Best Tent Camping near Lucas, KS

Do yourself a favor and stay at Blue Stem primitive site 5. Beautiful view of the reservoir, and it’s on the end so you have a huge open area all to yourself. Buffalo Track Canyon Trail has gorgeous views with 2 small caves, and beautiful rock coloring. Before you head to your campsite make sure you stop off at Mushroom Rock for a photo op! The kids fishing pond is stocked with catfish, my kids loved catching something other than our usual blue Gill! The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars is because the concrete shelter is covered in offensive graffiti and there was trash all over our campsite. I got most of it picked up so hopefully others can enjoy it! Don’t forget your 7 principles of Leave No Trace!

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

Wilson’s Lake in Kansas is something of a departure from surrounding areas of Kansas. If you take a moment to pull just a slight distance off the major highways and toward the Wilson’s Lake area you will be pleasantly surprised as the world begins to roll and open up into vibrant hillsides winding their way though the area. 

I honestly stopped myself for a moment and checked the map thinking to myself in such a cliche way,“ We are not in Kansas anymore.”

 But just as the map proved, I was in fact still in the same state, I noticed more and more signs for Wilson’s Lake State Park and found it was a must see while visiting the area. 

The road winds you down to the park and down to what seems like a dead end just at the Yarrow Campground. This campground is one of the most coveted in the park because of its location, its convenience and its size.

When visiting Wilson Lake you might want to consider this loop for improved camping.   When I visited I noticed that the roadways in and out of the campsite were well structured to provide ample movement for larger units with back up capabilities.   While this loop also offers tent camping, it really is designed for the small to mid-size RVs.     

Each campsite was equipped with a picnic table and fire ring, although I must say that some of the tables in this area were lacking a bit and needed some updating.    The sites also included water and electric hook ups with reasonable spacing between sites.   Pull- in/ back-in sites were graveled and semi level while the area between the spaces were grassy and lush.    During summer months this would be a perfect retreat for families looking to have a little fun together but still have convenience.   

What I liked most about this particular site was the proximity it had to the swimming beach and also the restrooms.   Within 100 yards of one another you could access flushing toilets and showers or fun in the sun.     This was the best overall campground for accessing both of these amenities and therefore I believe would bring about the most fun for the family overall.   Additionally, a playground was located nearby.

I would definitely recommend arriving early if visiting on a weekend or making reservations online to ensure a site at this campground in particular.   The most popular of this lake region, Yarrow, stays booked well into the later portion of summer on weekends and is hit or miss on weekdays.

TIPS:

* Check out the rental shop just outside of the park where you can find anything from a paddle board to a canoe.   Also this is a great place to check in if you are needing a few last minute supplies.

* Make sure to check out park rules at the kiosk before entering, this can be very valuable information especially when crowds are flocking to the area.

After staying at Wilson Lake numerous times passing through, I opted to check out the Coneflower loop on this trip. It was a nice change from other sites as it offered a few different views of the park while remaining relatively close to the main amenities. 

Amenities of this site included a nice bathhouse within just a short walk, lake access and large shade trees. In addition all sites had their own fire rings and also picnic tables, all of which are very standard to the state park itself. 

Something that sets this site apart from others on the various loops is that the parking area is a bit more expansive and allows for larger units to easily park or for those who have a vehicle to have a bit more space potentially for a second smaller one to accompany them. I could see this easily being beneficial to those enjoying the lake for recreation with friends or family. 

On this loop you can find sites with both primitive and non primitive access. Cost of camping in the Coneflower loop is only$13 and I do encourage you to book online as currently they are using this system as the recommended source of booking. In person booking is much more limited right now as of(July 2020). There is a kiosk at the entrance point however with envelops and additional information, however this is very limited. 

When I visited I opted to check out a weekday and it was much less busy. The larger loops were much more populated as were the sites with higher amp connections for larger rigs. I suggest visiting during the week when possible as this really does make a HUGE difference in the crowds of people you will encounter. 

Also when visiting there are several shops which you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, boats and other fun things to do on the lake itself. The lake offers several trails including one which is well trafficked by those interested in biking.

** TIPS:** 

• Make sure to check out the neighboring community of Lucas, known for its unique art and attractions including the World’s Largest Toilet Bowl(strange but actually really cool) and the Garden of Eden(another strange place that will fascinate you) 
• When visiting during rainy season, check lake levels before booking sites. Some of the sites on this loop and others are very close to the waters edge and can be subject to flooding.

We called ahead to see if they had sites available for the night. Arrived just before the office closed at 7pm. Got a pull-through full-hookups site. The campsite pads are level, nice and wide, gravel like the roads, with wide grassy/dirt/gravel areas between and beautiful mature shade trees everywhere. Also several friendly cats acting as camp hosts, welcoming us at the office when we checked in, greeting us every time we stepped out of our rig, and checking out all the campsites and trees regularly. ☺️ Our site had a picnic table and a clay/Terra cotta statue of a bear eating honey, with a hole in his belly as a small fire ring. Most sites had a covered picnic table. Full hookups worked fine.

Bathrooms were ok; dead crickets on the floor.

We would stay here again.