Best Glamping near Hays, KS

Quintessential plains of Kansas. Pure beauty as far as the eye can see. Blue water. Generously spaced and well maintained sites, though a lot of them have limited shade. Not an issue in April. Beautiful views with brilliant sunsets over the water. In early April, there were only a handful of other campers. Only 1 small shower house was open, but it was warm and clean. The swimming beach is large and looked clean. There is new looking playground equipment. The most precious thing I have seen, Pa's Lake. It's a little lake built for disabled and youths to fish in. They even have a giant fishing pole and the bobber is a light. There are cabins with great views. Plenty of day use areas, a large boat launch with a dock, so you don't have to pull your boat out in the evenings. I had hoped to paddle board to the cliffs, but 30 mph winds nixed that. If you want dark skies and solitude, this is the place. There is one small store just outside the entrance. Other than that, Hayes is the closest town, 30 min. by dirt road or 40 by interstate. The rangers were really helpful. I would definitely recommend.

Stayed here while traveling from Rocky Mountain NP through Kansas. This is a hidden gem right on the army corps of Engineers lake Wilson.

Must stay if Traveling through the flat state of KS.

Water is crystal clear and affords people the opportunity to swim fish boat etc

First time in Kansas, had a quick one night stop during our road trip. This was a gorgeous lake tucked not far from the highway. The tent only sites were totally empty and we were the only ones in the loop. Gorgeous view, just up the bank from a small beach. Self check in was easy and the bathrooms were clean. Only complaint is that it got very buggy at night, but that's what you get for a spot so close to the water. I'd definitely come back again!

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.

Great spot. There are many tent and even RV spots that are right near the water. Some parking spots require a Kansas state park passport but we were able to buy one at the park office. The water was calm enough in the morning and evenings to kayak and explore the coves. mid day when the water started getting a bit rougher we swapped the kayaks for bikes and explored the trails. the park offers several dirt trails and a few paved paths perfect for all levels of riders! To top it off the sunsets were amazing every night. only rated 4/5 because the bathrooms/showers weren’t the best.

We were traveling back to Oklahoma from South Dakota and needed a place to break up the drive. On the way up we just stopped in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. This time we wanted to enjoy a campground in the morning before pulling out on the last stretch of drive.

Lucas Park was perfect. We pulled in late. We were tired and didn’t want to do anything but sleep haha. We got on Recreation.gov and found us a spot. The spot was perfect. A pull thru that was half moon shape. We woke up to a nice view of the lake. The way they had placed the sites was in a way that most all of them had views of water.

There were play grounds for the kids. Really nice clean baths and the roads were pretty easy to push a wheelchair over.

Definitely will use this as a stopover again when going through Kansas

Ranger Review: Camp Zero 10 liter cooler at Wilson Lake in Kansas Campground review-driving up to Wilson Lake you would never know you were in the middle of Kansas. There are rolling hills surrounding the lake. There is not clearly marked signs which made the area kind of confusing for us. There are so many loops with camping and 2 other parks in this same area. The lake itself is very large and lengthy. It’s beautiful-perfect for boating, fishing, or kayaking. There are not a lot of trees so the area can get pretty windy. Lots of sites face the water. Prices vary from 10-24 per night. There are also park permits and service fee you must pay. Sites range from primitive to full hook ups. Most have fire rings and picnic tables. There are plenty of trails for hiking and biking and swim beaches. The bathrooms are clean and there are showers,marinas,dump stations. Check in and out is at 2 pm. Make sure to check out the town of Lucas for all the fun art. Product Review: As a Ranger for the DRYT, I get products to test from time to time and I tested the 10 liter Camp Zero at Wilson Lake. What I love about the Camp Zero cooler is: 1: The light aluminum handle with gripping pad. Makes it easier to carry without losing grip 2: The rubber feet on the bottom makes it so it doesn’t slide around in the car or boat and get scratched or scratch up the car. 3: the molded cup holders on the top of the cooler that turns it into a much need table on the beach 4: The heavy duty rubber latches to keep the cooler latched. They are bear resistant 5: The awesome colors you can get them in I chose the bright green 10 liter cooler. The green is so fun and cheery and I know that I’ll be able to spot it where ever it is. This cooler really keeps the drinks cooler for extended periods of time. It is so heavy duty, and sturdy. The cooler is a little heavy once you put ice and drinks in it so I’ll just make my husband carry it. I’m excited to take this Camp Zero 10 liter cooler with me on all our adventures

I took a detour off the flat highway land in search of the town of Lucas where I had heard great things about their art installations. As I drove along the land began to open up to large rolling hills and beautiful landscaping with a turnoff just off the main road marked by some very interesting stones and a pavilion. I took a moment to pull off and noticed a kiosk which told the history of the area and some very impressive information about Lucas Park. 

I was impressed by the information and one of the signs detailing the trails which led from just outside of the campground all the way to a very special cliffside which is renowned in the state of Kansas. So naturally I had to go check it out!! 

Pulling into camp it had rained recently and some of the gravel roads were a bit slick for my small car, but I did notice they had some road work signs where they are working to improve these areas. The rest of the property was well developed and had great improvements including full service restrooms which were placed throughout camp and nice playground equipment for the kiddos. 

The campground is divided into two separate areas. Each with their own unique appeal. I personally liked the campground closest to the pay station as it seemed to have better overall access to amenities such as community water. There was a good mix of campsites at this location with pull through and back in options with sites ranging vastly in overall spacing.

 As a tent camper, I typically look for shaded areas which provide a little shelter from the elements and they did have several of these in this campground. Water access to the lake was also very close by although I didn’t see a swimming beach at the time of my visit. This could have been in part due to the rains and the lake levels or it could be that there indeed was not one in this area.

 I had decent cell signal at this campground on AT&T. 

**TIPS: **

• On weekends make sure to book in advance, the lake is one of the biggest draws of the area. 
• Drive into town and check out the“US Largest Toilet Bowl” art installation,“Garden of Eden” and the downtown district where you can find a few unique pieces. Don’t forget to stop off and try some of the famous Lucas bologna. 
• Check out the trail on the property to the rocks!

Called Sunday of July 4 weekend and the owners answered. Late check in was zero issue. Super friendly folks and their pets are sweet as can be! Walked 5 mins up to Meridy’s for dinner and had one of the best steaks of my life. For just passing through, I couldn’t ask for a better quality stop.

This is a nice spacious campground off of 70, very easy access to the interstate. The sites are roomy and have full hookups and covered picnic areas. The staff is very friendly and helpful! The cons are that it is right next to the interstate, thus, the noise is exceptionally loud and it was difficult to get a good nights sleep. The grounds could be cleaned up as well as there are pieces of trash and dog poop in the grass. It is a nice little place to stay for the night passing through but could use some improvements.

Plenty of primitive spots available on a Saturday in July - it was hot though. Looked like the electric sites were pretty full. Sites right on the lake and the bath house is nearby for many of the sites.

Great campsite. Lots of privacy and space between sites. Bathrooms good and Verizon service ok.