The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Great Bend. Great Bend is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Great Bend, KS. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
This recreation area is part of Wilson Lake
Minooka Park Campground is located on the south side of Wilson Lake in the wide open spaces of central Kansas. Named for the Otoe Indian word meaning "Good Earth," this park offers many campsites with scenic lake views and excellent shoreline access.
Boating is the most popular pastime on the lake, with plenty of room for water skiing, wake boarding, jet skiing, sailing and more. The high salinity content of the Saline River makes drinking and irrigation difficult without special treatment, but it aids the stocking of ocean-native Striped Bass, which have been known to reach enormous sizes in Wilson Lake. This and many other game fish species have been enhanced by a stocking program conducted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Walleye, Large and Smallmouth bass can be found in abundance in the lake, as well as White bass, Striped bass, and channel and flathead catfish. Several trails are also available to visitors, including the Prairie Fire Trail, a self-guided interpretive trail. Wilson Lake also offers hunting opportunities for a variety of game animals, including pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, whitetail deer, turkey, waterfowl and rabbit.
Wilson lake, known as the "clearest lake in Kansas," is located in the Smoky Hills of North Central Kansas--a rolling landscape of hills, buttes and hazy valleys. Also known as Post Rock Country, the area contains thousands of miles of stone fenceposts and buildings that have been constructed out of the area's local limestone. This and other unique geologic formations and mixed grass prairie lands provide an excellent scenic backdrop for recreation around the lake.
Visitors may want to explore other nearby recreation areas including Lucas and Sylvan Parks, as well as Wilson State Park, located on the south side of the lake. The nearby town of Lucas is known for its unique artistic spirit and attractions, while the town of Wilson and other nearby communities offer visitors a rich historical heritage to explore.
$18 - $250 / night
$35 / night
Lucas Park Campground is located on the north side of Wilson Lake in the wide open spaces of central Kansas.
Boating is the most popular pastime on the lake, with plenty of room for water skiing, wake boarding, jet skiing, sailing and more. Populations of many game fish species have been enhanced by a stocking program conducted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Walleye, Large and Smallmouth bass can be found in abundance in the lake, as well as White bass, Striped bass, and channel and flathead catfish. Several trails are available to visitors, including the Bur Oak Nature Trail, a 3/4-mile nature walk located adjacent to Sylvan Park. The Rocktown Hiking Trail, located in the western part of Lucas Park, is a 3-mile loop trail situated in a 305-acre wildlife area. Massive red sandstone rock formations rise 15 to 30 feet above the ground and give the visual impression of a city skyline, giving it the name Rocktown. Trail brochures are available at the trail entrance. Wilson Lake also offers hunting opportunities for a variety of game animals, including pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, whitetail deer, turkey, waterfowl and rabbit.
Wilson lake, known as the "clearest lake in Kansas," is located in the Smoky Hills of North Central Kansas--a rolling landscape of hills, buttes and hazy valleys. Also known as Post Rock Country, the area contains thousands of miles of stone fenceposts and buildings that have been constructed out of the area's local limestone. This and other unique geologic formations and mixed grass prairie lands provide an excellent scenic backdrop for recreation around the lake.
Visitors may enjoy exploring other recreation areas around the lake, such as Sylvan and Minooka Parks as well as Wilson State Park, located on the south side of the lake. The nearby town of Lucas is known for its unique artistic spirit and attractions, while the town of Wilson and other close by communities offer visitors a rich historical heritage to explore.
$18 - $350 / night
ScoutWe just stopped to overnight so we didn't take advantage of all the amenities. Campground was clean and well kept. We had no issues hooking up and got a restful nights sleep aside from the occasional train.
Guide
This is a great stop if you’re traveling and just need a spot to park and camp for a night! Lots of bugs though! But it’s quiet, nobody else here, and a free simple place to sleep while we are passing through. Our pop up camper was super easy to pull in and the ground is flat :)
Scout
Clean and new facilities. Lots of spots, many pull through.
Guide
Stayed on a Thursday night 9/12 and there were hardly any people there. It was a beautiful spot but quite exposed so expect some wind.. I would definitely stay there again.
Guide
It was beautiful at sunset, very nice campground with good hot showers.
GuideLast minute reservation easily accommodated. Beautiful and super clean. Amazing bathhouse and coffee house. Cabins also available for rent. One of the nicest rv parks we’ve stayed in.
GuideNice easy place to pitch a tent or hang a hammock. Primitive campground is well maintained and largely unoccupied because of the lack of hookups for RVs. Stayed on 4th of July and only one other family was in the entire campground. Close to swimming beach, but bring your own water as there is no spigot nearby. Great birds too!
Scout
If you are traveling I 70, this is a great spot for a night to break up the drive. Only a few miles off of the highway, clean, quiet, with water and electricity. We stop here almost every trip. Sites are spaced out nicely.
ScoutIt is quiet and it is free and near a real nice town. Level but with gravel. Not smooth or grassy enough for ground sleeping without an air mattress. The road to get there has been graveled well so isn’t muddy anymore. Lots of trees to break the wind BUT then it doesn’t blow away the mosquitos. We didn’t have a tent and were going to sleep in tarp sandwiches BUT the mosquito army drove us on.
Guide
We stayed at this COE campground on a very stormy night in June 2024. It is a well kept Corp campground and we will stay there again as we travel through Kansas.
TravelerWe stopped here on our way back home from New Mexico. It was a clean, quite campground. The bathrooms were clean. Parking pads were level. We arrived afterhours, and used an envelope to pay. The payment system was pretty confusing. The pay envelopes stated different rates than the website, which also is different than what the employee told us on the phone.
We would stay here again if we needed to stop over night in the area.
Guide
Not very crowded mid-April 2024. Level sites with water available. Many trees.
Scout
We stayed at this federal campground 3/29/24 for free. 126 sides and I think there were four RVs here. No hookups or water (That's why it's free) but it had one open pit toilet. Beautiful views, felt very safe. A bit windy. Hopefully everybody will take care of this place & not abuse the privilege of staying here in the winter for free.
ScoutDog friendly and lady at front desk is very nice and helpful with reasonable rates this is a great stay
ScoutI stayed there 2 nights. The first night it rained like the dickens for about an hour after the rain is when the show really started. The marshlands exploded with sound. Frogs, crickets, owls, foxes, coyotes, and more wildlife sounds than I could identify. I can identify a lot. Like 5! The first night was so awesome I stayed a second night. The second night wasn't as dramatic, but it was still a wonderful calypso of sound to fall asleep too. The campground is very well kept and even though next to the road it was peaceful. I will be back next spring!
Scout
Tom and Heddy are very nice folks. Warm and welcoming. Their property is quiet and beautiful. We hope to visit again soon.
ScoutLove this place. Discovered it by accident trying to avoid the loud motels off I70. Love that tent sites are free during the week. It was quiet but I wasn't alone. Sunset was amazing on the reservoir. But the wind comes up quite strong as it cools down so stake that tent down!
RangerThis place is GREAT!
First off - Monday - Thursday this place is free if you are in a non electric standard site.
Second, the sites are really beautiful and big with great views. We were right on thr lake and it was stunning for sunrise.
Third, the facilities are fantastic. Clean vault toilets and clean shower facilities with perfect water temp and pressure.
Fourth, the host was really nice and helpful!
You can’t really go wrong here. Would love to come back and spend a few days just relaxing. Plenty of bugs (not as bad as I was expecting though) so plan to bring spray.
Ranger
Perfect camping! Wide open spaces with lots of room. Beautiful views of the lake and lots of animal activity - cows, bunnies, birds and bugs. Lots of bugs! Not teeming with mosquitos but just many bugs. Some of them are HUGE.
I didn’t think the bugs were that bad just more interesting. Been to many other places with a bug problem and that didn’t seem like this to me. But it as prob enough that I wouldn’t want to hang outside and play cards.
Views in every direction and it’s absolutely stunning! Very peaceful and quiet and literally just perfect.
Plus if you are on a standard non electric tent space it’s free Monday -Thursday!
Great showers and bathrooms too! This is a hidden gem for sure!! Perfect sunrise from our site!
TravelerBEAUTIFUL views!!! Very windy but worth it for water front. We stayed in a loop alone that could have had 3 other sites, next to beach access. Bathrooms were a bit of a walk but again, worth it!!
Thought I had seen a mirage once we pulled into the park after miles of Kansas greens and browns.
Self reg station (electronic) at the park as well as reserve early online.
ScoutA nice layout, clean site and bathrooms. The trees are young but the over all camp is great.
GuideWhat a beautiful camp site. The ground has plenty of sites, almost all that have a beautiful lake front view. We stayed during the week and it was pretty quite - cows moooin’ were the loudest noise all night! There are walking trails, beaches, a boat launch, and bathrooms. We stayed at a non-electric but there are plenty of hookups to go around too. Happy camping!
TravelerPros:
- easy to get to from I-70
- friendly camp hosts
- lots of grass to walk dogs
- beautiful sunsets
Cons:
- 35 minutes one way to the nearest town with major stores like Walmart and Petco
- people did not care about walking through my waterfront site to get to the water (there were other ways)
- site was pretty sloped back to front and side to side but just bring leveling blocks and you're fine
- dump station didn't provide a water hose for cleaning the sewer hose after dumping even though it had water connection but must provide own hose
I didn't use the bathroom facilities and forgot to test speed but I had zero issues with Verizon or AT&T.
GuidePleasantly surprised at pulling into this great spot after many hours driving cross country. Pick your site then pay online, super easy. Verizon service was great. Very well kept grass and stone site pads. Got a spot right on the lake. We were tempted to spend a second night it was so nice.
TravelerBest site I’ve had on my 2 week road trip! Would for sure come back here if I’m ever needing a campsite in Kansas.
TravelerWe've camped at Wilson State Park three times now on eastbound road trips and I can't recommend it enough! There are sheltered sites on green lawns where tent campers can spend a quiet night. Trees provide shelter from wind and thunder storms. Depending on where you camp you can walk to swim in the reservoir. And the Switchgrass MTB is surprisingly fun! Just be careful to let it dry out before you ride since that wet sand can wreak havok on your drive train. I've only camped at Wilson on weekdays and it's never crowded.
Scout
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!!
Camping near Great Bend, Kansas, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Great Bend, Kansas, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. With a variety of campgrounds to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect spot for your next outdoor adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Great Bend, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Great Bend, KS is Cheyenne Bottoms Campground with a 3.6-star rating from 9 reviews.
What parks are near Great Bend, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near Great Bend, KS that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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