Best Tent Camping near Vassar, KS

Recent Tent Reviews near Vassar, Kansas

309 Reviews of 15 Vassar Campgrounds

• 

  Kristen

  Guide

  

  Sep. 23, 2021

  Coeur D'alene

  Nice

  Neat and peaceful place. Well maintained! Boat ramps, RV hookups, benches, shelter areas, bathrooms, showers, tent camping, beach and more!

• 

  Robin R.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 11, 2018

  Outlet

  Perfect for fishing

  Camped here many times. Even before had camper and was still tent camping. Great fishing not far. Boat ramp close. Have left boat in water on bank.

• r

  rick K.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 6, 2023

  Pony Express RV Park LLC

  An Outstanding RV Park

  100 glorious acres. A little rustic but beautiful. Pull-Through and Back-In sites. MOST shave Electric, Water and Sewer. Tent Sites are available. Terri Karper is a wonderful Hostess.

• 

  JC C.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 30, 2018

  Adam's Grove

  Tent campsites at Adam's Grove

  The name of this site is Adam's Grove.

  • 30 tent sites with no hookups
  • $6 fee per site
  • Boat ramp

  Adam's Grove does provide the closet boat ramp if you plan on picking up passengers off the beach near the dam (at Michigan Valley Park).

• J

  Jason B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 30, 2018

  Bloomington East - Clinton Lake

  Great area in the middle of nowhere

  This campground is on the northwest side of Clinton Lake.  All the activities one would associate with a lake like boat ramps, beach, hiking/biking trails, full hook-up sites, tent camping, playgrounds, etc.  The small town of Clinton is nearby and has a small store for items you may forget.  It's our go to when we go to Clinton Lake.

• 

  Christina H.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 23, 2021

  Eisenhower State Park Campground

  Primitive camping was small and exposed, but fun

  The fivestar loop is decent for tent camping. The sites were fairly small and jammed next to each other, and half of them didn't have great tree cover, but they all have a nice firepit and picnic table.  It was super duper windy off of the lake for us, so be ready for wind.  Bathrooms were nice and clean and the staff were very nice.

• 

  NANCY L.

  Scout

  

  May. 24, 2019

  Clinton State Park Campground

  Clinton State Park Campground #3

  We have tent camped here often. Most of the sites are spacious. It's not unusual to find a site with no neighbors. The campground is uphill from the lake but the are hiking trails to the lake as well as other trails around the park. Vault toilets and flush toilets with showers are available. They could be better maintained. Overall it is a nice quiet campground for a quick getaway. Also, very close to Lawrence.

• J

  Jane U.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 17, 2021

  Topeka / Capital City KOA

  Overnight stay

  We used our motorcycle tent trailer. They were kind enough to let us stay in a tent site which was actually by their ponds. It had electric and a light with a switch which was perfect because we arrived just after sundown. I was able to setup my outdoor kitchen and cook without fumbling with a flashlight. The facilities were nice and clean. The main building is a refurbished old barn which was very cool!

• 

  Juliana H.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 19, 2020

  Clinton State Park Campground

  Big and Beautiful!

  This campground has it all! Plenty of sites with both shade and sunshine. Big sites for big RVs as well as some perfect hidden little tent sites. You can also rent cabins if you please. Close access to trails and disc golf, plenty of bathrooms, picnic shelters, and gorgeous prairie views! It was a rainy day, but that didn’t stop me from loving it!

• 

  Dyle K.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 13, 2020

  Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA

  Nice stop with amenities

  I’m in my 30s traveling solo and this stop was a great place to regroup and take advantage of their amenities like shower, laundry, etc. The bathrooms were clean and the staff was very friendly. If you are traveling with kids this is a terrific place to stop because there are lots of things to keep kids busy like a playground and pool. The sites aren’t very private and road noise from the nearby highway can be heard throughout the night if you’re tent camping but it didn’t really bother me.

  • Dyle

  IG @addressnomad

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• J

  Jason B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 30, 2018

  Woodridge - Clinton Lake

  Primitive camping along Clinton Lake

  This is a neat area if you're into some light hiking.  It has a loop trail starting at a parking area.  You can also tent camp at the trailhead.  It has a pit toilet and water access.  The trail is maybe 4-5 miles long and takes you up and down some slight grades.  There are numerous primitive campsites along the trail that are marked, or you can venture off to your own site within the area.  Many are directly up against the lake.  The marked sites are relatively cleared and many people have improved them by building benches, fire pits, etc.  My son and I had a great time the 2x we've been out here.

• 

  Lee G.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 24, 2019

  Kelley City Park

  Great little city park

  This is the only park we could find. But it’s great. There are 45 RV sites here and about 8 I think have electric and water. A dump station is here too. The remaining sites are water only and are good for tent camping as well. Gravel and paved sites for water and electric. We had finished eating dinner and noticed a car sitting down the driveway so my dog and I circled around behind the car and discovered it was a police car. We spoke to the officer and he said they keep a close watch on the park because it’s safe and they want to keep it that way. Cost is $10 per night and there’s a registration drop box at the entrance.

• 

  Janice O.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 5, 2020

  Crappie Cove Campground

  Pretty view

  This is not a campsite I will go back to. When we drove into the park and paid the entrance fee, we were told to find a place that wasn't occupied then go get a tag from the host. We found a site and started getting our stuff out of the car and pretty soon the campground host came by and told us we had to leave. She assigned campsites when people drove in, which is not what we were told. After telling her we wouldn't leave, she left, then came back and said we could stay. 

  The campground itself was pretty, but a lot of people in RV's (we tent camp) who were there to fish and party, so I thought it was noisy.

• 

  Alyssa S.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 24, 2020

  Mill creek campground

  Trains at night but huge lots

  We were tent camping and they out us by the river and it was wonderful. They have huge lots and very friendly service. Breakfast can be purchased and is brought to your campsite! A con was the bright lights from the center of the site; enough to keep us up but not enough to help us see at night while setting up. Another was the very, very loud train that blows its horn everytime it passes late at night (around 12am), in the middle of the night (2:30am-ish) and very early morning (maybe 5am?). I was so exhausted that I needed to sleep another few hours after checkout; luckily, I wasn't driving, so if you are, you might be tired by 11am checkout if you don't sleep early enough to account for the times you're woken up by the train a few times through the night.

• 

  Leni K.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 7, 2024

  Clinton State Park Campground

  Relaxing Car/Tent Camping Spot

  Pros Off-season was quiet Open bathrooms were nice and well kept. Easy access to trails Lots of wildlife, vultures, deer, etc. Well marked and plenty of them spots Marina was a quick bike ride away and had a lot to offer during the season. Primate loops had some good spacing and tree cover, along with views of the lake. Inner loops not so much Potable water available year round. Was drinkable.

  Cons Signs marked closed bathrooms but not the closest open bathrooms. One per campsite was still open with heat and electric. Weirdly all vaults were closed Office and hosts were unavailable so we had to leave for Casey's for firewood. While before the season, someone told us it's typically impossible to get firewood because the office is usually closed. Signs to the entrance to park and n avigation were pretty small, impossible to read at night, not lit. Electric parking pass only issued one day pass at a time. Would do the paper pass across the parking lot next time. Spacing is definitely a bit crowded for tent camping privacy this time of year. Will be curious to see how it feels in the summer/fall.

• 

  Myron C.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 1, 2021

  Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA

  Campground Too Close to the Railroad Tracks

  Most KOA campgrounds I have been to are exceptional with great sites for all types of camping. However, there are a couple of them that have one or two sites that leave you scratching your head. We were supposed to camp at site 18, but it was not level and had tire ruts all the way to the back of the site. There was nowhere to set up our tent without it being uncomfortable throughout the night. With that said, we moved over to site 19, which was level. The tent sites are small for the tenters and there is little to no shade. 

  The good things about the sites are that they have water and electricity. There is even a night light and a place to charge your electronic devices. There is a fire ring but no lantern hanger. 

  The bath house is modern and up to date; however, the shower dressing area has got to be the smallest I have EVER seen at a campground. I estimated the dressing area to be about 18” x 24”. I’m not a math whiz, but even I can figure out that an average sized person would have difficulty moving around in the dressing area. 

  I might give it a higher rating if we were camping in an RV or even in our teardrop camper, but another problem was the noise. I was warned that there would be a train passing through, and the person I spoke to offered to throw in a pair of ear plugs and a night mask. Now I know why. There was a light from a nearby cabin lighting the whole tenting area, and the trains were one right behind the other… ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!! Every thirty minutes or so(could have been every twenty minutes, but I’m not sure), a train passed by. It wouldn’t be so bad, but it was LOUD!!!!!!! 

  We were on our way to Colorado, and the next time we are passing through, I will make sure to skip this campground.

• 

  Myron C.

  Legend

  

  May. 31, 2020

  Mill creek campground

  Charming Campground with Railroad History

  This is a charming little campground, and I do not use the word“charming” often. It is charming because it has so many quaint relics of the past, including the town itself. At the entrance to the campground, there is a building covered with old signs, hubcaps, etc. As a photographer, I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity begin taking pictures immediately. As we drove down the road to our campsite, we came across such oddities as a bicycle halfway up a windmill, an old original train depot with an antique threshing machine next to it, and more. The campsites are flat and fairly spacious. We were lucky that the campground was not at full capacity because many of the sites are in pairs. Our pull-through site was within inches of the adjacent pull-through site. Although there was no picnic table at our site, we could have used one on the adjacent site, and we brought our own table. The site did have a fire pit, but we arrived late and didn’t have time to worry about getting wood. There are seasonal and permanent campers at the campground, and you have to reserve early during peak seasons. I talked to one person at the campground and he said that it was booked up one time when he wanted to stay. Although the site we got was gravel and pull-through, there are sites without power by the creek, in case you want to tent camp or just don’t need hookups. The bath house was clean, and the owner told me that it is sanitized every day. The shower stalls are spacious and there is hot water. There is a playground for kids and activities for older people—basketball, corn hole, etc. The only drawback is that you can hear trains passing through during the night about three or four times. It didn’t bother me since I love the sound of trains, but it does wake you up since the tracks are so close to the campground. The town is within walking distance of the campground, and it is worth walking(or driving) to it. The buildings are interesting architecturally, and the town is known for antiques. Overall, I really liked this campground. It may not have all of the amenities of the larger campgrounds, but it is quiet(except for the trains) and peaceful.

• 

  Kayzie N.

  Scout

  

  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!!

• 

  Adira E.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2021

  Shawnee State Fishing Lake

  What a shame

  Set up my nice brand new tent on Sunday. Confiscated by Rangers on Tuesday while I was at work. My animals were sent to the Humane Society & sterilized. (Breeder meat rabbits). They claimed they had the authority to enter the tent to see if anyone was sick or dead. My name & phone number were inside the tent. The tent was returned but not put back up. My animals were not returned. 10 days after, 2 rangers opened & entered my tent AFTER being told by another camper that I had been there & had gone to work. Another tent was clearly abandoned, ratty & in a clearly marked no camping zone. The left it for 8 days, falling down & unsightly. Other campers left/leave gross amounts of trash, a sleeping bag on a smoldering campfire... Litter (including feminine products), liquor bottles & fishing lines & hooks are left all over the lake fishing & camp sites. No rangers. The good ones are kept busy elsewhere & the bad ones - - ? Really sad. It's such a beautiful & sometimes peaceful lake.

• M

  Mark R.

  Traveler

  

  May. 20, 2018

  Russel Crites - Hillsdale State Park

  Clean but vey corprate camping

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

• J

  Joyce R.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 28, 2021

  COE John Redmond Reservoir Riverside East

  Quiet campsite along the Neosho River

  Northwest of Burlington, Kansas, you'll find a quiet campsite along the east side of the Neosho River, just below the John Redmond Reservoir Dam.

• 

  Holly H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 19, 2022

  Lake Shawnee County Campground

  Great Lake views

  Beautiful lake and great sunset. Tent spots are on gravel so bring a very good sleeping pad

• 

  Carly H.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 23, 2019

  Woodridge Park

  Great!

  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 had a great experience here right up until the last morning when a hobo that was sleeping in his tent there decided to knock on our tent at 6 am wondering if we stole his wet wood from outside his tent. And YES he indeed was homeless because he told us himself and then shortly after that said he was drunk as well. We got up and started packing to leave as we were talking to him because we felt we were in danger. Told the man to leave several times and he didn’t even want to step away from our site. Over all was a good place but just anywhere you go keep an eye on others around you and definitely bring protection, people are CRAZY!

• 

  Wesley S.

  Scout

  

  May. 5, 2021

  Russel Crites - Hillsdale State Park

  Great campsite

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

• a

  april W.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 15, 2021

  Pony Express RV Park LLC

  Beautiful grounds

  Owner is great. Open year round. In the country but a short trip to a small town or an hour to Kansas City.

• 

  Pat T.

  Traveler

  

  May. 8, 2020

  Kansas City West-Lawrence KOA

  Nice quiet park

  We missed a KOA in Kansas City because of construction. Went to Lawrence KOA instead. Glad for the misfortune. The park has all you need for short or long term camping and RV trips.

• 

  West River J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 10, 2018

  North Richey Cove

  Most secluded spot around Council Grove Lake

  2 different loops with a several waterside campsites and picnic shelters alongside each. Campsites include tent pad, shelter, picnic table and either a fire pit or an elevated grill. There is also water access that you can drop your boat into thats just adjacent for main Richey Cove campground's beach. Tent only camping allows you to get some quiet time in the out doors as its one of the least frequented of the campsites around the lake and the farthest north.