Looking for the best options for tent camping near Sylvan Grove? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
This recreation area is part of Wilson Lake
The first state park in Kansas, Kanopolis State Park is situated in the rolling hills, bluffs and woods of the scenic Smoky Hills region of the state. From the towering Dakota sandstone bluffs to the caves and crevices of Horsethief Canyon, the park and surrounding area offer rugged beauty and stunning vistas. The park is split into two areas north and south of the dam and there are two federal parks, as well.
$25 - $40 / night
Legend
After having camped every night for the past several nights in cold weather, we decided to stay in a KOA Kamping Kabin this time. While we were in Colorado, it had gotten below freezing and it had snowed. It was time for a break. This campground should be rated on a scale of 1-10. I would give it a 9, but I gave it 4 stars because of two things. The road noise was constant since we were next to an Interstate highway. Also, if we had been tent camping, there would have been too much gravel. The playground was mostly dirt. For some people that would be a bad thing--for others, not so much. I only state readers would get as many details as possible. The tent sites are a little close together, as well as the RV sites, but that is to be expected. Other than the things I previously stated, this campground is large and has lots of activities. There are several things for children and young adults to do—gem mining, basketball, table tennis, fishing, volleyball, a jump pad, horseshoes, etc. The cabin we stayed in had plenty of space for outdoor relaxing. Although our cabin had a bath room, I was able to check out the bath house. It was modern, up to date, and well decorated(as you can see in the photos). This campground probably gets more visitors passing through than people looking to come here as a destination, but Salina does have its share of things to do. By the way, if you’re looking for good Chinese food, you need to check out Great Wall in Salina. It is takeout only, but it is well worth taking it back to the campground. If you don’t like Chinese, there are plenty of other options. Overall, I think this is a great campground and I do recommend it(except for the road noise).
GuideVery nice laundry room and bathroom facilities! Standard tent camping site. Nice staff - check out the postcards in the office!
Guide
Tent-camped at a walk-in site on S-loop (away from water). Gatehouse attendants were super friendly. Free shower house was clean and serviced regularly. Other loops a bit more busy but seemed nice enough.
Ranger
Beautiful site, cool and informed tour, open placement for tent sites. No water available at time of my stay. Showers available at nearby state park after park entrance fee. Enjoyed the chill time at the campfire on the silo. Worth the stop.
Scout
Love this place. Discovered it by accident trying to avoid the loud motels off I70. Love that tent sites are free during the week. It was quiet but I wasn't alone. Sunset was amazing on the reservoir. But the wind comes up quite strong as it cools down so stake that tent down!
TravelerThis is a terrific campgrounds. During a two week road trip, stopped here for a night. Highly impressed; the $14 a night rate (tent site), well maintained sites, easy access to bathrooms and bath houses. Will be back, should my travels take me across 70.
Traveler
We tent camped here and enjoyed our stay. The food, pizza, was excellent. The staff brought our order to our site. We enjoyed a swim in the pool to cool off due to the temperature being in mid 90's. The bathrooms were air conditioned and clean. Overall, this campground is a good one and we recommend it!
Scout
We tent camped by the lake and trail heads. Nice cove for the paddleboard even if the water is a little shallow. CHECK THE WEATHER. Ive never been in storms like the 2 nights we stayed here. I thought we were going to Oz. Beautiful besides that. We rigged up a shower curtain with treking poles and our towels. Gonna go back to ride more mtb trails.
GuideKOA campgrounds are a quick stopover for us, never a destination. This location has it all. Cabins, tent sites. Great RV sites, even a yurt! Some highway noise. Clean, great kid play area (with ping pong) and a nice playground. New furniture provided and built in fire pits.
ScoutKOA campgrounds are a quick stopover for us, never a destination. This location has it all. Cabins, tent sites. Great RV http://essaypapers.reviews/ sites, even a yurt! Some highway noise. Clean, great kid play area(with ping pong) and a nice playground. New furniture provided and built in fire pits.
Guide
This campground deserves 5 stars because the views are breathtaking. Electrical hook-up for RVs. Water. Dump station. Tent camps available. Our own experience is more like a 3 because while the campground was open, the bathrooms were not. Water was not available either. If this happens to you, jump in your vehicle, make a right from the park and there is a boat launch area about 5 mins from the campground with a nice composting toilet. But the skyline was worth it.
GuideWe loved this place. Pool, playground, jumping pad, horse shoes, roomy tent sites, gem mining, friendly staff, great price. My sister did hurt herself on the slide... but we are adults so maybe it’s our fault. YOLO. She’ll be fine. We had a ton of fun. This was a nice stop on our way. They also had bikes and a train for the kids.
Legend
Stunning views in every direction. A true diamond in the rough tucked just 8 miles from I-70 near Sylvan Grove, KS. This is a great place to enjoy the breeze as it blows across the rolling plains of eastern Kansas.
Wilson State Park has multiple camping loops with a variety of hookup options from primitive sites overlooking Wilson reservoir to full hookups with 20/30/50 amp power, water and sewer for RVs. Bring your camera, some comfortable shoes and sunscreen and enjoy plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking and fishing.
Traveler
Ottawa SFL, located in the rolling plains of Kansas, offers a serene outdoor experience for campers and nature enthusiasts. With tent sites available, it provides an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the surrounding landscape. The area experiences a wide range of temperatures, from cold winters with lows in the 20s(°F) to hot summers reaching the 90s(°F), making seasonal planning essential for visitors. Nearby attractions include the Milford Nature Center and Milford State Park, both offering excellent opportunities for wildlife observation, hiking, and other outdoor activities. While information on connectivity and amenities such as WiFi and cellular service remains unclear, Ottawa SFL is an ideal destination for those seeking a peaceful retreat in nature.
Guide
This is a busy lake campground but we were very pleased with camping here! The tent sites on Buffalograss section provide a fire ring and a table, they are spaced apart and offer waterfront views. The other campgrounds and boat ramp are close, so it isn't too quiet, but it is a wonderful spot nonetheless. Also, I must note there were some 24miles of mountain bike trails nearby and that was fantastic for us.
Scout
Being hikers at heart, we chose this campground since it is very close to the Horse Thief Trail trailhead. Unfortunately, the trails are very much built for horseback riding with sand terrain, a VERY narrow path and intense overgrowth. Not quite what we were expecting. It would probably be okay without dogs and with long pants, but unfortunately we have 2 giant dogs and it’s 100° today. The overall state park only has 2 okay-ish sized swim beaches, but overall limited water access unless you’re boating - which we are not. The tent sites have pavilions as a nice surprise, but other than that, we will not be coming back!
LegendThis might be the metropolis of this area but when the Walmart in town closes at midnight you know it is a sleepy little town. With that said it was nice to find this site to lay my head in the sleepy town.
The sites were level and pretty typical of a KOA. The staff was very nice and accommodating and walked me over to my tent site when I arrived. Very nice touch!
The bathrooms here were warm on a cold night and very clean. You could tell they take care of this facility very well. I had missed the pool season but with the cool air I didn't mind missing the cold water I was just wanting to stay warm.
For a basic site which included a fire ring and picnic table it was $24 that included access to wifi.
The only negative to getting a primitive site was that it was pretty windy and there wasn't really any wind block, I could have sprung for an upgraded site had I have realized there was going to be so much wind but that is my fault not theirs.
Legend
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.
TravelerGreat spot. There are many tent and even RV spots that are right near the water. Some parking spots require a Kansas state park passport but we were able to buy one at the park office. The water was calm enough in the morning and evenings to kayak and explore the coves. mid day when the water started getting a bit rougher we swapped the kayaks for bikes and explored the trails. the park offers several dirt trails and a few paved paths perfect for all levels of riders! To top it off the sunsets were amazing every night. only rated 4/5 because the bathrooms/showers weren’t the best.
Guide
Quiet and lovely a clean place to camp with plenty of dead and dry fire wood to be gathered. this place has up to 24 miles of hiking trails on the north side as well as being the oldest lake in the state it has some unique history from ancient Indians and the area was frequented by Buffalo bill Cody and there aresome petroglyphs you can visit from natives of the area this lake is also a great fishing destination for all types of fish native to the state if tents and hammocks are not your thing they have cabins as well for $99 a night this is one of them lakes you should visit if your not from Kansas there is so much hidden beauty here that goes unnoticed by many
Guide
We recently camped at the Buffalo Grass campground, not once, but twice on a roadtrip. Both times were very different, but extremely enjoyable in different ways. Our first stay was Friday, August 14th. Being a Friday, there were quite a few people at the campground. We showed up a little before 8 and began the self check-in process, which was simple and very convenient, considering we showed up after the office had closed. It was only $18 for the night at a primitive campsite. We found a space tucked nicely into the trees to afford privacy. The lake was only about a minute walk, and if you don't mind a little climb down some rocks, swimming is allowed. The first night we got hit with a beautiful thunderstorm for about an hour. It may have rained, but it was worth it to see the storm. Our second visit was on Tuesday, August 25, and that time, we had literally the whole peninsula to ourselves... not a single other tent or car, and the weather was incredible. If we ever make our way back through Kansas, we'll definitely be stopping here again. It was easily one of our favorite campsites in the entirety of our three-week journey.
ScoutWINDY, WINDY, WINDY!!!!! This campsite is NOT for tents! We arrived hoping to cook and hang out on the lake but the 18mph winds had us huddled near the car as a winds shield. We had to eat sandwiches out of the cooler since anything not nailed down was gone! We even moved the car to help shield the tents as I thought the tent poles might break. If you are in an RV you could enjoy the view from the protection of the RV. Otherwise, keep driving.....
Guidestayed here for 2 nights . I have to say the views and campsites were excellent.
who knew that in the middle of Kansas there is a 9000 acre lake that is just breathtaking
I will be going back next time I go thru Kansas.
not anyone around as far as staff but well maintained .
7 miles from the Intestate so its easy to get to.
try and get the waterfront sites they are large with great views
Ranger
First time visiting Kansas. Friendly hosts. Easy check in process. Very clean campground.
TravelerBest site I’ve had on my 2 week road trip! Would for sure come back here if I’m ever needing a campsite in Kansas.
Guide
A city maintained park in Lincoln Kansas with 30 and 50 amp plugs, dumping station, and a nice park next door. And $20! 😀
Legend
One of the smaller camps around the park this only has 6 slots available but the views are available on 3 sides of this peninsula style campground. Available on a first come first serve basis there are no frills with camping at this location as it is primitive only style camping.
Small RVs or Vans could use this campsite however it really is designed with the tent camper in mind as it has great grassy areas which are semi flat.
Each campsite is equipped with the basics a grill ring and picnic table and there is some shade in the area scattered throughout. Access to playground and restrooms is very close by so this could easily be a great location for families looking to spend some time at the lake.
The shore line alongside 2 of the 3 sides of this area are rocky and ideal for fishing while there is also a sandy beach which is directly alongside the camp. When I visited recent rains had forced the lake levels to be very high and this made a portion of the beach submerge below the waters edge but this is not typical.
Prices here are very reasonable at only $13 a night but they do quickly fill during peak season due to the lakes popularity.
TIPS:
Tent camping near Sylvan Grove, Kansas, offers a variety of scenic spots and amenities for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sylvan Grove, KS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sylvan Grove, KS is Indian Grass — Wilson State Park with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Sylvan Grove, KS?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Sylvan Grove, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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