Best Equestrian Camping near Ottawa, KS

• 8 campsites
• Equestrian sites available with 6 corrals
• Pit toilet
• Boat ramp (gravel)
• Open all year

This campground has a nice and open space in the center, with campsites all along the edge. There are trees that offer shade at nearly every site, and there are plenty of areas to tie off and/or enclose horses. There is a playground, picnic shelter, two designated manure piles, and access to horse-friendly and dog-friendly trails right in the campground!

The Park: We love this park, it’s massive, and really pretty. They have so much to do (listed below). Sunflower Loop is our favorite and has full hookups. There are more primitive loops as well. It is ADA accessible. There was not a tornado shelter as of 2018. This is one thing that should be mandatory given its proximity and being further away from potential shelter. Excellent camping on the lake. Lots of water activities available.

Sites: level, clear, easily accessible. Sunflower loop is widely spaced and plenty of room for larger RVs.

Cellular: decent cellular signal.

Amenities: Amphitheater Bath House Bicycling Boat Ramp Boating Canoeing Kayaking Campground Host Camping, Equestrian Camping, Improved Site Camping, Primitive Church Comfort Station Dock, Boat Dump Station, Camper Dump Station, Marina Fire Rings Fishing, Park Lake Fuel, Boats Golf Grills Gun Range Hiking Hiking Trail Horseback Riding Hunting Information Booth Jet Skiing Laundry Marina Mountain/Trail Bicycling Park Lake Parking Picnic Area Picnic Shelter Picnic Tables Playground Rentals, Boat, Motorized Rentals, Jet Skis Reservoir Restrooms Shelters Showers Skiing - Water Swimming, Park Lake Telephone Toilet, Pit/Vault Trails, Bicycle Trails, Equestrian Trails, Hiking/Walking, Easy Trails, Mountain Bike Walking Water Access, Park Lake Water Skiing

This was one of our favorite Kansas State Parks. At the end of May, it was almost empty. We had our pick of sites. We got a prime tree shaded spot on the water. In fairness, most sites are on the water or have a water view. Spectacular sunsets.

There was only 1 small bath house open while we were there, but it was clean and the shower was hot. It was one of those push button kind that only stayed on for a min. Not a problem to just keep pushing.

We road bikes, but the cold spring winds made kayaking impossible. In the summer, I can see why this place would be a fun destination. Swimming, boating, fishing, horses, archery, wide open spaces.

The roads within the park are not the best. Also, online reservations must be made 48 hrs in advance, otherwise, its day by day.

Pne of the closest to the Kansas city metro lots of glamping

Crappie Cove has the best sites, and it is very close to the kayak/boat ramp and the swimming beach.

New campground, so not much shade. But, many trees have planted for the future. Full hookups but no restroom or storm shelter on site. It has some concrete pads which would be nice wheelchair access.

Fabulous campground

Hillsdale is a close stop for us. We'll often go when we only have one night to camp. Unfortunately, the waterside sites are minimal and most seem to be RV sites. We often find ourselves in a field with port-a-potties instead of lakeside with views. Not bad for what it is, I do wish they had more options.

Great campground (Sunflower) The host's are friendly and knowledgeable of the area. The trees in the sites are small saplings, give them a few more years, and they will be nice.

Campgrounds are clean and aren’t too overly cramped. Trails for hiking and riding bikes and they offer canoe/kayak renting.

This was our first location as full time RVers and it was such a fun experience. There are kayaks and canoes to rent, there is a great marina, fishing, and tons of water access opportunities for private kayaks. The people are friendly and so fun! Truly a great place to come camp.

Cons: showers are either dirty or out of service, no bathroom in some campgrounds aside from a portapotty.

This campground is close to home for us, but we love it as a quick get away.  It has beautiful, tree-covered campsites that offer direct access to the lake.  The sites and facilities are well kept and clean.  Full-hookup sites don't have any tree coverage, but the electric/water sites near the lake are very cozy.  

It is a great place to bike and fish.  It also has excellent public hunting areas.  It also has a great bow range for siting in and practicing with your bow.  You can even climb towers to practice shooting from "tree-stand" elevations.

Cool weekend at a great lake right before things turned green. Closed last year to redo the electric, enjoyed Site 181 at Scott Creek, west side of Hillsdale Lake.

Still a little cool and gray, but nice 60 degree weekend.

Great campsite. Plenty of space for tents and other activities and very close to water

A couple miles down a secluded drive, nestled back in the woods right on the lake. Lots of trees, nice shower house. Camp host is friendly and laid back. Pet friendly, well lit. Our family felt safe.

Beautiful sunsets. Water is a little muddy but good for fishing. I would recommend for a family getaway or a fishing trip.

We stayed for a week in Crappie Cove. We have relatives in the area and have always heard folks rave about weekends at Hillsdale lake. We are spending 3 months this summer in our RV traveling the country and this was one of the stops along our way.

Pros:

• spacious site
• lots of trees/shade
• Mostly quiet location
• great playground for kids (though not shaded)
• each site had a table and fire pit
• far enough away from the city to see stars at night. :)
• Lots of different camping loops - from primitive to full hookups.

Cons:

• NEVER saw the camp host.
• not sure the showers/toilets were cleaned in the 7 days we were there. There were always puddles everywhere in the bathroom, so much that the heat made them smell very bad. One toilet would never seem to hold water. Most of the time it was empty/clogged.
• many many cars on some sites
• standing pond of water covered in moss/algae and caused lots of bugs/mosquitoes to be around
• Shower curtains had black mold all over them

This campground has great potential and we found some other bathrooms that were actually decent on another loop, so walked there daily instead of the one in our loop.

No one at the front booth when we checked in (middle of the afternoon on a Sunday) but we had already paid, so we just proceeded to our site, which was already marked with our name and dates. We went in and out of the park every day with no issue. On the 7th day of our stay, my husband is stopped and asked where his parking permit is. No one came by our site after we checked in. No one ever asked in 7 days, not even the camp host who should monitor that stuff. We had ONE vehicle on our site and everywhere we have ever camped, one vehicle is included in your camping fee. We were told we had to pay an additional fee per day for the vehicle we used to pull our camper to the site. AFTER we had been parking there a week already and it was the day we were leaving. None of the other cars in our loop had permits in their windows or windshields.

We have stayed at many state parks across the country and this is one of the worst, in my opinion. Camp hosts were non-existent until the last minute and then they were rude. Facilities are not well maintained (on the Crappie Cove loop).

Hillsdale is a nice place to camp that isn’t too far out of the city. Decent accommodations and nice camp sites near the water front.

Cedar Park offers great vehicle access, lake access, fire rings, picnic tables, and bathrooms. Area is clean and there is beach access for fishing and Kayacking.

It’s a long gravel road to get there and you’re mostly just in farmland, but there are waterfront sites and it’s flat. There’s a ground toilet you can walk to. I wouldn’t swim in or even filter the water, but makes for a pretty view.

This has been a favorite spot of mine since I was in college. From hauling a 30pk down to the water in my 20's to hiking and exploring this beautiful expansive area in my 30's, I have to admit that Rockhaven is a special place that never disappoints. Now I have yet to camp out here mainly because most of the official campsites are non-primitive, but also we haven't taken the time to clear out our own space off the trail. The trails are fantastic and winding and give you a relaxing hike with a sweat. Until I go find that perfect campsite, I'll rate this a 4 due to my lack of full experience. But don't miss out on these trails and on this hidden gem.