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Traveler
Growing up in southwest Kansas it is difficult to take a quick weekend trip anywhere close. Horsethief sure changed that. A quick hour drive from Garden City and you can be on the water or setting up your camper. Spots can fill up quick so be sure you call ahead. However, there are plenty of primitive spots that have room most weekends.
Ranger
We enjoyed our 2 night stay in the Circle Loop. Only negative was no fire pits in this loop, but all the tent sites had fire pits. Strange.
Lots of positives, mainly the scenery and peace & quiet. Amazing sites nearby...Jerusalem Badlands & Monument Rocks about 15-20 minutes north off of US 83.
Scott City, 15 miles south has a great grocery store and eateries,gas stations.
GuideDiverse collection of camping types from RVs to small tent sites. Great scenery and a nice clean lake. Fairly busy, we were here on a Tuesday in June and it was probably half full with several locals just hanging out in campsites to socialize or drink so if you want seclusion pick your site carefully. Overall a very nice campground compared to I state parks we've visited in the state. Close to castle Rock Badlands, monument rocks and Little Jerusalem Badlands which made for a great time.
GuideThere is not a lot to see on the flat western plains of Kansas and you would not see this state park either if you didn’t know it was there. This lake is like a sunken oasis of trees and water. The area itself was great! There’s even a few histoical sites to visit and it is close to Monument Rocks, which is what bought us to Kansas.
The campground, however, is just ok. Perhaps it would’ve been better if they had rain to green up the grass, but it was mostly brown in June when we camped there. They have a large selection of sites and on a Monday night in June, we had many choices available for tent camping. It appeared that most who camp here have an rv and those spaces looked about full. Thankfully, those are two different areas of the campground because they were packed into a parking lot style campground. The tent area probably would’ve looked packed in too since the sites are small, but with only a handful of tents, we had some space.
One thing that did limit our choice of sites was a LARGE herd of geese that covered all of the lakeside sites as well as the next row in. I didn’t want to set up in bird poop in the dry grass so the sites with a decent view were out. We did luck out and find site 2 of the Flatland area which was up above the water line so the geese couldn’t swim up and walk in. Site 2 had a great view of the lake and was set apart from the other sites along with site 1. Site 1 would’ve been the better site but it was occupied by a tent that appeared to have been abandoned. Site 2 was not level by any means, in fact it sloped quite a bit compared to the rest of the sites. There was no tent pads, which would’ve helped a lot for this site. We just set up so our heads would be at the high end and it worked. It was too nice of a view to let a bumpy sloping site stop us!
The campground has a host and everyone was quiet for the night. We slept pretty well, other than the high humidity of Kansas.
The bathhouse left a lot to be desired. A good cleaning to remove dead bugs would’ve went a long way. A fresh coat of paint would make it inviting. It looked like nobody had checked on its’ condition for many years. We were hoping to use the showers, but they were no cleaner and had an odd design with no doors or shower curtains. The lighting was very dim as well, making it all look a little too creepy for a shower there. A fresh coat of paint, brighter lighting, some shower curtains, and a good scrub down would make this facility SO much better! We also checked the other batthouse on the opposite side of the lake and it was the same way...only creepier because there was one lone rv camped near it.
Overall, I would not camp here again unless I read some reviews indicating the the bathhouse has been improved. It’s not a dealbreaker to not have a shower, but if this campground had been fuller, the geese all over the sites may have been. If you have an rv and pay for full hookups, you might like this campground. If you are tent camping, keep looking.
Legend
This was our last stop in our Tour de Kansas. The landscape felt more like the west than the flatlands of Kansas we had come to love. We pulled in on a Thurs. The campground was almost empty. Buy Friday afternoon, it was pretty full. By Sunday afternoon, we had it to our self again. We got a pull through site with 30 and 50 amp. Only 1 shower house was open in early April. But, it was 4 individual rooms, not common area setup.
The lake was small but very pretty, easy to kayak, SUP and fish. There are a few short trails to hike. As other have mentioned, there are amazing sites within 20 miles. The Little Jerusalem SP is a must. In the area, we saw turkey, owl, lots of buzzards, geese, albino buffelo and more cows than i have seen in one place. On Saturday, the local car club drove their vintage cars to the park for a pop up car show. The people were very nice. Garden City is about 40 miles away and offers everything you could want, brewery, good food, shopping galore, etc.
GuideDriving through Kansas and coming up on this park and it's views made it a great spot to stop at along the way. Able to pull up to campsites and park next to your tent area. Everything was clean and my spot was a nice wake up view looking across the lake. Only caught a catfish while there but still great fun. Wish I could've gotten video of the thunderstorm that rolled through in the distance. Overall though, great hiking around the lake and good spots. Just a short drive to town also if you need to pick anything up.
LegendWhile traveling through Kansas we found a beautiful spot to camp that we would recommend to all campers whether beginning, tenting, RV or even to just stop and spend the day. There is plenty of camping sites, fishing areas, swimming beach, a beach/boat/market house, historical markers and dwellings along with beautiful rolling hills and bluffs. Camp hosts were pleasant and helpful and area was clean. Some areas are shaded better than others as seen on google maps. And not to forget that Monument rocks are about a 20 minute drive from there and a must see-amazing that they could be there.
Guide
Simply picked the first loops on the lake. if you want to swim I would suggest camping on the other side. I picked this spot because no one else was around I had the whole loop to myself. Which is what I was looking for. The other side had a lot more people. Maybe not the best place for tents a lot of geese around and their droppings but there was plenty of grass and soft ground. I am not use to seeing a campground not full. I was surprised how easy it was to find open spots must be a Kansas thing. Beautiful sunset and sunrise in early July.
Guide
Keep in mind, we haven’t found any five-star campgrounds in Kansas, and a shortage of campgrounds in general, so we were glad to find this perfectly adequate, safe space with level gravel pads close together. Full hookups. The best thing about it is its proximity to Dodge City.
Traveler
This is a tiny (5 pull-thru slots) RV park run by the county in Montezuma, Kansas. Perfect for an overnight stay, it has 30 and 50 amp hookups, sewer and water. All for only $20/night. Each slot is a gravel drive with a concrete pad on the side that has a concrete picnic table. It’s right off KS-56, but we didn’t find it too noisy. I would definitely stay here again if passing by this way. Even has the added bonus of a small adjacent field where we were able to kite our paramotor wing for a bit.
GuideStandard Campground in middle nowhere Kansas. We were passing through to Colorado and were also planning to see the nearby Monument Rocks and New Jerusalem Badlands SP. We managed to be the only one in this campground. While this campground had a sign explaining their color coded services, there were no actual services. There were no formal fire rings on grills, but most sites had remains of improvised fire rings. There is a group camping site with large fire ring, grill, volleyball court etc. This campground had two available bathrooms. One is a pit toilet with no lights, so bring a flashlight. The second had sinks, flush toilets, and showers, but had no main bathroom doors and completely open to the elements at the 8 foot height.
GuideAs you approach this lake, you will think your GPS is lying to you. You are in the middle of corn fields and no lake is visible, even when you are just a mile away. The lake sits in a gorge, and it is you won't see it until you are right at the top of and/or descending into the gorge.
This is a nice stopover spot for anyone traveling west through Kansas. We used it as a pit stop before entering Colorado. It's a pretty lake with good fishing and a nice swimming area. You can also rent boats to paddle and fish. Our spot was a bit exposed, but there are plenty of campsites with good tree coverage and privacy.
The campground and facilities were clean
LegendIt seemed like we drove a long time to get here. This was a stop on our way back home from Colorado. It was around 40 some miles from the Interstate& all we saw were fields upon fields & no trees. The husband was grumbling when we turned off on the road to Lake Scott. I felt a lot better when we took the road down into the valley & saw the lake!
This is not our first Kansas state park. We've been to Kanopolis & Mushroom Rocks. Lake Scott is supposed to be Kansas' most historic park. We stayed for 2 nights in the Circle campground. Water & electric. There's a few "seasonal" sites that offer sewer.
As before, there was no one at the gatehouse to check in, so we found our site ourselves. The camp host was never around, but there were a few people in golf carts who waved at us.
The site had some trees & a view of the lake. The site was clean
It was a short walk to the bathroom by the lake. There are flush toilets & showers & I've got to say, they are the filthiest I've seen camping. Apparently it's no ones job to take out the garbage or clean the sinks or toilets.
The beach was fairly crowded both afternoons we were there. I have no idea why anyone would want to swim in that disgusting water, but I guess that's all that's around. My husband says he saw fish jumping, so there is that to do.
This is a pretty scenic park. The rocks & the lake, ect. There was never anyone at the beach store & I found out it's only open on weekends. There was someone at the park office& I got some area info. It was closed by afternoon though. The Steele Home Museum was closed both days we were there.
Traveler
Very quiet, clean, pet friendly! We stayed here for 3 1/2 weeks wile I worked nights. Small showers
GuideClean little spot with hookups. Friendly and helpful staff. Very affordable. I’ve paid more for a lot less.
ScoutVery basic campground with full hookups. People living there in spartan campsites close together on a a grassy mound. Shower house needed attention and was very basic.
Guide
Close to a small town. Cheap ($10/night for 30 amp & water). Great to recharge the batteries. Small playground, a bit run down. Quiet with few people. Small pond & mulberry trees.
ScoutQuiet spot, 2 miles out of town. Little highway noise, for $10 with electric and water, it’s perfect! Good sunset view, small pond ( requires membership to fish) lots of birds around.
TravelerNice quiet place with covered picnic tables (a bit weathered) , pretty level grassy spots. ~8 - 30 amp (no 50 amp) w water... and some more primitive camp spots as well. We were the only ones there so it was a great stop for $10! Stayed May 2021 - was dry when we arrived, rained that night - no problems leaving. We went in the entrance off the main road and had to weave around to the site but believe there is an entrance off the dirt road right before the park.. (refer to a satellite view vs GPS)
TravelerIn the middle of seemingly no where... Great one night stop. A few electronic & water hook ups. No dump station that I've found. Dogs should be on leash, but no one here and no one to bother.
TravelerIf you play on the water, then this might just work for you. There were no water hook ups. There is power available but every site is shared so no privacy. They are under trees so shade was good. Sites are unimproved and very soft when wet. Folks are generally nice.
ScoutWhat a great surprise after looking at several campgrounds as far East as Dodge City we found this gem.
RangerWe stopped on the way home to Colorado. It's cheap, level and has 30 amp power and water. Cell coverage is a solid 4bar 4g LTE with Verizon.
For $10 bucks it works. We came through in November and the water was turned off. It has a bathroom but we didn't use it so I can't report on its condition. The park was clean.
GuideIt’s flat, easy to get to.. bathrooms are just okay. Not the cleanest, but it’s something. Each spot has water and electric. Plus a covered shelter with picnic tables. For $10 can’t beat it
RangerEvrything in the other reviews is accurate except for the water. That review was in August. I am here now in very late November. The water is turned off. But electricity and a flat spot of dirt for 10 bucks is a great deal. The only downside is there is really no view. The land is flat in all directions. There are three ponds in the area which are marked membership only. It looks like they are very low, One is dry. There are four pairs of flat campsites on sandy dirt and a little grass. Each pair share an electric pedestal with 2 30 W outlets. Likewise each pair of sites share a pair of picnic tables under a weather shelter. Outside of town. You can hardly hear the highway
ScoutWe wanted to stay, but we do not have a restroom in our camper, and there is not one on site.
GuideMost sites have full hook ups. The electric is in sort of a central pedestal, and people are snaking cords to it 4 campers per pedestal No showers or bathrooms. My site did not have a dump. $32 Rather expensive for no amenities Right off the highway Lots of nice trees so there’s shade Not too noisy Many big rigs here I have T-Mobile and I had only one bar
Tent camping near Garden City, Kansas offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the amenities of well-maintained campgrounds. With options that cater to various preferences, you'll find the perfect spot to set up your tent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Garden City, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Garden City, KS is Timber Canyon Campground — Historic Lake Scott State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Garden City, KS?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Garden City, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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