Camping near Kanopolis Lake, KS

Ottawa SFL, located in the rolling plains of Kansas, offers a serene outdoor experience for campers and nature enthusiasts. With tent sites available, it provides an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the surrounding landscape. The area experiences a wide range of temperatures, from cold winters with lows in the 20s(°F) to hot summers reaching the 90s(°F), making seasonal planning essential for visitors. Nearby attractions include the Milford Nature Center and Milford State Park, both offering excellent opportunities for wildlife observation, hiking, and other outdoor activities. While information on connectivity and amenities such as WiFi and cellular service remains unclear, Ottawa SFL is an ideal destination for those seeking a peaceful retreat in nature.

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 :)

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.

It's a quaint little campground that has been around for 60 years. It's just down the street from President Dwight D Eisenhower presidential museum and library. The entrance is marked with a square blue sign I found difficult to read when approaching the campground. Our site was very level with about 15-18 foot swath of grass on either side.

If you get the chance visit the early 1900's wooden Carousel and old Abilene historic buildings. Check out the The Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad heritage railway. Ride the Flint Hills Express on track built by the Rock Island Railroad in 1886! M&R Grill had good food, reasonable prices, and generous portions. Staff was friendly and helpful.

It was beautiful at sunset, very nice campground with good hot showers.

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.

It 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.

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.

I 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!

Love 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!

Pleasant small family owned campground. Lyndel was very sweet. Hot showers with lots of water pressure, laundry room and full hookup. If you need a spot to take a break from driving, this is a nice spot.

This 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.

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!

BEAUTIFUL 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.

What 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!

This is a decent stop over during travel. The site was wide and level and had mature trees. The park itself isn't far from the interstate, which makes it fantastic for an easy off and on, but also comes with some road noise. There is also a truck stop at the end of the road for convenient fill up.

Pleasantly 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.

 Friendly staff, primo campsites, and awesome amenities. Highly recommended for a wicked camping experience!

Jake from the Dyrt here! This awesome spot has full hookups on this unique farm.  Check them out and make sure to leave a review on the Dyrt!