Best Tent Camping near Oakley, KS

Definitely not great but worked for us because of the location. For one you are right next to a truck stop which may not be bad if you are in a RV, but in a tent you can hear every truck the whole night. They have RV and tent sites that’s are basically the same but cost changes. 25 for tent site and like 45 I think for RV.

We got here very late, and the place was empty. There was a stack of firewood next to the forepit, and the tent site was very even. Weather was gorgeous, and we didn't mind the mooing cows in the distance. There was a picnic table, and though the road was a bit rough on the minivan, it was a well maintained campsite.

We enjoyed our 2 night stay in the Circle Loop. Only negative was no fire pits in this loop, but all the tent sites had fire pits. Strange.

Lots of positives, mainly the scenery and peace & quiet. Amazing sites nearby...Jerusalem Badlands & Monument Rocks about 15-20 minutes north off of US 83. 

Scott City, 15 miles south has a great grocery store and eateries,gas stations.

Diverse collection of camping types from RVs to small tent sites. Great scenery and a nice clean lake. Fairly busy, we were here on a Tuesday in June and it was probably half full with several locals just hanging out in campsites to socialize or drink so if you want seclusion pick your site carefully. Overall a very nice campground compared to I state parks we've visited in the state. Close to castle Rock Badlands, monument rocks and Little Jerusalem Badlands which made for a great time.

There is not a lot to see on the flat western plains of Kansas and you would not see this state park either if you didn’t know it was there. This lake is like a sunken oasis of trees and water. The area itself was great! There’s even a few histoical sites to visit and it is close to Monument Rocks, which is what bought us to Kansas.

The campground, however, is just ok. Perhaps it would’ve been better if they had rain to green up the grass, but it was mostly brown in June when we camped there. They have a large selection of sites and on a Monday night in June, we had many choices available for tent camping. It appeared that most who camp here have an rv and those spaces looked about full. Thankfully, those are two different areas of the campground because they were packed into a parking lot style campground. The tent area probably would’ve looked packed in too since the sites are small, but with only a handful of tents, we had some space.

One thing that did limit our choice of sites was a LARGE herd of geese that covered all of the lakeside sites as well as the next row in. I didn’t want to set up in bird poop in the dry grass so the sites with a decent view were out. We did luck out and find site 2 of the Flatland area which was up above the water line so the geese couldn’t swim up and walk in. Site 2 had a great view of the lake and was set apart from the other sites along with site 1. Site 1 would’ve been the better site but it was occupied by a tent that appeared to have been abandoned. Site 2 was not level by any means, in fact it sloped quite a bit compared to the rest of the sites. There was no tent pads, which would’ve helped a lot for this site. We just set up so our heads would be at the high end and it worked. It was too nice of a view to let a bumpy sloping site stop us!

The campground has a host and everyone was quiet for the night. We slept pretty well, other than the high humidity of Kansas.

The bathhouse left a lot to be desired. A good cleaning to remove dead bugs would’ve went a long way. A fresh coat of paint would make it inviting. It looked like nobody had checked on its’ condition for many years. We were hoping to use the showers, but they were no cleaner and had an odd design with no doors or shower curtains. The lighting was very dim as well, making it all look a little too creepy for a shower there. A fresh coat of paint, brighter lighting, some shower curtains, and a good scrub down would make this facility SO much better! We also checked the other batthouse on the opposite side of the lake and it was the same way...only creepier because there was one lone rv camped near it.

Overall, I would not camp here again unless I read some reviews indicating the the bathhouse has been improved. It’s not a dealbreaker to not have a shower, but if this campground had been fuller, the geese all over the sites may have been. If you have an rv and pay for full hookups, you might like this campground. If you are tent camping, keep looking.

Driving through Kansas and coming up on this park and it's views made it a great spot to stop at along the way. Able to pull up to campsites and park next to your tent area. Everything was clean and my spot was a nice wake up view looking across the lake. Only caught a catfish while there but still great fun. Wish I could've gotten video of the thunderstorm that rolled through in the distance. Overall though, great hiking around the lake and good spots. Just a short drive to town also if you need to pick anything up.

Simply picked the first loops on the lake. if you want to swim I would suggest camping on the other side. I picked this spot because no one else was around I had the whole loop to myself. Which is what I was looking for. The other side had a lot more people. Maybe not the best place for tents a lot of geese around and their droppings but there was plenty of grass and soft ground. I am not use to seeing a campground not full. I was surprised how easy it was to find open spots must be a Kansas thing. Beautiful sunset and sunrise in early July.

While traveling through Kansas we found a beautiful spot to camp that we would recommend to all campers whether beginning, tenting, RV or even to just stop and spend the day. There is plenty of camping sites, fishing areas, swimming beach, a beach/boat/market house, historical markers and dwellings along with beautiful rolling hills and bluffs. Camp hosts were pleasant and helpful and area was clean. Some areas are shaded better than others as seen on google maps. And not to forget that Monument rocks are about a 20 minute drive from there and a must see-amazing that they could be there.

This was our last stop in our Tour de Kansas. The landscape felt more like the west than the flatlands of Kansas we had come to love. We pulled in on a Thurs. The campground was almost empty. Buy Friday afternoon, it was pretty full. By Sunday afternoon, we had it to our self again. We got a pull through site with 30 and 50 amp. Only 1 shower house was open in early April. But, it was 4 individual rooms, not common area setup.

The lake was small but very pretty, easy to kayak, SUP and fish. There are a few short trails to hike. As other have mentioned, there are amazing sites within 20 miles. The Little Jerusalem SP is a must. In the area, we saw turkey, owl, lots of buzzards, geese, albino buffelo and more cows than i have seen in one place. On Saturday, the local car club drove their vintage cars to the park for a pop up car show. The people were very nice. Garden City is about 40 miles away and offers everything you could want, brewery, good food, shopping galore, etc.

Standard Campground in middle nowhere Kansas. We were passing through to Colorado and were also planning to see the nearby Monument Rocks and New Jerusalem Badlands SP. We managed to be the only one in this campground. While this campground had a sign explaining their color coded services, there were no actual services. There were no  formal fire rings on grills, but most sites had remains of improvised fire rings. There is a group camping site with large fire ring, grill, volleyball court etc. This campground had two available bathrooms. One is a pit toilet with no lights, so bring a flashlight. The second had sinks, flush toilets, and showers, but had no main bathroom doors and completely open to the elements at the 8 foot height.

We were on our way to Colorado, and since we were KOA Rewards members, we decided to stop at this KOA. As the proprietor told us, this campground was just a stopover for those passing through, and that is exactly how it felt. By the next morning, just about all of the other campers were gone. When we first got there, we went to our campsite which was supposed to have electricity and be close to water. It had neither. However, the guy we talked to was kind enough to let us move to a site with both since there weren’t that many other campers. One thing that I discovered about Kansas is that there aren’t many trees as the campgrounds, including this one. Fortunately, the night was cold and breezy, so the sun wasn’t uncomfortable. We built a fire in our little Solo stove to cook hot dogs, and the owner came over to ask if we had a fire. I showed him that it was in our portable Solo stove so it wouldn’t damage the ground. Apparently, ground fires are forbidden in the area, especially since Kansas gets very little rain. There are recreational opportunities, whether or not they get used. There is a swimming pool(which was closed), a basketball goal, and a playground. There is an interesting old house with a windmill next door, but it is on private property. It is, however, great for a photograph. Overall, it’s not too bad of a campground, but there’s not much to do. It is best for those who are passing through to other destinations.

As you approach this lake, you will think your GPS is lying to you.  You are in the middle of corn fields and no lake is visible, even when you are just a mile away.  The lake sits in a gorge, and it is you won't see it until you are right at the top of and/or descending into the gorge.  

This is a nice stopover spot for anyone traveling west through Kansas.  We used it as a pit stop before entering Colorado.  It's a pretty lake with good fishing and a nice swimming area.  You can also rent boats to paddle and fish.  Our spot was a bit exposed, but there are plenty of campsites with good tree coverage and privacy.  

The campground and facilities were clean

   It seemed like we drove a long time to get here. This was a stop on our way back home from Colorado. It was around 40 some miles from the Interstate& all we saw were fields upon fields & no trees. The husband was grumbling when we turned off on the road to Lake Scott. I felt a lot better when we took the road down into the valley & saw the lake!

    This is not our first Kansas state park. We've been to Kanopolis & Mushroom Rocks. Lake Scott is supposed to be Kansas' most historic park. We stayed for 2 nights in the Circle campground. Water & electric. There's a few "seasonal" sites that offer sewer. 

As before, there was no one at the gatehouse to check in, so we found our site ourselves. The camp host was never around, but there were a few people in golf carts who waved at us.

   The site had some trees & a view of the lake. The site was clean 

    It was a short walk to the bathroom by the lake. There are flush toilets & showers & I've got to say, they are the filthiest I've seen camping. Apparently it's no ones job to take out the garbage or clean the sinks or toilets. 

    The beach was fairly crowded both afternoons we were there. I have no idea why anyone would want to swim in that disgusting water, but I guess that's all that's around. My husband says he saw fish jumping, so there is that to do.

    This is a pretty scenic park. The rocks & the lake, ect. There was never anyone at the beach store & I found out it's only open on weekends. There was someone at the park office& I got some area info. It was closed by afternoon though. The Steele Home Museum was closed both days we were there.

Context:  I would not rate this campground 4 stars for destination camping, but I would like folks to know it is a great stop-over.  Typical trusted KOA cleanliness and quality.  Full hookups, some shade and nice grounds for kids and pets.  Friendly staff, wifi was good enough for online school; 4g cell coverage, cable too if you are set up in your rig.  Good health protocols during CV19.  Clean bathrooms and sites.  Camp grills, but no fire pits (it can be windy, but this campground's layout offers some blocking particularly to the south end).  After crossing Kansas from east to west, this is a great stop-over.  Also, if leaving Colorado late traveling west to east, same benefit.

It's very expensive per night here and u will be right by the highway I'm sleeping out of the back of my rodeo so the noise is very annoying but I'm sure in an rv it wouldn't be bad at all I do have to say it is very clean here right by a gas station and a Walmart so a one night stay for a refuel and restock it is a good stay

This was our first stop after hitting the road to start full time RVing, and we definitely needed to stop and recollect ourselves, but this is definitely a one night stop aorta place… nothing really near by but right off the highway and has all the full amenities one needs to recharge and prep for their next stop. Walmart is directly across the street within walking distance.

Just be aware of where you’re walking. I ended up with a metal staple in my foot and our pups picked up stickers in the grass

Well maintained sites. Amazing swimming area. Helpful staff

Small store by swimming beach. Mr. Larry is a great help!

Boat access for fishing but it's a no wake lake

Rv spots fill up quickly so reserve ahead of time.

Lots of walk up sites available

Equestrian and hiking trails

Historical sites

First time here. Camped in Circle Drive in our Popup. Friendly staff, clean grounds and lots of trees. Lake isn't deep - could stand pretty far out. Small beach area but you can get in water anywhere. Dogs not allowed on beach anywhere. Had a great day kayaking and staying in water to keep cooled off. Little Jerusalem and Monument Rocks aren't far and something worth seeing. You can rent paddle boats and kayaks and canoes.