Best RV Parks & Resorts near Pittsburg, KS

Beach, shelter areas, boat ramp, camping areas, RV hookups, showers. Not well maintained, but free. Industrial fans across the beach are an eye sore

Gopher Valley campground in on of several campground in the Twin Bridges area of Grand Lake State Park.  This campground is fully paved with both full hook up RV camping area, tent camping area and areas that work for both.  Campground have drive through and pull in sites.  Sites all have picnic tables and metal fire rings.  Campground has a large pavilion which can be rented.  The pavilion has a huge BBQ grill.  Campground has a small playground for the kids.  Small restroom with showers is available.  With the exception of the RV pull through sites all the other sites have plenty of grass to set up a tent.  Sites can be reserved.

I stayed at twin bridges this past weekend with my wife and our two dogs. Despite nice weather it was less than half full. There aee three distinct areas to camp. One on the east side of HW 137, one on the west side of HW 137, and one south of HW 60. The area south of HW 60 is camper pads and very busy as it is right at the boat ramp. This area also charges a premium rate for its location ($27 with water and electric hook ups). The west side of HW 137 has lake huts ($50-$60ish per night) as well as tent and RV sites. The east side of HW 137 has tent and RV sites as well as the visitor center. Tent sites are $14, with electric $18, and electric and water for $22. You can reserve RV sites online but not tent sites. This area is mostly for RVs. The tent sides are all on a hill side so you cant find flat sites to tent camp and tent camping is poorly marked. We did find an "unimproved camping area" presumably for tent camping but everyone with an RV at the nearby RV sites used it as boat trailer parking. There are bathhouse on each side of HW 137 and we found them to be pretty good for a campground. There is a RV dump station behind the visitor center ($5 to dump, free to camping guests, payable at visitor center or envelope station). If you get in late there are signs instructing you to pay at visitor center the next morning. However these must be old signs as there is an envelope station in front of the visitor center door to register and pay (didnt seem like the visitor center is open much). Noticed a lot of trash around camping area into the wooded area around it. Not a lot to do in the park but plenty of fish and boating areas nearby. Also there are camp grills at each RV/camp spot but no fire pits, although we did notice people have just built camp fires as they see fit (not sure of park policy on this). Overall its a decent enough campground if you are going to be spending all your time on the lake but wouldnt recommend for tent camping or longer RV stays if you are looking for hiking trails and more secluded relaxation.

Noesho's Hickory Creek RV park is a nice park with mowed grass everywhere, gravel roads and grass sites.  The site are only $12 per night.  But be warned....No tent camping is allowed and you need to go to city hall to pay your camping fee as the campground does not have a place to self register, so if you plan on staying here you will need to get to city hall before they close for the day, and they are only open from Monday - Friday.  Site use to allow tents, but does not now, most likely due to the fact that their are no restroom facilities at this campground.  All the sites come with water and electric hook ups, and their is a RV dump.  Train tracks adjoining the park and these are busy tracks with trains running day and night.  Two sides of the park have a street and a highway alongside, but traffic is slow so it seems to be fairly quiet.  The campground is part of a much larger city park.  Part of the frisbee golf course runs around the camping area, and across the road is a nice bike path.  Hickory creek runs along the edge of the park and has good fishing.  Sites do not have picnic tables but their are a few in the park witch you can use.  No campfires.

Stayed overnight in this lovely RV park. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The park is really lovely with plenty of large trees and green grass and spacious sites. This is one of the nicest RV stays I’ve had. We enjoyed a garden right outside our door. There was free wi-go and cable TV. There was a BBQ our first night which was so gracious and enjoyable after a long day of driving. I wish we had planned a longer stay. I highly recommend.

I stayed in one of the airbnb cabins this past summer and it was super comfortable. Everything I needed for a great stay. Awesome managers and such a peaceful surrounding. I know there are new pedestals and hookups for RVs and they have been working on the swimming pool for 2023. The A-frame cabin is being renovated for a new laundry facility and new showers/bathrooms too.

Delightful office staff.  We did not make advance reservations, but called when we were about an hour away and insured they had sites available.  Long pull-thrus with full hookups.  For an overnight stay, this is a nice campground.

This is a nice campground and most of the sites are huge. And some of them have a nice view of the river. They have full hookups and pretty good signal. The bathrooms are not the best but they have really nice playground for the kids. I would come back and camp here again.

Nice, no one camping in December. Mostly set up for RVs with some day use areas. Nice vistas of the Neosho River from the Echo Bluff sites with all the leaves down. Biggest detractor is the traffic noise. Didn't check out the boat launch area which was across the highway from the main park and office. NOTE JUST IN CASE (12/4/20): We found an adult black cat near our campsite who appeared pretty content to just sit in the leaves and watch everything! No collar or tags seen. Apparently no animal control for this county.

.• 74 Sites Electric(50 amp service avail) 

• 8 Non electric

• Full hookups

•$14-$76

• Pull thrus

• Reservations accepted 877-444-6777

• Beach

• Boat ramp

• Drinking water

• Dump station

• Restrooms/showers

• Pit toilets

• Swimming Beach

• Water sites 

Peak Season March 26, 2021- November 01, 2021 

Out of Season(No Booking Available) November 01, 2021- March 26, 2022

FEES$14-$74

Located on Bill Hill Lake outside of Cherryvale, Kansas and set in the gently rolling prairie with a large scattering of trees. The area considers itself as Kansas “Little Ozarks.” It is a beautifully serene setting dotted with campgrounds and day use areas. The Big Hill Lake is a reservoir and holds 1,240 acres of water with 367 acres available for use by the public. The park is nestled in the rolling, wooded countryside with thick oak-hickory forests surrounded by prairie and farmland, the lake shore supplies a variety of habitats for birds and mammals. Mound Valley offers a relaxing atmosphere with plenty of trees for shade, and the lake is only a short walk away from the campsites. Campers can venture onto several hiking and equestrian trails including Big Hill Lake Horse Trail, a 17-mile trail with a variety of terrain for all ages to explore. The trail winds along a scenic hardwood ridge that offers gorgeous views all along the way. Big Hill Lake is known as a trophy lake for fishing. Principal species of sport fish include largemouth bass, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill, walleye and smallmouth bass. The lake is also popular for fishing tournaments. Almost all of the land around the lake is open to public hunting, except for parks and areas around the dam and control structures. Principal species hunted are whitetail deer, turkey and squirrel. Families with kids will enjoy visiting the sand-covered beach nearby for cooling off from the summer heat and enjoying a picnic.  Campers can venture onto several hiking and equestrian trails including Big Hill Lake Horse Trail, a 17-mile trail with a variety of terrain for all ages to explore. The trail winds along a scenic hardwood ridge that offers gorgeous views all along the way. Big Hill Lake is known as a trophy lake for fishing. Principal species of sport fish include largemouth bass, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill, walleye and smallmouth bass. The lake is also popular for fishing tournaments. Almost all of the land around the lake is open to public hunting, except for parks and areas around the dam and control structures. Principal species hunted are whitetail deer, turkey and squirrel. Families with kids will enjoy visiting the sand-covered beach nearby for cooling off from the summer heat and enjoying a picnic. 

Getting Here Latitude 37° 16' 9.9998" N Longitude 95° 27' 29.9999" W From Cherryvale, Kansas, take U.S. Highway 169 and turn east onto Main Street. Continue through the town and turn right onto Olive Street. Go 1/2 a block and turn left onto County Route 5000. Proceed 4.5 miles to Big Hill Lake and follow signs to Mound Valley. 

Contact Information Mailing Address 19065 CHERRYVALE PKWY CHERRYVALE, KS 67335-0426 Phone Number For campground inquiries, please call: 620-328-2050 

Need to Know• Alcoholic beverages are prohibited within the Mound Valley Swimming Beach Area• Flush toilets and showers are closed outside of the reservation season, however vault toilets are available in the north loop• Don't Move Firewood: 

Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information. Upon arrival at Big Hill Lake a visitor may choose from a plethora of fun activities. Camping with and without electricity, boat launches, ball field, swimming beach and so much more. For trails you will find the Big Hill Lake Horse Trail which surrounds¾ of the lake and is 17 miles long. It provides a variety of terrain for all ages. The trail provides amazing views and riders will enjoy tethering areas and three parking areas along the trail. The parking areas are equipped with limited facilities that can be used for overnight camping by the trail riders. Riders will have the opportunity for wildlife viewing. For those that wish to hike you will find the Ruth Nixon Memorial Trail. The trail enjoys blue bird houses that were set in honor or Ruth Nixon. It is about one mile and offers the hikers the chance to observe local wildlife. The scenery along the way is spectacular. This trail links the Overlook Day Use Area and Cherryvale Recreation Area. There are rest areas along the way so take advantage of those inviting stops to enjoy the lake views and just take in the scenery. 

Big Hill Lake is one of the clearest lakes in Kansas and considered a trophy fishing lake. Sport fish include largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill, walleye and sunfish. Hunters will find about 800 acres of project land that is managed for wildlife. Game species are large and varied around Big Hill Lake. Hunters will find bob white quail, rabbit, grey and fox squirrels, mourning dove, migratory waterfowl, wild turkey and white tailed deer. Hunters may also utilize another 1350 acres of land located about½ mile from the project. Wildflowers are in abundance in the spring and fall along with the beautiful trees such as persimmon, osage orange, redbud and dogwood. 

Swimming on the sandy beaches along the lake is a joy. Alcohol is not allowed on the beach area. Glass containers are also not allowed on the beach or in the water. Boats that are propelled by a motor of any kind or a sailboat must be numbered and registered with the state of Kansas or legally registered with another state. The Cherryvale area present day is a farming/ranching rural area with Friday night football the big excitement. 

In the 19th century Kansas was a bloody place. Before the “Civil War” you would have different groups battling for control. After the civil war the pioneers began their westward journey through the many trails that crossed the plains. In 1870 a group of five families settled in western Labette County. Cherryvale had not been established. This group stands out because of one particular family. The Bender family, a normal– mother– father– son– daughter from Germany. John Bender, Sr., his wife Ma Bender, son John, Jr. and daughter Kate. Now I am not going to get involved in their story but I will touch on some of the highlights and let you know the story includes an inn, a store, a hammer, a trap door, lonely single male travelers, haunted property and the only place where a mass murder is celebrated by a state historical marker. Google the Bender family in Kansas and enjoy a bit of the old west.

LNT

Better than when you found it

Stay safe– Happy Travels

Woody Trail Campground has lots of options.  From walking tent sites with or with out electricity, RV site with hook-ups and even cabins, this campground has something for everyone.  All sites are nicely distanced from each other.  Campground roads are paved.  Sites have picnic tables Metal fire pits, and BBQ grills.  Trash service and water as well as flush toilets and showers available.  Campground has a large pavilion.  Play ground for the kids and horse shoe pits.   Tent sites with electricity have covered picnic tables.

We overnighted here on the way to Hot Springs, AR.  Convenient to Interstate 49, but virtually no traffic noise and none while inside the van.  We arrived after the office had closed - there was a prominent note on the door as to which site to use.   Electrical hookup was fine - we did not use water or cable.  There were about a dozen other  campers - most appeared to be long termers.  The CG was VERY quiet - very peaceful.  They have an off-leash dog park area which our dogs loved and used it 3-4 times the nite we were there.  The bathrooms were toasty warm and VERY clean.  Lavatory hot water got warm quickly, plenty of soap and towels.  The office has various items for sale, from snacks to RV gear.  Would not hesitate to stay again - in fact, may do so next week on our return trip.

We are new to RV’ing, so my experience is somewhat limited, but this was a very nice campground and I couldn’t imagine how it could get much better. Compared to the few other lakes we’ve stayed at, this campground it very nicely developed with electric and water hook ups in just the right spots, and a really nice area with a picnic table, bbq grill and nice ring with an additional cooking grate in each spot. The whole camp was very cleaned and maintained and the park ranger was very accessible. We had a great time. The only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is because there was fairly limited shore access in the campground we stayed in, which was Mound Valley North Loop. Otherwise it was perfect.

Edit 10.11.20:

I wanted to edit my prior review and add a star. We ended up going to Big Hill 3 times this year, and several other state parks and campgrounds, and Big Hill is our favorite. My original title was correct, a treasure in Kansas.