Looking for the best options for camping with dogs near Medicine Lodge? Finding a place to camp in Kansas with your dog is easier than ever. Each pet-friendly campsite offers quick access to one or more of Medicine Lodge's most popular destinations.
Salt Plains State Park is one of Oklahoma's most unique state parks. The barren landscape of the nearby Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of salt leftover from an ocean that covered Oklahoma in prehistoric times, and the saltwater lake in the park, Great Salt Plains Lake, is about half as salty as the ocean.
Visitors can take their pick of activities in the park, such as swimming in Great Salt Plains Lake or trekking along bike trails. Equestrians can bring their horses to ride designated trails, and there are nature trails to enjoy while taking in the scenery. Fishing at the lake is fun for the entire family, whether in a boat or onshore. Varieties of fish such as catfish, saugeye, sand bass and hybrid striper can be found in these salty, shallow waters. You can also bring your canoe or kayak and enjoy a trip around the lake viewing the many migratory birds that pass through the area.
The selenite crystal dig area is located southwest of the lake in the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, and access roads are available six miles west of Jet or three miles south of Cherokee. The crystal digging area is open from April 1 to October 15 from sunrise to sunset. Located just under the surface of the salt plains, these crystals usually form into an hourglass shape. Oklahoma is the only place in the world where the hourglass-shaped selenite crystal can be found. While searching for crystals, look for some of the over 300 species of protected birds that live in and can be seen in the refuge.
Enjoy a multi-day stay at Salt Plains State Park in one of the renovated, eco-friendly cabins. Each of the six cabins has its own bed, refrigerator and stove, among other amenities. Pets are allowed in select units for a small nightly fee. Also, overnight camping is available in an RV or tent site. One full hookup site is available. Online reservations must be made for all RV and tent campsites. Comfort stations with showers are located near the sites and throughout the park for the convenience of visitors. Great Salt Plains State Park also offers picnic pavilions and outdoor grills.
Camping on State Fishing Lakes in Kansas is generally only primitive. No designated sites are available and no hookups are provided. At Kingman State Fishing Lake, camping is all primitive on a first-come first-served basis. There is no fee, but picnic tables, fire rings, and primitive toilets are available. Campers should realize that State Fishing Lakes differ greatly from State Parks where full-service sites are provided and fees are collected. There is no dump station at Kingman State Fishing Lake and trash is a carry in/carry out requirement. Generators are allowed, however, quiet hours are from 11:00p.m. to 6:00a.m. and generators are not to be run during those time constraints. Office hours are generally 8:00 a.m. to 4:30p.m. though the Manager(only full-time staff) is frequently working on the area and not available.
$25 / night
$20 / night
Guide
Pulled in for the night on trip to Missouri. It was a Columbus Day so no one at entrance booth and nobody answering posted phone numbers. Met a gentleman in a park pickup and he said just pick a spot and put your money in the box when you leave - $26 a night, with electric and water and dump station available. It is beautifully maintained and we had the place to ourselves - liked it so much we stayed 2 nights. Had good Verizon signal. The site data says 40 ft max, but many of the spots could accommodate 45-50 ft without a problem. No pull-thru sites - all spots are back-in, but laid out for easy backing.
ScoutIt was a little tough getting into the park, road construction on US 160. Got here, the only RV here, Electric and water are BOTH available and there is a city maintained dump station in town! They ask for donations, which I will gladly give. Making a cross country trip home on smaller US highways. The drive here from the West is very pleasant. I look forward to exploring the area tomorrow.
ScoutNo cell service around the park at all. No over the air tv. Great place to bring your kids if you want them to put the phones down and spend quality time with you.
Guide
We stayed here for 3 nights waiting for spring storms to pass in the central part of the country. Nice park that is part of a ecosystem of community swimming pool, tennis/pickle ball, ball diamonds and walking paths. Other park adjoining. $10.00 for electric/water per night. Gravel parking lot. Public restrooms with flush toilets.
Ranger
About 10 drive-through sites requiring a turning radius my 20 foot trailer could hardly manage, spaced out quite nicely mostly right on the bank of the fishing pond. Most people would not consider a body of water where you can see the bottom as a lake, that would be a pond. Kansas State fishing lakes are mostly ponds. this one is shallow enough. I think you could walk across it in waders. The highway noise is not too bad. It's been so windy here with severe thunderstorm warnings that you cannot hear the highway traffic. Picnic tables, fire rings and a pit toilet. That's it. They recently buried some culverts under the road which should prevent any future washouts. But beware the sandy road base could get you stuck.
ScoutDog friendly and lady at front desk is very nice and helpful with reasonable rates this is a great stay
ScoutWe Didn't stay here, we opted for FHU elsewhere. Much larger than expected, tons of spots that can fit large rigs. All dirt roads that can get muddy.
Guide
If need to stop and want a full hook-up for $20, give this place a try. The camp ground manager, Monica, was very helpful and proactive. She ensured we had a 50 amp FHU pull-thru. There is not much around so you better be self sufficient. There are several gas stations, a small Dillon's grocery and a Family Dollar store. There is a road on the backside of the campground and a large open field to walk your dogs if you have them. We are going back through the area in Feb and will stay here again, but not sure what that looks like in a Kansas winter.
Guide
We will stay here 5 nights. Shower/bathrooms are clean and near the RV spots.. The beach/access to the lake is very near the RV sites. Park very big and lots of different areas to explore. Out of the way but well worth the drive.
TravelerI love this campground because it’s close to home. The new bathrooms and showers are WONDERFUL, especially compared to what they were before. And the park itself is super clean and well kept. The tent sites have the most wonderful views and and right on the lakefront. If you need hookups though, your view - and possibly your cell signal - is completely lost. (I was using T-Mobile. It doesn’t work here hardly at all. Verizon and AT&T work best.)
Bathrooms nearby both tent and hookup sites.
My only complaint is that the stickers in the hookup sites were BAD - like full bottoms of my shoes bad and inside my campervan bad. #OUCH 😭😭😭
Guide
Stopped by to see if we would stay here and any amenities.
GuideThis park had the most amazing view, clean showers, great park, and not to far from the crystal digging. The dump station on the other hand... Just weird. The hole was huge and awkward. Thank goodness we only had to dump once. Other than that this was a perfect little spot.
TravelerThis is a quiet little park for being in the heart of Pratt. It's just $10/night for electric & water. There's a dump station nearby, you just need to get the key from city hall. They have a 7 night maximum stay. Great for an overnight, or a couple days to get caught up on laundry in town. People are really friendly.
GuideWe stayed at the Sand Beach Campground. It was hard to find since it's not past the main enternace it is further along 84 past the equestrian campsite and behind the rv park. But we were right on the water which was awesome. But then the winds increased from 16mph to 27 to 40 in a day and didn't die down the rest of our stay.
GuideWe had a great time, and we’re super fortunate the park staff were all so friendly and helpful as we did need a little help finding our spot. The kids had a great time digging at the salt flats - don’t forget sunscreen!! Great temps all around. We flew kites, fished and relaxed.
GuideFantastic, free camping! Just a short jaunt off the highway making it super easy to get to. Did hear a little bit of traffic from the road, but nothing bad at all. Each camp site has a picnic table and fire ring.
TravelerWe were solo camping here. Only a few folks walking dogs around the lake came through. We’re self-contained but there is a vault toilet and a water spigot if needed.
TravelerVery friendly owner. Worked with us on our arrival. We fit in a super C (Semi truck) 41ft long x 13.6 height with flat tow. Verizon cell service excellent. Quiet. Trash available. No tables. Would stay here again.
Legend
We spent one night here (May 10, 2022). It was a nice CG for our cross country trip needs. There was one other camper (long term). The CG is all grass with a gravel entry/exit road. We had our pick of back-in sites or pull through– we chose a back-in. We did not have time to visit the office, clubhouse or showers. The CG is next to a rest stop on the west side and farm fields to the south and east. There is traffic noise from Hwy 50, but no bother. Cell phone reception was great.
Thank you goes to the management for allowing us to use our credit card for one night. Cash or check is preferred for short stays.
TravelerI'm traveling across the country and just needed somewhere to stop and work during the day. I slept for a couple hours before work and a couple hours after. The Wi-Fi is excellent. The bathroom and laundry room was very clean. This is a basic campsite but they've done a wonderful job with value for the money.
ScoutPulled in on a Monday afternoon, had many choices of sites at the waters edge. No hookups, boondocking only. No charge. Stayed through Wednesday morning. Used a Honda inverter generator just enough for the coffee maker and microwave. Loved it and will be back often.
ScoutGreat place to fish, and to fish
ScoutI am so glad we found this spot on Dyrt. We stopped here on a loooong drive from Southern California to Missouri. Sadly we could only stay for about an hour but I would love to spend much more time here.
We were at the Sandy Beach campground. It was a Friday afternoon and there was barely anyone there. The dogs were able to play in the water and I had a nice lunch in the shade at a picnic table. It was warm but not terribly so, and it’s OK at the end of summer, so no complaints.
Definitely worth going a bit off the beaten path for.
GuideWe just bought a travel trailer, and this campground was recommended to us as a good place to stop on the way back home by an employee.
There are 12 gravel pull thru sites with 50, 30, and 20 amp service. Each site also has water, a fire pit with a grate, and a nice picnic table (the kind made of plastic coated wire mesh, if you understand what I mean). There are lots of trash receptacles, an RV dump, and flush toilets, and all this is located on a pretty little lake that gets lots of anglers out on these earthen piers. All for $15 per nite, or $5 per nite for tent campers or RVers without hookups.
The local sheriff's deputy drove through several times while we were there. Payment is on the honor system. There is what looks like a boardwalk path through a wildlife area, but it was closed during our visit.
All in all, a great place to hook up and enjoy some AC in our rig on a sweltering, humid July evening!
ScoutWas a spacious, shady camp along the river, fished, some short hikes and visited the great salt plains state park and dug crystals that can only find there. Clean bathrooms, showers, and water and elec. Would stay there again..
RangerStayed a night here. It was nice and quiet and lots of space in between the camp spots. Showers are a little rudimentary with no real privacy. Big stalls, but doors are only half size so anyone can look in.
TravelerWhen you’ve driven long hours and it’s either this or Walmart, you’ll be glad its here. Full hookups, level spots, clean showers, laundry, wifi, and only $20.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Medicine Lodge, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Medicine Lodge, KS is Salt Plains State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 21 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Medicine Lodge, KS?
TheDyrt.com has all 16 dog-friendly camping locations near Medicine Lodge, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
