. Cross Timbers and Fall River are much better!

  • Angie S.
    Jul. 20, 2018

    Boulder Bluff Area — El Dorado State Park

    Walnut River Area, Big Oak Campground

    You'd think the Big Oak Campground in El Dorado State Park would be amazing. It's shaded with huge trees, nice sized sites some of which are very spread out, a quick walk to the swim beach and a quick drive to put your boat in the water. Unfortunately these pluses are far outweighed by the negatives. First the bathrooms were horrible. I realize they are older restrooms but they smelled awful, they were never obviously cleaned, the showers were not even a tiny bit private, the door to the restroom was broken and had to be propped open with a tree branch. Just over the bridge at the swim beach they were worse and some of the doors in the women’s room were missing. Yuck! Secondly basic campground rules were not enforced at all. The site across from us easily had 30 people camping and were up until 4am with loud music and a bright light on. I’m not kidding, my daughter was up around 3 to use the restroom and we walked by twice. The family in the site next to us had at least 4 cars and 2 tents set up outside the site on the walking path in addition to their two tents in their own site. The dog free swim beach had dogs on it. We camp with our dogs, one of which loves to swim and even I don’t want dogs on a public beach. Our camping weekend was negatively affected by poor camping etiquette and a sever lack of basic rule enforcement. We won’t be back to El Dorado State Park Big Oak campsite any time soon. Cross Timbers and Fall River are much better!

  • Charley M.
    Aug. 15, 2019

    Winfield City Lake

    Nice place

    Nice place to camp or spend the day. Just wish people would practice leave no trace, pick up after yourself.

  • Charley M.
    Sep. 4, 2019

    Cowely county fishing lake

    Leave no trace

    Let’s keep this lake and all other lakes and parks clean. Pick up after yourselves. Practice “leave no trace” leave the area Better than you found it, for the next person can enjoy.

  • J
    Feb. 28, 2021

    Napawalla Park

    Nice city park with camping sites, electricity, restrooms and pavillions.

    I pitched a tent here  during a bicycle camping weekend in late April 2020 and the restrooms were locked due to Covid restrictions.  I was the only camper at the time, but there were a few people using the disk golf area.  Nice park with plenty of trees and I was close to a pavilion with a fireplace and picnic tables.  Convenient gas station a block away.  I believe  tent camping was $3.50 for primitive and $10 with electricity.

  • S
    May. 30, 2020

    Bluestem Point Area — El Dorado State Park

    Bed bugs!!! Don’t rent Cabin 5 Larkspur

    I’m exhausted, the last 12hrs has been a dumpster fire. Last thing we expected was a bed bug infestation. Woke at midnight with a few annoying bites, on further inspection we were covered in bed bugs, urrrgghh. After picking them off our pj’s and getting over the initial shock we went home to quarantine our clothes, shower and sleep. Returned in the morning to checkout and trash our sleeping bags and pillows. Everyone is disappointed, and I’m out of pocket for 2 nights accommodation and 4x sleeping gear...whoever the host is should be ashamed of themselves, I’m trying to warn the next people, this cabin is booked solid but in reality uninhabitable! The porch is also infested with burrowing bumblebees, scary for kids and adults alike.

  • Ruby W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 24, 2020

    Chase State Fishing Lake

    We Didn’t Even Give Kansas a Chance

    On our road-trip to Utah, we dreaded having to camp in Kansas, until a friend recommended this spot. This stunning little lake is a free site with plenty of fire rings right next to a road. PERFECT car camping. And even has a clean little bathroom. Stunning views of rolling hills and cattle. Places to fish. A little trail that leads up a small hill. Stunning stunning stunning views of wildflowers and rolling hills. Great sunrise and sunset views! Phenomenal place to stop if you’re driving through Kansas. A bit of a detour from I-70, but totally worth it.

Guide to El Dorado

Tent camping near El Dorado, Kansas centers primarily around reservoir and lake-based parks within a 50-mile radius. Most camping areas in this region sit at elevations between 1,200-1,400 feet, creating moderate temperature variations between day and night hours. Summer temperatures regularly reach 90°F during peak camping months while spring and fall offer milder conditions with nighttime temperatures dropping into the 50s.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Harvey County East Park provides productive fishing with boat docks positioned behind lakeside sites. According to camper Terry M., "Been camping here since I was a kid, always try to camp at catfish point. Nice and quiet and a great peaceful place to relax."

Swimming access: The sandy beaches at Harvey County East Park are among its most distinctive features. Camper Anika L. notes, "Sandy beaches at most of the tent campsites are our favorite things about this lake! Also, super affordable camping."

Seasonal leaf viewing: Fall camping offers additional scenic opportunities as the deciduous trees change colors. One camper at Harvey County East Park shares, "The lake was beautiful, the trees were still pretty full with fall foliage, and it was very quiet."

What campers like

Peaceful atmosphere: Weekdays and off-peak seasons provide the quietest camping experience. A visitor to Wind Hill Campground at Fall River State Park noted that midweek camping during spring and early fall offers significantly more seclusion than summer weekends.

Lakeside camping: Sites with direct water access rank among the most popular for tent campers. As one Harvey County East Park visitor mentioned, "Most campsites have easy access to the lake. Facilities are dated but, for the most part, clean."

Shaded sites: The mature trees throughout Bluestem Campground provide essential shade during hot Kansas summers. Stanleigh S. points out about Harvey County East Park, "Great campground really enjoy the large and shady sites. I also like how they put boat docks behind all of the lake side sites."

What you should know

Water sharing protocol: Harvey County East Park has specific rules for water hookups. Meghan B. warns, "the water hookups are shared between sites and currently have signs reading, '15 MINUTE TIME LIMIT. Do Not Leave Water Hose Connected, Even If You Have A Splitter.'"

Varying bathroom conditions: Facility quality differs significantly between campgrounds. At Rock Ridge South Campground in Fall River State Park, facilities are more basic compared to other options, while one Harvey County East visitor noted, "The showers/restroom facilities are a bit rough, but there if you need them."

Weekend crowding: Holiday and weekend periods experience substantial increases in visitor numbers. A reviewer observed, "The swim area is nice but often crowded on the weekends."

Tips for camping with families

Best family campground: South Rock Campground at Fall River State Park offers family-friendly sites with adequate space between neighbors. One family camper at Harvey County East Park shared, "This is a Great place for families to enjoy spending time with one another! Love the cleanliness of bathrooms and outdoors!"

Swimming areas: Harvey County East Park features designated swimming zones with sandy beaches that appeal particularly to children. Rita G. confirms, "Relaxing and clean swimming area. Bathroom was clean."

Weekday visits: For families seeking quieter experiences with fewer crowds, weekdays provide better conditions. As one camper noted about Harvey County East Park, "Fairly quiet but can get rowdy during holidays."

Tips from RVers

Loop selection: For RVers at Harvey County East Park, site selection affects available utilities. Stanleigh S. advises, "This campground has both 50 and 30 amp sites. All of the 50 amp sites are on the inner loop and all of the lake side sites are 30 amp."

Spacing considerations: Chautauqua Hills Campground at Cross Timbers State Park accommodates larger RVs with more generous spacing between sites. One RVer at Harvey County East Park mentioned, "We are traveling from AZ to SC in our 33 foot bumper pull. This park was just what we needed after 6 days of traveling."

Site leveling: Many tent camping sites throughout the best tent camping near El Dorado, Kansas are reasonably level but RVers should bring leveling blocks. Sites closer to water tend to have more grade variation than interior loops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near El Dorado, KS?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near El Dorado, KS is Harvey County East Park with a 4-star rating from 9 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near El Dorado, KS?

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near El Dorado, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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