Best Glamping near Ellinwood, KS

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

This is a small camp ground with electric hook ups only. Great views of the lake. What really makes this park is all the hiking, biking and horse riding trails. Literally miles and miles of trails with some of the best rock formations you will find in Kansas. There is also a larger camp ground set back from the lake, that is larger and has pins for horses.

We went for the weekend, mostly to do some hiking. Then realized we had found one of the nest places in Kansas! We got a perfect camp spot all to ourselves. It was not necessarily private or in the woods. But we were right up against the lake. There was sand like a beach the water was alright. I mean it's a lake. We loved the hiking through limestone. We found couple caves and climbed some rock. Would be good for mntn biking

Big Bluestem Campground Site 78! Prime spot with large shade tree to block western sun. 20’ from water’s edge with path to drop kayaks in, swim or even sit lawn chairs into the water to cool off. Noted as largest saltwater and clearest lake in Kansas. 30/50A/120V and water hookups. Concrete pad. Clean showers a few hundred yards away. Trash bin in middle of loop. Marina two loops away; about 4 minute drive. Outstanding rock formations, reminds me of Utah. Water levels effect access to some formations. Great time, great weather, we’ll be back soon! T-Mobile service 1-4 bars. Streamed HotSpot for ROKU without issues.

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.

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

We were traveling back to Oklahoma from South Dakota and needed a place to break up the drive. On the way up we just stopped in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. This time we wanted to enjoy a campground in the morning before pulling out on the last stretch of drive.

Lucas Park was perfect. We pulled in late. We were tired and didn’t want to do anything but sleep haha. We got on Recreation.gov and found us a spot. The spot was perfect. A pull thru that was half moon shape. We woke up to a nice view of the lake. The way they had placed the sites was in a way that most all of them had views of water.

There were play grounds for the kids. Really nice clean baths and the roads were pretty easy to push a wheelchair over.

Definitely will use this as a stopover again when going through Kansas

Ranger Review: Camp Zero 10 liter cooler at Wilson Lake in Kansas Campground review-driving up to Wilson Lake you would never know you were in the middle of Kansas. There are rolling hills surrounding the lake. There is not clearly marked signs which made the area kind of confusing for us. There are so many loops with camping and 2 other parks in this same area. The lake itself is very large and lengthy. It’s beautiful-perfect for boating, fishing, or kayaking. There are not a lot of trees so the area can get pretty windy. Lots of sites face the water. Prices vary from 10-24 per night. There are also park permits and service fee you must pay. Sites range from primitive to full hook ups. Most have fire rings and picnic tables. There are plenty of trails for hiking and biking and swim beaches. The bathrooms are clean and there are showers,marinas,dump stations. Check in and out is at 2 pm. Make sure to check out the town of Lucas for all the fun art. Product Review: As a Ranger for the DRYT, I get products to test from time to time and I tested the 10 liter Camp Zero at Wilson Lake. What I love about the Camp Zero cooler is: 1: The light aluminum handle with gripping pad. Makes it easier to carry without losing grip 2: The rubber feet on the bottom makes it so it doesn’t slide around in the car or boat and get scratched or scratch up the car. 3: the molded cup holders on the top of the cooler that turns it into a much need table on the beach 4: The heavy duty rubber latches to keep the cooler latched. They are bear resistant 5: The awesome colors you can get them in I chose the bright green 10 liter cooler. The green is so fun and cheery and I know that I’ll be able to spot it where ever it is. This cooler really keeps the drinks cooler for extended periods of time. It is so heavy duty, and sturdy. The cooler is a little heavy once you put ice and drinks in it so I’ll just make my husband carry it. I’m excited to take this Camp Zero 10 liter cooler with me on all our adventures

I took a detour off the flat highway land in search of the town of Lucas where I had heard great things about their art installations. As I drove along the land began to open up to large rolling hills and beautiful landscaping with a turnoff just off the main road marked by some very interesting stones and a pavilion. I took a moment to pull off and noticed a kiosk which told the history of the area and some very impressive information about Lucas Park. 

I was impressed by the information and one of the signs detailing the trails which led from just outside of the campground all the way to a very special cliffside which is renowned in the state of Kansas. So naturally I had to go check it out!! 

Pulling into camp it had rained recently and some of the gravel roads were a bit slick for my small car, but I did notice they had some road work signs where they are working to improve these areas. The rest of the property was well developed and had great improvements including full service restrooms which were placed throughout camp and nice playground equipment for the kiddos. 

The campground is divided into two separate areas. Each with their own unique appeal. I personally liked the campground closest to the pay station as it seemed to have better overall access to amenities such as community water. There was a good mix of campsites at this location with pull through and back in options with sites ranging vastly in overall spacing.

 As a tent camper, I typically look for shaded areas which provide a little shelter from the elements and they did have several of these in this campground. Water access to the lake was also very close by although I didn’t see a swimming beach at the time of my visit. This could have been in part due to the rains and the lake levels or it could be that there indeed was not one in this area.

 I had decent cell signal at this campground on AT&T. 

**TIPS: **

• On weekends make sure to book in advance, the lake is one of the biggest draws of the area. 
• Drive into town and check out the“US Largest Toilet Bowl” art installation,“Garden of Eden” and the downtown district where you can find a few unique pieces. Don’t forget to stop off and try some of the famous Lucas bologna. 
• Check out the trail on the property to the rocks!

Great scenery and nice trails (bring tick spray can be brutal out there!). My girlfriend and I were able to take our paddle boards out which was a ton of fun and with the heavy boat traffic.

We spent 3 nights here for spring break with the kids and had a great time. There is a large playground and fishing pond on the south side of the lake. A disc golf course just across the road at the Army Corp of Engineers campground. We had a warm afternoon and spent a couple hours at the beach. On the north side of the lake were lost trackof the number of campgrounds available there were so many. Then all the way north is 27 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horse trails. Plan on going back sometime to get to everything we didn't get to this trip.

This is a very clean and nice campground. Lots to do, nice boat dock, camping areas.

This is one of my favorite lakes to camp near and my husband and I have camped in several campgrounds there. Recently, we stayed in the Caving Banks campground on the south side of the lake. This is a primitive campground that is near the water. Our site was private and mostly surrounding by trees, but most spots were out in the open. The only downside we recently encountered was the amount of liter we saw around several campgrounds but this seems to be more common in most campgrounds this year. I hope people start to clean up after themselves, because it’s very sad to see. Overall, this is a fantastic lake to fish at, and the camp attendant in the permit office was super helpful and friendly.

  We came in the late afternoon on a Friday in October. Drove from the interstate. We saw the sign & turned. We became completely lost. I picked up a map at the office, which was closed, but it didn't help. We drove around then came back to the office. There was a conservation officer in the parking lot who saved us! There are TWO areas of this state park. We were in the Horsethief Area. Our campground was Sandstone, which is the Langley Point Area. Get out of Horsethief, turn right & cross the dam. Make the first right& we couldn't miss it! 

   This is a wonderful area. There are lots of campgrounds. 14 to be exact! Equestrian, primitive, walk in, water& electric. They have cabins& a marina. We were in site 408 in Sandstone- IMO the best site on this side. Great view of the lake. The sites are generous in size& clean.

   Two concerns: this was a busy weekend. Every campsite was full. Aside from the conservation officer we saw on Friday afternoon, we saw NO park employees. The office remained closed on Sat. This brings me to point 2- the bathrooms/showers are typical state park, but they were DIRTY! No one cleaned them Sat. There were spiders & cobwebs everywhere. The garbage wasn't emptied, the sinks& toilets were dirty. Not good. We camped at Kanopolis State Park- Langley Point Area in a Travel Trailer

Do yourself a favor and stay at Blue Stem primitive site 5. Beautiful view of the reservoir, and it’s on the end so you have a huge open area all to yourself. Buffalo Track Canyon Trail has gorgeous views with 2 small caves, and beautiful rock coloring. Before you head to your campsite make sure you stop off at Mushroom Rock for a photo op! The kids fishing pond is stocked with catfish, my kids loved catching something other than our usual blue Gill! The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars is because the concrete shelter is covered in offensive graffiti and there was trash all over our campsite. I got most of it picked up so hopefully others can enjoy it! Don’t forget your 7 principles of Leave No Trace!

This park is huge and it can be confusing to find your way if you haven't been here. We had a park host help us, which was great. We booked Sandstone 408 based on a review here. It did not disappoint! Right across from the lake. Large site. Everything we need. Come and enjoy!

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!!

We camped at caving banks primitive area. Easy access to the shower house, nice breeze, successful fools gold hunt. Easy walk to the beach through the cottonwood grove to cool off. Wanted to camp on the northside to hike the trails easier but the shower house was broken over there.

Gorgeous view and perfect shaded camping grounds

My wife and I camped in site 093 and really enjoyed the scenery of the lake and the park itself. Great place for a weekend getaway or long fishing trip on the reservoir. All the facilities were very clean and the park was well maintained.