Garden City, KS is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Garden City is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$10 / night
"I stayed for one night on the site with the covered shelter, and it worked out wonderfully because we had a huge lightning storm in the middle of the night."
$10 / night
$10 / night
$10 / night
TravelerGrowing 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.
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
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.
GuideThese spaces are blocked from the wind and feel more private than the Lakeview campground, but you are a bit further from bathrooms/dumpsters. Primitive spaces had a picnic table and fire ring, and you’ll likely find a little “cove” all to yourself. Most people seemed to be RV camping in the sites that provided hookups and water.
GuideSimply 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.
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.
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.
Guide38 Mph wind gusts all night long made for some miserable camping. Not sure if that’s normal around here or not. 305 & 304 are probably the only primitive campgrounds I would stay at, all the others are too close to the road and eachother with no privacy. A permit is required, mine cost $12.75, they can be purchased from the kiosk at the park entrance. Excellent phone service with Verizon.
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.
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TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Garden City, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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