Best Tent Camping near Hillsdale, KS

Pros Off-season was quiet Open bathrooms were nice and well kept. Easy access to trails Lots of wildlife, vultures, deer, etc. Well marked and plenty of them spots Marina was a quick bike ride away and had a lot to offer during the season. Primate loops had some good spacing and tree cover, along with views of the lake. Inner loops not so much Potable water available year round. Was drinkable.

Cons Signs marked closed bathrooms but not the closest open bathrooms. One per campsite was still open with heat and electric. Weirdly all vaults were closed Office and hosts were unavailable so we had to leave for Casey's for firewood. While before the season, someone told us it's typically impossible to get firewood because the office is usually closed. Signs to the entrance to park and n avigation were pretty small, impossible to read at night, not lit. Electric parking pass only issued one day pass at a time. Would do the paper pass across the parking lot next time. Spacing is definitely a bit crowded for tent camping privacy this time of year. Will be curious to see how it feels in the summer/fall.

General: In addition to a campground, this county park has so much to offer including a seven-mile paved path around Lake Shawnee, disc golf, a heated fishing dock, softball complex, golf course, boat ramps, tennis courts, playground, picnic shelters, arboretum, and the Ted Ensley Gardens. The office was open until 7 pm so check-in was a breeze and the staff very friendly and welcoming. 

Sites/Facilities: The campground itself has 119 sites, situated on a peninsula jutting into the lake. All have water and electric (some 30 amp and some 50 amp). Many have views of the lake but unfortunately, they are all back-in and stacked up very close to each other so there is no privacy between sites. Our site (96) was on the end, so we had privacy on one side but could easily hear people in neighboring sites. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. The fee is very reasonable ($20 or$18 for seniors). 

Activities: I saw people fishing in the lake, there is a nice playground, and there is a paved path around the lake which made for a nice walk. 

Restrooms: There are two restroom/shower/laundry facilities that were very clean (they had been cleaned by the time I went in at 7:30 am). 

Conclusion: You are not far from downtown Topeka so you will hear road noise and the occasional siren, but this campground and all facilities are a nice oasis near an urban area. I definitely recommend visiting the Ted Ensley gardens while there (no additional admission, by donation only).

The Park: We love this park, it’s massive, and really pretty. They have so much to do (listed below). Sunflower Loop is our favorite and has full hookups. There are more primitive loops as well. It is ADA accessible. There was not a tornado shelter as of 2018. This is one thing that should be mandatory given its proximity and being further away from potential shelter. Excellent camping on the lake. Lots of water activities available.

Sites: level, clear, easily accessible. Sunflower loop is widely spaced and plenty of room for larger RVs.

Cellular: decent cellular signal.

Amenities: Amphitheater Bath House Bicycling Boat Ramp Boating Canoeing Kayaking Campground Host Camping, Equestrian Camping, Improved Site Camping, Primitive Church Comfort Station Dock, Boat Dump Station, Camper Dump Station, Marina Fire Rings Fishing, Park Lake Fuel, Boats Golf Grills Gun Range Hiking Hiking Trail Horseback Riding Hunting Information Booth Jet Skiing Laundry Marina Mountain/Trail Bicycling Park Lake Parking Picnic Area Picnic Shelter Picnic Tables Playground Rentals, Boat, Motorized Rentals, Jet Skis Reservoir Restrooms Shelters Showers Skiing - Water Swimming, Park Lake Telephone Toilet, Pit/Vault Trails, Bicycle Trails, Equestrian Trails, Hiking/Walking, Easy Trails, Mountain Bike Walking Water Access, Park Lake Water Skiing

Both RV Life Trip Wizard navigation and GPS took us to Campground Rd where there were signs to the camping area. The check in area at this county campground (CG) was a little tight but doable with our 40’ 5th wheel and F450 truck. We proceeded to back-in site 29 with FHUs. The road area was wide, so we had no issues backing into the site. The utilities were place middle-back on the site and we had no problems reaching. The site slopes to the passenger side and down hill to the road, so we used a few levelers. Space between sites varies within the CG. Our site was very close to 30 but we were on the end with a nice yard. Water pressure was decent. There’s no Wifi in the CG. We got 3 bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. There are mature trees here, but most sites except a few north perimeter would have a shot for satellite. The bathhouse was newer and in good condition plus there’s a laundry in one of the restroom buildings. This CG is a good option as it's just east of Kansas City. We were here overnight and would stay here again. ChatGPT: First edit, I asked for a more engaging narrative. It did that but took accuracy away from the review. Then I asked ChatGPT to just edit. This version did that and improved the flow, plus kept the facts in tact. Both RV Life Trip Wizard navigation and GPS took us to Campground Rd, where there were signs directing us to the camping area. The check-in area at this county campground(CG) was a little tight but manageable with our 40’ 5th wheel and F450 truck. We proceeded to back-in site 29 with FHUs. The road was wide, so we had no issues backing in. The utilities were located mid-to-rear on the site, and we had no trouble reaching them. The site slopes to the passenger side and downhill toward the road, so we used a few levelers. Many sites here are sloped. The premium cement pads seemed to be more level than gravel sites. Space between sites varies within the CG—our site was very close to site 30, but we were on the end with a nice yard. Water pressure was decent. There’s no Wi-Fi in the CG, but we got 3 bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. There are mature trees throughout, but most sites—except a few on the north perimeter—would have a clear shot for satellite. The bathhouse was newer and in good condition, and there’s a laundry in one of the restroom buildings. This CG is a good option just east of Kansas City. We stayed overnight and would return. KJ Edit Both RV Life Trip Wizard navigation and GPS took us to Campground Rd, where there were signs directing us to the camping area. The check-in area at this county campground(CG) was a little tight but manageable with our 40’ 5th wheel and F450 truck. We proceeded to back-in site 29 with FHUs. The road isn't real wide, but we had no issues backing in. However, if there had been a rig in the site right next to us on the driver side, it would have been challenging. The utilities were located mid-to-rear on the site, and we had no trouble reaching them. The site slopes to the passenger side and downhill toward the road, so we used a few levelers. Many sites here are sloped. The premium cement pads seemed to be more level than gravel sites. Space between sites varies within the CG—our site was very close to site 30 and thus, they didn't have much of a yard, but our site had a nice yard. Water pressure was decent. There’s no Wi-Fi in the CG, but we got 3 bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. There are mature trees throughout, but most sites—except a few on the north perimeter—would have a clear shot for satellite. The bathhouse was newer and in good condition, and there’s a laundry in one of the restroom buildings. As you exit the park, if you have a big rig, you'll want to stay to the left side of the dump station for a wider right turn out of the park. This CG is a good option just east of Kansas City. We stayed overnight and would return.