Looking for the best Elwood tent camping? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
The land for this area was donated to the Conservation Department in 1991. The timbered property straddles Rock Creek Road. The north tract of the area offers walk-in access to the Platte River. A graveled parking lot is located south of the county road. Both tracts are prone to flooding.
On department areas where camping is allowed, camping is limited to a period of 14 consecutive days in any 30-day period. Personal property must be removed at the end of the 14-day period. Unless a special use permit is obtained, total camping days on all department areas are limited to a total of 30 days within one calendar year. Groups of more than 10 people must obtain a special use permit prior to camping. To obtain a special use permit, contact the area manager at the phone number listed for this area in the area details section.
Quiet hours are in effect in camping areas from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. Visitors who are not occupying a campsite are required to leave the campground by 10 p.m. On camping areas with established campsites, only two camping or sleeping units are permitted in each site.
Mozingo Lake Recreation Park features 37 primitive tent campsites available for use. Located in a beautiful wooded area featuring scenic lake views, camping under the stars has never been this enjoyable. Tent camping passes can be purchased at the information booth near the park’s entrance.
The Primitive Tent Camping Area consists of 37 sites, all equipped with a fire ring and a picnic table.
These sites cannot be reserved and are available on a first come, first served basis. Please look out for the ‘PAID – TENT’ signs on each site to assure the site has not already been paid for by another customer.
There is a showerhouse (with toilets and showers) at the campground, near the entrance. If you need water, there is a water source near the showerhouse.
$15 / night
Guide
Came out to camp one night with my 5 year old. We stated on a friday night in October and the campground was not too busy at all.. maybe only 5 other groups there. Showers and bathroom were all fine, campsite was clean and well maintained. Loved that the tent camping sites were actually surrounded by trees, I see way to many tent campsites that are basically just in the middle of a grass field. There are walking paths and a couple of playgrounds around the lake close enough to walk to but far enough away they wont ever be a bother. Also if you like disc golf than this is the place to go, there is a brand new 18 hole course right next to the camp!
Guide
My husband and I tent camped one night at this park. We arrived around 8 pm and even though the office was getting ready to close, the woman behind the counter was very kind and helpful. She helped us with finding our spot and with getting firewood. Our basic tent site was lakeside and had a fire pit and picnic table. The site was so well maintained it was hard to find small sticks for kindling.
The grounds have private bathrooms with toilets and showers. There are two nice playgrounds and a swimming pool. Most campers were enjoying fishing in the small lake. Kayaks were available to rent for a small fee. Kids enjoyed riding bikes around the flat roads.
This is a great spot off I-29 to set up camp and have a rest. It's also a good spot to take young kids fishing.
Guide
Camp host was friendly. Very few primitive sites so we tent camped on an electric site. Clean facilities.
Guide
Stayed for a one nighter on a tent site. Area was clean and maintained. There is no restroom close to tent sites but it is just up the hill at the rv side.. also when I decided to camp here showers were not listed as an amenitie but there are showers in the restroom which was a present surprise. My kid enjoyed the playground near the lake and I enjoyed the disc golf course on site. Bring cash for your fees to put in the drop box.
Traveler
We camped in one of the walk-in tent sites and loved it! Plenty of space between us and neighbors, nice and quiet. Plenty of shade, nice hiking trails, and the shower house / amenities were nice.
Scout
This park is convient to I-29 but far enough off the highway to be quiet and peaceful. Tent sites, full hookups as well as rooms and cabins are available. As a point of interest, this used to be a favorite fishing spot of President Harry S. Truman, check out the Mother in Law cabin—built at his request.
Traveler
We stayed in primitive site #3 - fairly close to neighbors, but with some berms/hills between it still felt relatively private. Site didn’t have a ton of level tent sites, but was otherwise in good shape.
Fall foliage was gorgeous this past weekend, and we thoroughly enjoyed the woolen mill tour at the adjacent state historic site.
Shower and restroom facilities seemed adequate, though more dated than other similar state parks in the area. Serviceable but not immaculately clean.
Traveler
We live near Crow’s Creek, and enjoy making spur of the moment camping trips here throughout the year. There are many spacious tent sites with great views of the lake. Miles of paved walking/biking trails around the water offer for a nice activity!
Tip: Before choosing your site number, ask which loop is furthest from the horse camping as there can be some noise from the barn at night. The park staff has typically made this suggestion to us when we arrive!
RangerCampground is great overall, with a walkable trail just past the showers, clean restrooms and easy to access sites. There are only 3 basic tent sites, making it hard to nab. #4 had a decent amount of privacy, however most other electric sites do not. As an electric site, there was not a lot of ground space for tents, we settled on gravel with reflectix to buffer the ground. Check in was easy, and in walking distance. Site was pretty noisy, even after hours, a few kids running around with speakers on blast definitely were less than optimal.
LegendIn the home of Amelia Earhart, you will find Warnock Lake, a small lake property with big opportunities for camping!!
The lake itself is smaller and allows you to fish or take out small kayaks or paddle boats for recreation although you must provide your own. Swimming is also an option and there is a small dock which can be access from the side of the camping area or the entry.
A large special earthworks is on property, created to honor the likeness of Amelia Earhart herself, although viewing it from above is suggested as the viewing platform leaves much to be desired. And continuing with the legacy of the famous aviator, a park called the Forest of Friendship allows you a get away with a unique atmosphere. It is here that you will find the bicentennial dedication from the city of Hutchison to the US honoring the many trees from around the world in addition to some very famous people which have made it possible.
In addition to all of these amazing things rests a camping area designed to cater to those who are looking for a day away. Offering both RV and tent camping options the space is nice and has large shade trees. RV offerings are equipped with 30 amp connections and shared water spigots. Primitive tent camping is located a bit further down the roadway and is spaced much more loosely with common areas for trash collection and water.
I noticed that pets are allowed at the campsites which makes it great for the entire family.
Pricing for stay is very inexpensive and there are roll over campsites available outside of the main camping loop with a bit less privacy from the traffic of the roadway. The community itself is only a short drive from the campsites and it wasn’t crowded even on a summer day.
Great place to relax if you are in this area of Kansas!!
ScoutThere are mixed RV and tent camping sites, including primitive and walk in sites. You can get water and electric at most sites. Each campground has an iron fire ring with a grill attached.
There are nice hiking trails. Trails are well marked. There three levels to choose from based on distance.
There is also a small lake to fish or swim in. The lake for it's size, had some nice fish.
The community shower and bathroom houses are not air conditioned. The floors are slab cement, but the park staff clean them daily.
Overall, I think that campgrounds are decent.
GuideThis campground is a pretty standard state park campground. All of the usual amenities; showers, laundry and electric sites if you want them.
The tent sites all consist of a fire grate with a swing away grill, paved parking spot and a predetermined tent spot covered in mulch.
The majority of the sites are next door to each other and right of the road. However, there are 4 walk in sites that get you away from the majority of the campground noise.
The main issues are the usual; noisy neighbors, extremely noisy and inconsiderate rv campers and an Interstate less than a mile away.
If you're looking for solitude, this does not provide it, but if you just want to sleep in a tent and have a campfire this will probably be fine for you.
Guide
We booked a site along with a couple of family members and the website for this park is ancient. Couldn't get anything booked online because the website wouldn't cooperate, save yourself time and just call the campground once you've looked at the map and chosen where in general you want to camp at.
Tent sites are okay sized, and many are close to the water. Not a lot of trees for shade, so bring a shelter for some relief from the sun.
The camp store sells wood and everyone was extremely friendly. There's a swimming beach nearby that you will have to drive to but it is included in the stay! No alcohol is allowed at the beach.
Traveler
We called ahead so they were expecting us and the staff knew who we were when we pulled up. Very friendly and helpful staff. Beautifully kept grounds with lots of lush grass. There is a lake/ river at the edge of the property with fish, plenty of frogs and I even saw a beaver or otter swimming across it. You can fish but it is catch and release. Surprisingly not buggy at all for being right by the water. The playground is great and they have lawn games and a large dog park. Nice clean bathrooms with hot showers and great water pressure. They even have a pool which I didn’t end up taking advantage of but would have had we stayed longer. They had the cutest little benches to sit on and look out over the water and at the stars. We also had so much fun chasing fireflies.
We camped in a tent with our 2 dogs and young toddler and had a great stay.
It is close to the highway and we could hear traffic but it was easy to tune out. The cicadas and bullfrogs are loud at night but we really enjoyed that.
GuideWe came here fully expecting rain and we got it. Only problem was we planned to tie up some tarps to sit under but we didn't know that it was against the rules to tie to the trees at these sites. luckily we made it work tieing to the roof of the table and a stump. As far as the camp ground its self, rules aside, it is amazing. All the tent sites are separated by trees and bushes so you get plenty of room to your self but they are close enough you can still connect with other groups if you want. Another great part about it is that there are walking paths through the woods from each site that meet up at a central restroom. The main bathrooms and showers are over by the office and are super nice but it is good that there are a couple stalls close for the middle of the night situations. Tons of walking trails are around and a decent playground for the kids as well. Overall loved this place.
GuideMy husband and I tent camped overnight at Wallace State Park. Woodsy tent camping sites were spacious and private. Large camping pads are lined with wood chips and are comfortable enough to sleep on without an air mattress. Covered picnic tables have an extra shelf for storage convenience. Even after setting up the tent and camping chairs there was still enough room for lawn games or for little ones to run around.
Wildlife was abundant in the evening. We saw many deer, frogs and squirrels. At dark, nature sounds were unbelievable with songs of bullfrogs, owls, and flying creatures of all sorts. Be sure to bring bug repellant.
Campground 1 had clean vault toilets, but the bath house near Campground 2 was even better. Showers were clean and in their own stalls with locking doors, shelves and ample hooks. The water got nice and hot and the shower heads were even and held good pressure. This bath house was seriously the best one we have ever visited and we have used dozens.
For entertainment, there was a bustling playground, winding nature trails, horseshoes, lake swimming, and fishing. There was also a well kept laundry house with a dishwashing sink attached. Campground hosts and park rangers were friendly and busy keeping the park in great shape. Overall, this is a really nice place to camp!
Gear Review: Lighthouse 250 Lantern and USB Power Hub We decided to try out our GoalZero lantern instead of our usual larger lantern. The lantern is compact enough to fit in a small bag with other electronics and is very light in weight. This saved us a little extra room which is a bonus since we take all of our camping trips in a tiny little Prius C. The Lighthouse 250 would be a good contender for bringing along on a backpacking trip, but you would want to pad it with some kind of protection as it seems that some parts might not hold up to a lot of banging around.
We used the lantern 2 nights in a row without charging it and the battery life indicator still had over 1/4 of its power left. On this same charge, wee tested the phone charger by hooking up an iPhone 4 to charge for 10 minutes with the light on full turbo. The 10 minute charge boosted the phone's battery 12%. The hand crank charger was a little awkward, but would be sufficient in a pinch. Had we needed more power, we could have easily plugged the attached USB cord into our car charger. We don't usually pony up for electric sites, so on extended excursions, the Nomad 7 Solar Panel is a gadget we would consider purchasing.
The directional lighting feature of the lantern came in handy for having dimmer light closer to sleeping times and brighter light for reading/boardgames in the tent. In the end, we will definitely bring the Lighthouse 250 lantern with us on future trips, and will leave our bulky older lantern at home.
LegendGetting to the state park off I 29 and through the countryside was easy as the route had Weston Bend SP signage. We followed the SP signs to the campground(CG) where the gate was not manned so we headed to get water, but someone was sitting in the dump station waiting for another person to arrive so we went around this one-loop CG to see if there was a convenient spigot. There are spigots but with a larger rig, you will block the road, and/or you will be on a hill. We went back around and the person moved so we could get water. After that, we headed to pull through site 28 with electric(50/30/20 AMP) only. The site is long but has a 1/4 moon turn so we had to pull back around to get better positioned on the pad so we could disconnect our 39’ 5th wheel and F450 for our 3-night stay. There were tree branches overhead that we could not avoid. RVers next to us in site 30 had just arrived as well and were having trouble getting their travel trailer unhitched and leveled due to the pad’s slight incline and unlevel asphalt. They got their trailer positioned so they could get somewhat level. We got a solid two bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. Due to our proximity to Kansas City, we got a lot of OTA channels. A satellite connection would be iffy in most sites here due to the number of mature trees. The trees in a lot of sites would also scrape the top of larger rigs. There’s a variety of sites with most being good for regular trailers versus tall rigs, and tent sites. They have a nice shower house with 1 washer and 1 dryer both for$1.50. There are also vaulted toilets here and there. There’s a 1.7-acre fenced dog park that includes one large area for large dogs and two other areas with one dedicated to smaller dogs. The dog area is at the front park entrance away from the campground and it would be a long walk to get there, so we drove up. There are a lot of hiking trails here plus an old tobacco barn that’s worth a look.
LegendWatkins mill SP is located a short distance from Kansas City off I-35 near Kearney. The park has a large lake that you can fish and boat as well as multiple hiking options. The historical site is a neat step back in time to the 1800'. The campground is broken up into 3 different areas with plenty of space for campers, RV's and tents. Park features include an updated showerhouse, large playground for the kids and helpful and friendly park staff. Thanks to the staff for giving us an heads up on the raccoons that are bold! Reservations are recommended on holiday weekends.
Scout
its not tent friendly owner was a total a hole towards this bikepacker "this is a rv park im not loosing my license over a tent"
Guidesite: large. private. shaded. amenities: clean. well maintained. attractions: hiking. biking. close to Kansas City (40 minutes) I would go camping here again.
Guide
Close to Kansas City so it makes a great quick getaway. Clean, friendly, and right next to Smithville Lake. Our pick for a short trip.
Traveler
On the way back east after spending 2+ weeks on the road, we desperately needed a place to set up our tent and lay down for the night before continuing on. We found this little gem and it wasn’t very far off the “main” road. Basically in the middle of nowhere we found this spot and were able to easily set up our tent, then leave in the morning without seeing another person or being bothered by anything. No facilities, except a small bathroom that was closed, but it was exactly what we needed.
RangerShowed up and went to our site it was a tent only spot even though it said 20ft double pad.
LegendWe were not impressed with this little state park. The trails were the best feature of this park. The campground was small and not very many campsites for tents. The restroom/showers were modern. It is close to KC
ScoutWe said at camp site 26. This has to be one of the best sites to stay out if your in a tent. It‘s far enough away from the entrance were you don’t here traffic coming or going. There is also a lot of hiking trails through out park.
GuideThe trails in this area are open but you have to hike into all of them and the campground is still closed even though most other state parks are open. The sites are basic for tents but well laid. The trail system heads to an overlook and down to the river.
TravelerQuaint campground an hour outside of Kansas City. Beautiful fall foliage. The last weekend in October they have a lot of great activities for kids. Pumpkin Carving games. There’s a campsite decorating contest. Kids can go trick or treating at the campsites that choose to participate. Showers are immaculate. Vault toilets are extremely well maintained. Well marked trails and friendly people all around.
Tent camping near Elwood, Kansas offers a variety of options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to enjoy nature while setting up camp. From serene lakes to primitive sites, there’s something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Elwood, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Elwood, KS is Agency Conservation Area with a 2-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Elwood, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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