Looking for a place to go glamping near Independence? Glamping offers the perfect opportunity to explore Independence and stay off the beaten path. The Dyrt's camping photos, reviews, and tips are an easy way to find the right Kansas glamping spot for you.
Whitehall Bay Campground is located on the shores of Fall River Lake in Greenwood County, Kansas. Opportunities for outdoor family fun and recreation include swimming, boating, water skiing, camping, picnicking and sightseeing.
For birdwatchers and nature lovers, there is an 8,000 acre Fall River wildlife area, where prairie chickens, waterfowl, rabbits, wild turkeys, white tail deer, doves and quail are commonly seen. Over 400 species of birds are protected in this area. Hiking and biking opportunities near Fredonia Bay include the 1.5-mile Casner Creek Trail, which meanders through the forest, opening onto a breathtaking display of wildflowers during spring and summer months, or the 1-mile Turkey Run Trail, which leads visitors through a wooded ravine, over a stream and into a tall grass prairie with an impressive view of the lake.
Rolling prairies and tree-dotted valleys sheltered by limestone-capped ridges surround Fall Lake, which stretches up the picturesque Fall River for 15 miles. This scenic area has a wealth of native wildlife and vegetation.
Fall River State Park is nearby, offering great hiking, fishing and birding along the river. Canoeing is also a popular activity in the park.
$13 - $100 / night
This recreation area is part of Toronto Lake
Spencer Creek is located on Oologah Lake in northeastern Oklahoma, an hour north of Tulsa. The lake provides an ideal getaway for fishing, boating, picnicking and camping. Prevailing winds make Oologah one of the most popular lakes in the area for sailing.
Oologah Lake is a prime location for boating, sailing, water skiing and swimming. Several recreation areas with boat ramps and docks are scattered around the lake. Fishing is a popular pastime. Black bass, crappie, paddlefish, channel and blue catfish, walleye and hybrid striped bass are the primary sport species found in the lake. Young anglers love the Kid's Sun, Fun and Fishing Derby Day held annually in June. The Will Rogers Country Centennial Trail stretches 18 miles from nearby Blue Creek Park to the Spillway. This scenic path winds around the east side of the shore and is open to hikers and horseback riders. The forested hills of the Oologah Wildlife Management Area provide excellent hunting opportunities, with nearly 13,000 acres open to the public.
Oologah Lake sits on the Verdigris River with a surface area of nearly 30,000 acres. Over 200 miles of shoreline are dominated by old-growth post oak and blackjack oak forests, which provide habitat for a variety of wildlife and birds, including deer, turkey, rabbits, quail, squirrels, ducks, geese and doves.
Dog Iron Ranch, the birthplace of Will Rogers, is nearby. The ranch is a living history museum featuring Rogers' two-story post-Civil War birth home, educational programs, picnic areas and a 400-acre pasture on the lakeshore with Texas Longhorn cattle and other livestock. The ranch is open year-round.
$10 - $20 / night
Guide
Beach, camping, boat ramp, fishing
TravelerMe and my wife and grand kids love camping here every weekend.
GuideSimple place, naturistic
ScoutOur first trip there was great! You are not able to make reservations BUT we set up a day early and had some great campsites! We were parked right on the water. They have concrete slabs with a great picnic table for each site. There is no sewer and 50 amp service is only on one side. We will definitely be spending more time here in the future!!!
Guide
My husband and I, and our 2 dogs stayed here this evening. We picked a spot right on the point of the cove where we could see all of the lake and its beauty! Sat by our campfire and watched the gorgeous sunset. An evening/night of peace and quiet.
TravelerPassing through and skeptical of the 9 miles off the main highway the campground was located but so very pleasantly surprised!! The campsites were spacious with trees and the view of the water was incredible, sunset was magnificent. Nice loop to walk the dog and quiet. We actually stayed awhile in the morning to cook breakfast and enjoy the view a little longer before hitting the road! Only negative was electric only, no water but we always travel with a full tank.
GuideWe reserved only about an hour ahead on recreation.gov, upgrading our overnight plan considerably. With Dad's senior national park pass, site #3 (60' gravel for up to a 40' rig) (electric only) was only $8.50. As we were parking, the gentleman (Greg, we think?) caring for the park greeted us and on finding we had pre -registered, offered us an upgrade to a full hook up site (we could see only 2 other campers in the campground). Site 15 was a wonderful upgrade! Lots of wonderful birdlife here.
Note, bring your own soap to restrooms in many of the Core of Engineer campgrounds. For the amazing savings, its an easy enough change to make!
TravelerWe had high hopes for Whitehall Bay. But our trip was about as bumpy as the road was coming into the campground.
Our site was a group of three that were tightly grouped together in a full hook up area. This was our first time with full hook ups so that could have been the issue but we felt like we were right on top of our neighbors.
There is not a lot to do for kids which is unfortunate, the beach looked extremely steep, however we did not use it.
The area itself is very beautiful and the lake had a great rocky shoreline worth exploring. But that is about as much of the good things I can speak of when it comes to Whitehall Bay.
ScoutI stayed at site #19 for 2 nights. My site had 30/50+water+sewer. The sites are gravel and fairly level. There is a boat ramp and a roped-off swimming area. There were two small playgrounds and two bath+shower houses. There is one old-fashioned unisex pit toilet.
The people behind me sounded like they were running a sawmill and mechanic shop all weekend. All the other campers were quiet.
The women's restroom I visited had 1 of 2 flushing toilets working. It also had two shower stalls. The spiders went running went I turned on the water, which was warm. One spider ran up my leg, lol.
The main issue with this campground, I found, was the drive to get here. Google will take you across the dam where you will hit a gravel road for 0.5 miles before getting back on the pavement. The last 4-5 miles are very narrow, with the vegetation growing right up to the pavement. I was lucky enough to only cross paths with oncoming traffic once, and right at a low-water bridge that was wider than the road. The last 2-3 miles are riddled with potholes. Was gear was scattered inside by the time I got to my site.
ScoutIt's absolutely beautiful. I camp here often because of the serenity. The best part of Whitehall Bay is the sewer is directly at your campsite, so no dumping afterwards. A big plus for me!!! Camp Hosts are awesome. You won't be disappointed
Guide
What an AMAZING campground. From the office personnel, to the cleanliness of the sites, to the sheer beauty of them as well. 12/10 and would absolutely visit again!
RangerIf you are a fan of the Pioneer Woman aka Ree Drummond and love to travel Osage Hills State Park is your camping base. Park is about 45 minutes from the town of Pawhuska where the Mercantile & Pioneer Woman are based.
This state park is not far from where we live so we took a drive to see the foliage and scout out the camping area. There were some nice size sites for our RV, beautiful views, paved roads to push wheelchair around, even the primitive area, although not paved was good for pushing a wheelchair. . There is a large day area for picnics, a nice play ground, pool, trails, even tennis courts and a baseball field. Place to fish and just relax. . Definitely a nice place to get away and relax. My niece and nephews fave campground. . Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is close by as well. The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve at 39,650 acres is the largest protected piece of tallgrass prairie left on earth. Urban sprawl and conversion to cropland have left this once expansive landscape, originally spanning across 14 states from Texas to Minnesota, at less than 4% of its original size . Take a drive through Tall Grass Prairie and you’ll probably see bison roaming.
ScoutGreat summer time RV and year around tent camping. Several miles of trails for hiking and smooth enough for decent mountain biking. Also a great spot do go down and see waterfalls and throw the kayaks in the water.
RV facilities are clean for black water dump. Also has cabins and small event center, swimming pool, several play grounds. Con- no water in RV spots during winter months and upper tent camping closes during winter.
RangerBeautiful old, but refurbished campground in Northeast Oklahoma, built by the CCC! Our last night of a 16-day trip is quietly coming to a close. We made reservations on-line (that's another story!), and when we got there around 8 p.m., the RV campground was about 1/3 full. There are only electric hookups and community water is scattered through the campground. There are tent cabins to rent, and separate tent camping area, also where the overlook is, although it was overgrown and not easy to see the view! There are newish shower and toilet buildings scattered around and my hubs said they were nice and clean... shower water warm only. There is a swimming pool opening early June and nice walking trails. Lots of history if you go that route!
TravelerGreat trails, clean, HEATED bathrooms and showers
TravelerThis was our first time camping with our toddler and it was was perfect! There was plenty of woods to get fallen firewood, well maintained trails, HEATED super clean bathrooms(it was around 45 degrees at night when we went so this was a welcome sight) showers, and also a park ranger would drive by every couple of hours so I felt very safe. We will definitely stay here again.
GuideGoing to Pawhuska for pioneer women or just giving through this is a good choice. Decent bathrooms, good site, nice drive in and looks like they are finishing up some overall renovations.
Travelerwish I can stay out there but I got out there ever day
TravelerGreat tent campground. Beautiful nature trails for hiking. Fabulous water falls!
LegendWe arrived here later in the day. We were here and it was chilly in November. Apparently the person working didn't anticipate any body showing up so late in the season. They were surprised and let us in for free. Its a pretty sweet camp right on the lake. 20-30 tent sites. As well as full RV hook ups.
Theres hiking, biking, and fishing in the area. We weren't really sure what to think about camping in Oklahoma and the camp site and people blew our expectations.
Cheers!
RangerBeautiful park, great cabins! GREAT hiking trails!
ScoutThis has a pool, river for fishing and swimming and several great campgrounds.
ScoutNestled in the beautiful hills of the Osage Hills Nation, located between Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Pawhuska, Oklahoma is Osage Hills State Park. I brought three of my grands who all had a blast! This 1,100 acre park offers swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, & even has a tennis court. The clean restrooms were a plus! Cabins, RV & Tent camping available. There is a small private lake with kayaks (Lookout Lake), many hiking trails, a swimming pool, and playground. We saw white tail deer, armadillo, & wild Turkey. There is a lot to do in the area. Woolaroc, Frank Phillips Mansion, The Pioneer Woman, The Dewey Hotel Museum, Tom Mix Museum, Kiddie Park.
RangerOur stay at Osage Hills was excellent. The showers and facilities were clean, the staff was friendly, and the trails were nice. We camped near the lookout hill which had a little bit of traffic, but not intrusive. We went in early fall and found a few scorpions - one in my shoe! So be on the lookout.
There are a few different trails, all well marked. Even though we didn't get out on the water, there was access and a nice lake. There is a shallow area with a few small 'rapids' where kids can play and explore. All in all, a really excellent campground. We plan on this being the campground we take our friends with kids to as there is lots to do, amenities are nice, and trails easy to navigate.
TravelerOsage Hills State Park is tucked away in the rolling hills and tall grass prairies of NE Oklahoma, and home to over 1100 acres of forest, lakes, creeks, trails, and fun. The park offers 20 fully-outfitted RV campsites, 8 rustic cabins, and over a dozen designated tent-camping sites. Advance reservations are recommended, but not required (if the designated camping areas are not full). The park also has a swimming pool, ball field, tennis courts, and an abundance of heavy concrete picnic tables available.
For the more adventurous, the park has easily-accessible lakes and creeks, hiking trails (easy-to-moderate in difficulty for the average, able adult), mountain biking trails, and scenic overlooks.
Wildlife is abundant throughout the park, but in my many experiences, have never been invasive of the camping areas. Depending on the season, ducks, geese, wild turkey, deer, squirrels, and many other forms of wildlife can be seen in proximity, with relative ease. Fishermen will enjoy the park's waterfronts, at Lookout Lake & Sand Creek, where plentiful bass, perch, crappie, and catfish can be had.
My family and I have made many great memories at Osage Hills over the years, it's a great place to get away for a weekend & enjoy nature. My favorite time of year to go would be early-mid fall, as the foliage can be truly brilliant & breathtaking. Highly recommended!
Guideeverything you’d expect from a State Park. Great hiking and trails, great atmosphere, and away from the hustle.
LegendOsage Hills is historic for Oklahoma as it was developed by a CCC camp in the 30's. You have the ability to see the work they did and even hike to the camp itself. The park consists of approximately 5 miles of trails for hiking and a nice smaller lake for fishing. It also has a creek that you can swim in if the water is high enough. The park is on the smaller side and reservations are a must. We usually visit this park when it is cooler and the weather is dicey since it is only an hour from Tulsa. The upper section is for tents only and every time we go it is either not open or has a boy scout troop that takes it over. The bathrooms are a mix of typical Oklahoma State Parks 50's style run downish and one newer facility. I would recommend this park as a great place for family's that are camping with younger children or trying it out for the first time.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Independence, KS is Osage Hills State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 23 reviews.
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