Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Ellinwood, KS

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:

• Rent a watercraft from local retailer.   Information on all those which have units is available online or on the kiosk just inside camp.   There are a variety of options ranging from paddle boards to small fishing boats.
• Take the bike path trail which loops through the park.   This is a great way to have a little fun outdoors away from the lake activities.  The course is pretty well known in Kansas.

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.

We 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.

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.