Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Tonganoxie, KS

Leavenworth Kansas State Fishing Lake accommodates tent and RV campers with pets at multiple designated areas around the 160-acre lake. Dogs must remain on leash throughout the campground, with several shoreline spots offering easy water access for pets. The primitive campsites feature basic amenities including pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings, though campers should note the facilities receive minimal maintenance. The campground has a 7-day maximum stay limit rather than the typical 14 days at other Kansas state parks. No drinking water is available on site, and campers must pack out all trash as no collection service exists.

Suncatcher Lake Campground provides a pet-friendly alternative with full hookup sites and waterfront views approximately 10 minutes from Leavenworth. Dogs are permitted at all RV sites with designated pet walking areas along the private lake shoreline. The campground remains peaceful even on weekends with minimal crowds, making it ideal for pet owners seeking quiet surroundings. Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA offers additional pet-friendly options including cabins, tent sites and RV spots with amenities like a dedicated dog park where pets can run off-leash. Campers should be aware of frequent train noise that may disturb sensitive pets, particularly overnight when trains pass approximately every 30 minutes throughout the night.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Tonganoxie, Kansas (84)

    1. Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA

    16 Reviews
    Lawrence, KS
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (785) 842-3877

    "We travel with two adorable rescues and appreciated the awesome dog park where they could run a bit. The restrooms are adequate and clean. Views are beautiful as you will see for yourself."

    "This campground is about 35-40 mins outside Kansas City City. The town that it is located in has a lot to do as well! Campgrounds is clean and well kept! We visited in November so not many people."

    2. Prairie Clover Campground — Clinton State Park

    35 Reviews
    Lawrence, KS
    19 miles
    +1 (785) 842-8562

    $10 - $115 / night

    "The great part is that the sites are so large, at least on the lake side, which is actually a bit away from the lake, but accessible by stairs from the camp sites."

    "The park is also at a lake so there’s a beach access area where you can go and swim or just sit by the very large lake."

    3. Leavenworth Kansas State Fishing Lake

    5 Reviews
    Tonganoxie, KS
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (785) 887-6882

    "I'm starting to think that Kansas has a 7-day limit instead of a 14 because this is the second time that a Kansas park official came to the door and said we need to leave."

    "I assume they went fishing at the lake. Bathroom was a little rough but manageable."

    4. Weston Bend State Park Campground

    36 Reviews
    Weston, MO
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (816) 640-5443

    $12 - $48 / night

    "The site is long but has a 1/4 moon turn so we had to pull back around to get better positioned on the pad so we could disconnect our 39’ 5th wheel and F450 for our 3-night stay."

    "Pros: so peacefully quiet, seriously even with the kids

    - dog park with 3 separate areas- close to KC

    - a hose at the dump station that you can actually hook up to your black tank flush

    - both"

    6. Bloomington East - Clinton Lake

    22 Reviews
    Lawrence, KS
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (785) 843-7665

    $14 - $60 / night

    "The draw for me is the many hiking trails accessible from the campsite. Great place to spend a nice Kansas weekend!"

    "We take our dogs and our kayakes and we are set for the weekend. The campsites are clean and a nice private distance from each other for the most part."

    7. Suncatcher Lake Campground

    2 Reviews
    Lansing, KS
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (913) 680-5335

    "About a 10 minute drive to town, but a perfect spot in the country. Very well maintained park with a beautiful view of the pond right out the door!"

    "Private lake so fishing was not a problem."

    8. Walnut Grove RV Park

    14 Reviews
    Mission, KS
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (913) 262-3023

    $62 - $131 / night

    "We made a last minute decision and decided to stay somewhere near KC after a long cross country trip."

    "Pet friendly and close to KC shops and stores"

    9. COE Perry Lake Slough Creek Park

    8 Reviews
    Perry, KS
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (785) 876-3127

    $16 - $50 / night

    "Grew up camping here every year for the 4th of July and one of my favorite places to visit when we visit Kansas, this place is amazing, little coves for swimming and kayaking, pontoons and party cove on"

    "I would have also had to walk through heavy brush to drop in, probably better locations around the lake. Overall a safe and clean place to overnight."

    10. Woodridge Park

    13 Reviews
    Clinton Lake, KS
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (785) 843-7665

    "We brought our two dogs here with us and camped. There are so many spots you can set up at on the trail that nobody went to. Keep in mind though that the trail gets very muddy if it has just rained!"

    "We very rarely run into anyone else while camping on the trail. We have myself, husband, son, and dog."

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Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Tonganoxie, KS

580 Reviews of 84 Tonganoxie Campgrounds


  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 31, 2022

    Weston Bend State Park Campground

    Enjoyable Stay

    Getting to the state park off I 29 and through the countryside was easy as the route had Weston Bend SP signage. We followed the SP signs to the campground(CG) where the gate was not manned so we headed to get water, but someone was sitting in the dump station waiting for another person to arrive so we went around this one-loop CG to see if there was a convenient spigot. There are spigots but with a larger rig, you will block the road, and/or you will be on a hill. We went back around and the person moved so we could get water. After that, we headed to pull through site 28 with electric(50/30/20 AMP) only. The site is long but has a 1/4 moon turn so we had to pull back around to get better positioned on the pad so we could disconnect our 39’ 5th wheel and F450 for our 3-night stay. There were tree branches overhead that we could not avoid. RVers next to us in site 30 had just arrived as well and were having trouble getting their travel trailer unhitched and leveled due to the pad’s slight incline and unlevel asphalt. They got their trailer positioned so they could get somewhat level. We got a solid two bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. Due to our proximity to Kansas City, we got a lot of OTA channels. A satellite connection would be iffy in most sites here due to the number of mature trees. The trees in a lot of sites would also scrape the top of larger rigs. There’s a variety of sites with most being good for regular trailers versus tall rigs, and tent sites. They have a nice shower house with 1 washer and 1 dryer both for$1.50. There are also vaulted toilets here and there. There’s a 1.7-acre fenced dog park that includes one large area for large dogs and two other areas with one dedicated to smaller dogs. The dog area is at the front park entrance away from the campground and it would be a long walk to get there, so we drove up. There are a lot of hiking trails here plus an old tobacco barn that’s worth a look.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2024

    Love's RV Hookup-St. Joseph MO 235

    Not the Best Option

    This Love’s RV Hook Up is right off I-29. We’ve enjoyed several stays at these new Love’s campgrounds(CG) and they are normally away from the main car and truck fueling areas. After cruising around the truck area, we found that we needed to go to the car area as the CG is literally off the auto-side fuel pumps/parking lot. There is a lane that we could have driven through from the truck area and this would've put us in the right position to back into our site. However, there was a Love's fuel truck parked there the whole time of our stay. There are six back-in sites with water and electric. They give you a code if you want to use the dump station. We reserved site 1 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). It still could have been an easy back-in but there was a big U-Haul truck parked outside of the formal parking areas in our path. We were still able to maneuver around and get in our site. After parking, we checked in online to activate our utilities. We quickly found out when we auto-leveled that site 1 was not a level site as our passenger side tires were off the ground. And whoever designed these sites thought boulders between sites was a good idea? We had to position our rig to avoid a boulder on the pad, so that we could open our basement slide drawer. The utilities are at the far backside of the pad and based on our rig’s configuration with the wet bay towards the front, we needed 25’ or more of hose and electric cord. The water pressure here is good. The WiFi is also for general public use and not very fast. We got 3 bars on Verizon and used our MiFi for internet as we were not comfortable putting out Starlink in this general public area. We were next to Love’s two-sided dog park, which if not for dog poop on the inside and around the outside would have been a great convenience. Concerning the uncomfortable comment, two stealth campers in cars were in parking spaces adjacent to our site for the night. We shared the CG with a Scottish Rugby cycling team traversing the USA raising AHS awareness. We did not know that starting around 6:00 AM the sprinklers came on and all of their gear got wet. The sprinklers also make mud puddles at the dog park entrance. Loves should gravel the small and large dog entrances. There should also be signs to let campers know about the sprinklers. The other Love’s RV Stops we stayed in had restroom and shower facilities, here you go in the main building and pay to use the trucker showers. The dump station is hard to get into with a large rig. Wrapping up this unpleasant stay, this Love’s was one up on a Walmart parking lot as it had water and electric.

  • Kayzie N.
    Jul. 7, 2023

    Lake Miola City Park

    My favorite camp ground ever

    This has everything you want! Nice camp host! Swimming beach! Showers & nice toilets & a tent area and a RV area to separate it. Most tent and RV spots have shade!!! Tens have electic & It's CHEAP !! 20$ for electric tent & camper! They have water spouts at the tent area as well!! A walking path & a park and a huge dog park!!!!

    Love love love this place!!

  • S
    Jul. 26, 2023

    Weston Bend State Park Campground

    Peaceful

    Pros:

    - so peacefully quiet, seriously even with the kids

    - dog park with 3 separate areas- close to KC

    - a hose at the dump station that you can actually hook up to your black tank flush

    - both AT&T and Verizon worked great 

    Cons:

    - I honestly have none from here!

  • hThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 25, 2023

    Weston Bend State Park Campground

    Great, quite large camp sites

    Great please to camp, not to crowded. Got busier on the weekends, empty on the week. Nice showers and toilets, laundry. Campsites were large, many had a good footprint enough to set up a large tent. We have a 20’ round yurt and had plenty of room. Lots of hiking trails in this park, some paved. Nice lookout point. Dog park was nice, well gated and taken care of, had water station for thirsty dogs. We spent 25$ a night for a 30amp electric site. Campground was well maintained. Only minutes from the historic town of Westin, amazing parks, lots of pubs and little restaurants. Nice place to walk around. I would camp here again.

  • Laura H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 28, 2020

    Walnut Grove RV Park

    Location = Price

    When we began our fulltime journey we stayed at this park for a couple of months and learned a lot about it. The management team was very friendly and would often disclose a lot about what was happening at the park. The park was in need of some improvements but it was clean and nice. The spaces are very tight in the travelers section and more spread out in the long term section. Many sites in the park were occupied by storage and the owners never showed up. To walk your dogs at the little park at night, you had to walk through there area. We called this the storage lot. The out of state contractors often had many loud and drunk guests which was obnoxious. They often harassed females walking their dogs to the park through the narrow street, and they were in the back section.

    They had reasonable rates when we first stayed there ($40/night for in the city and $500/month). Now it is much more expensive, one night for our rig is $76 according to their website.

    We never felt like it was genuinely part of the RV Community, it was more of a stop through or people were staying in the area for a job or to finish a house. It didn’t house many fulltime RVers that would continue traveling. They love to host NASCAR fans and know they are one of the closest parks to the Speedway.

    Ammenities: Laundry Small Store Showers/Restroom Facilities Little dog park on the north end. Occasional BBq They were putting in Google Fiber internet when we stayed there in 2017 so I’m not sure if they completed it. Dump Propane Trash Mail

    This location was the closest to our family’s homes so we have stayed there three times all together. There is a lot to do nearby and the main draw of this RV Park is definitely the location. You’re not far from downtown Kansas City, and still in the suburbs of Kansas City.

  • Debbie S.
    May. 30, 2021

    Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA

    Great family campground and awesome dog park!

    It’s not the best I’ve ever been to, but it’s a as great family campground with beautiful views. We travel with two adorable rescues and appreciated the awesome dog park where they could run a bit. The restrooms are adequate and clean. Views are beautiful as you will see for yourself. Would definitely return. Tastes are $56-60

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 3, 2019

    Topeka / Capital City KOA

    More KOA Gravel

    Another KOA that just loves gravel! The road in is paved, but there is gravel (and dust) everywhere else. There is also very little shade - so is was hot in July! There is a nice, but small, salt water swimming pool that was refreshing after driving 8 hours. And a small dog park. There is a small store/ gift shop with basics. The shower/bathroom was clean.

  • Jayme J.
    May. 29, 2019

    Walnut Grove RV Park

    Friendly staff

    We made a last minute decision and decided to stay somewhere near KC after a long cross country trip. With it being Memorial Day weekend, we new it would be hard to find a place that would allow a same day reservation. Mark and Kyle at Walnut Grove could not have been more friendly and accommodating when we called to try to reserve a spot.

    When we arrived, the staff flagged us in and showed us to our site. There was free WiFi, clean restrooms, and a nice little shop. Our site had a 50amp hookup for electric, and water/sewer. There is also a small area for dogs to run around in, while I wouldn’t consider it a true “dog park”, it still was nice to have a designated area to take your dog.

    The most negative thing about this place is that the sites are right on top of each other. I would estimate about 6 feet separated our camper from the RV next to us. For the price to stay here, I would have liked a little more room/privacy, and a few more options for things to do within the campground.

    If it weren’t for the super cool staff, I’d probably rate this location with fewer stars. It worked great as a short term stay, but in my opinion it’s not a place I’d want to stay for several days/nights.


Guide to Tonganoxie

Camping areas near Tonganoxie are situated within the rolling Glaciated Region of northeastern Kansas, with elevations ranging from 850-1,100 feet. The region features a humid continental climate with hot summers regularly exceeding 90°F and cold winters. Most primitive campsites in this area have limited facilities and no drinking water, so campers must bring their own supplies.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Leavenworth Kansas State Fishing Lake offers multiple shoreline spots around its 160-acre water body. "This is a small remote lake of about 160 acres water area. A county road takes you through the area and across the dam. There are gravel pull off areas and a lakeside gravel road," notes John G., who visited in spring 2024.

Hiking trails: Clinton State Park features multiple trails through wooded areas and around the lake. "The park is awesome, spacious sites and level. The park is well taken care of and very easy to get to from I70. Lots of wildlife, hiking, and beautiful lake," says Dan M., who stayed for a road trip.

Archery practice: Several parks offer dedicated archery facilities for target practice. "Rolling hills and lots of green with many trails and recreational facilities including more unusual things like archery. Lake is surprisingly big, good wildlife and birding," explains Amber A. about Woodridge Park.

What campers like

Secluded lakefront sites: Many campers appreciate waterfront camping spots. "We stayed here October 2024 in the Worthington loop and by far it has been our favorite site. HUGE lot that backs up to a small cove for easy fishing and kayak access," shares Jessica H. about Slough Creek-Perry Lake.

Clean facilities: Well-maintained campgrounds receive positive feedback. "This is a lovely campsite but we'll sadly never stay here again - because trains passed by really loudly all night long - it finally stopped at about 5am," reports LauraJane B. about Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA.

Convenient locations: Walnut Grove RV Park offers proximity to urban attractions. "I like the location it's close to where I was working and close to downtown so lots of things to do in the area. The Wi-Fi is working well as I am working online from this location," explains Bob M., who stayed in 2021.

What you should know

Train noise: Several campgrounds experience frequent train disturbances. "This is a good KOA but the trains run ALL NIGHT long. I only go to KOA if I am camping with the kids. It is worth the price if only because of the clean bathrooms and kid friendly activities," says Darius C.

Limited shade: Many sites lack adequate tree cover. "The tent sites are small for the tenters and there is little to no shade," notes Myron C. about Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA.

Primitive conditions: Most state fishing lakes have basic amenities only. "The pit toilet is not well maintained. Not suitable for larger vehicles," warns John G. about Leavenworth Kansas State Fishing Lake.

Tips for camping with families

Look for campground activities: Find dog friendly campgrounds near Tonganoxie that offer entertainment for children. "It's not the best I've ever been to, but it's a great family campground with beautiful views. We travel with two adorable rescues and appreciated the awesome dog park where they could run a bit," shares Debbie S.

Consider splash options: During hot summer months, water access becomes important. "Camped at the Oak Campsite with some friends. Great place for those looking for a site away from the crowds with minimal amenities. Fresh water supply and clean bathrooms as well as a fire pit w/grill, charcoal grill and lantern pole made for a comfortable night," explains Evan K. about Bloomington East-Clinton Lake.

Plan for weather challenges: The region experiences significant temperature fluctuations. "We stayed here one night and wished we had booked a longer trip. The park is awesome, spacious sites and level. The park is well taken care of and very easy to get to from I70. The staff were very friendly and helpful," says Dan M. about Prairie Clover Campground.

Tips from RVers

Reserve waterfront RV sites: Pet-friendly camping options with water views are popular. "About a 10 minute drive to town, but a perfect spot in the country. Very well maintained park with a beautiful view of the pond right out the door!" reports Adam D. about Suncatcher Lake Campground.

Be prepared for tight spacing: Many RV parks maximize capacity with limited site spacing. "The spaces are very tight in the travelers section and more spread out in the long term section. Many sites in the park were occupied by storage and the owners never showed up," explains Laura H. about Walnut Grove RV Park.

Confirm hookup availability: Services vary significantly between campgrounds near Tonganoxie. "We had water and electric but no sewer, which was a little bit of a pain. However there are full hookup sites, just none available. I would definitely plan a longer trip next time," suggests Dan M. about Clinton State Park.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Tonganoxie, KS?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Tonganoxie, KS is Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA with a 3.9-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Tonganoxie, KS?

TheDyrt.com has all 84 dog-friendly camping locations near Tonganoxie, KS, with real photos and reviews from campers.