Constructed in the mid 1970's Clinton State Park is one of Kansas' newest state park operations. Located on the north shore of beautiful Clinton Lake Clinton State Park is one of the state's premier recreation areas. Over 1/2 million visitors each year enjoy modern amenities and the natural beauty of the 1500 acre park available 12 months of the year. The park is managed to support a variety of outdoor activities. Extensively developed areas support day use activities such as hiking and mountain biking, archery, sand volleyball and swimming. Campsites offer 2 levels of service, primitive camping and sites with two utilities for RV services. Two full service cabins have been added to the compliment of park amenities available to the public with plans to add five more in the spring of 2012. In keeping with KDWPT mission statement large areas in the park are managed and maintained as wildlife habitat and natural prairie areas. The park and its amenities offer an excellent opportunity for residents and non-resident visitors to experience the utmost in the outdoors of Kansas.  
   
The park is near three large Kansas population centers; Topeka, the state capital of Kansas twenty (20) miles to the west, Lawrence, home of Kansas University four (4) miles to the east and Kansas City thirty (30) miles to the east. This central location creates a demand for a variety of diverse recreational opportunities. To meet these ever changing demands special use amenities have been developed and refined over the years. These amenities include an extensive multi-use trail system designed for hiking and mountain biking, a specialized bicycle skills course, cross country ski trail, disc golf and an outdoor archery range. Other high use aspects of the park is the participation in more traditional camping, picnicking and fishing activities by residents and non-residents alike.   
   
 Another noteworthy compliment to the park's amenities is the privately owned and operated marina. The Clinton Lake Marina is one of the newest and largest marina operations on any of Kansas' lakes. During the past ten years the marina's popularity has increased exponentially. In keeping with these increasing demands the operation has grown in both the services offered and the overall physical size of the facility. The operation is a fine addition to park that provides the utmost in recreational and retail opportunities to the park patrons.   
   
The park provides 379 hard surfaced campsites located in two campgrounds available all year. Offering "Primitive Camping", "Utility Campsites" with water and electricity, larger "Prime Sites" with 50amp electric service and "Long Term" campsites available for up to 6 months of uninterrupted stay there's something for every level of camping enthusiast.   
   
 The full service cabins are located near, but not too near the regular campgrounds. Camp Creek and Chicken Creek cabins sit atop a high bluff overlooking Clinton Reservoir with a view as far as the eye can see. From the front porch the vistas are stunning; as miles of rugged timbered shoreline roll on beautiful sunsets illuminate a western skyline with Clinton Lake's solitary "Pelican Island" centered in this breathtaking view. Faux log siding, a large sitting porch and concrete parking and patio areas come together to create a homey yet rustic appeal. The spacious three room air conditioned and heated cabins offer all the amenities necessary for a comfortable stay. Accommodations include a full service eat in kitchen, 3/4 bath and master bedroom. With the added pull down twin "Murphy bed" and fold out futon bed, the cabin comfortably sleeps six people. All you'll need to complete the experience are your linens, bed pillows and bath towels.

You must be 18 or older to rent a cabin or campsite.  
CLINTON STATE PARK IS A FULL 24 HOUR ACCESS FACILITY

- Subject to regulations and posted notices, any individual over 21 may possess, consume, or drink alcoholic liquor. Kegs and party balls are strictly prohibited.
- Any motorized vehicles must purchase and display a valid state park vehicle permit. Electric and gas powered scooters and skateboards cannot be operated in the state park. ATV use is prohibited in the state park.
- Camping is allowed only in designated areas and is subject to restrictions as posted. All campers and camping units are limited to a stay of not more than 14 consecutive days although a 14-day extension may be obtained with written permission from the park manager. A five-day absence is required before returning to the park to camp again. Any property left unused or unoccupied for 48 hours is subject to removal. Only one camper/RV per utility site is allowed.
- Fires are allowed in fireplaces, fire rings, and cooking grills only. Fires must be completely extinguished prior to leaving the area.
- Swimming is allowed in designated areas. Liquor and beer are prohibited on swimming beaches or in waters designated by buoys or other markers as swimming areas. For other beverages, only shatterproof containers are allowed.
- Pets must always be restrained by a camper, cage, hand-held leash, or tethered chain no longer than 10 feet. They are not allowed on swimming beaches or swimming areas that are delineated by buoys or other markers or in public buildings or structures. Dogs participating in authorized activities or assisting the visually or hearing impaired are not subject to these restrictions.
- A special event permit is required check with the park office for details.
- Fishing is prohibited on boat ramps, courtesy docks, swimming beaches, and in swimming areas marked with buoys. In state parks, fish may only be cleaned at designated fish cleaning stations or other locations as posted.
- Boats may not be operated within 200 feet of any area posted specifically for swimming and delineated by markers. No-wake speeds are required within 200 feet of a boat ramp, boat dock. Vessels left unattended at courtesy docks are subject to removal.
- Fireworks are prohibited.
- Litter must be put in trash containers, if provided. Where containers are not provided, park users must carry their trash out with them. 
- Digging holes, removing or defacing geological formations, archeological relics or ruins, or vegetation is prohibited.
- Quiet hours are 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Actions which alarm, anger, or disturb others are prohibited. Generators can not be used during quiet hours. Failure to comply may result in expulsion from the park.
- Firearms may only be discharged in areas specifically designated for hunting or target practice.
- DUMPING OF GREY WATER IS PROHIBITED. Grey water must be disposed of at the dump station.
- Trails are open during daylight hours only. No camping, fires, or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. Use caution when crossing roadways.
- Cabin renters may check in after 3:00pm and check out by Noon everyday, year round. Smoking is not allowed in cabins. Pets and pet carriers are not allowed inside or on the porches of cabins. Cabin renters are not allowed to grill or cook from the porch deck. The cabin must be clean prior to departure. Cabin renters shall be responsible for full payment of any damages incurred during the length of stay. Damages will be billed to the renter for payment. Contact the Park Office 785/842-8562 for Key Entry Code 48 hours in advance of your reservation.
- This is not a complete list of regulations. Complete regulations can be viewed and printed at [ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Park-Regulations](https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Park-Regulations).\*\*

Prairie Clover Campground — Clinton State Park

Join the fun near Lawrence. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Lawrence. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Kansas camping adventure.

Lawrence

The Best Camping Near Lawrence, Kansas

My husband and I got eaten alive by mosquitoes within a minute of getting it of our car. Needed to use the restroom and there was no toilet seat, the place looked and smelled disgusting, and it was simply unusable. I will not be back.

Probably would not go back

Rolling hills and lots of green with many of trails and recreational facilities including more unusual things like archery. Lake is surprisingly big, good wildlife and birding. Popular place for bike and road races, that’s what brought us here. Camp sites have pretty trees but most sites aren’t so shady. Also has cabins. 


Especially nice state park with more activities 

The potential is there as the lake is a pretty lake.  The problem is that most if not all of the campgrounds are so fare removed from a view of the lake, you might as well be in a random pasture.  

The campgrounds are clean, safe and well maintained.  Just not very pretty.  

Just not very scenic

Clinton is somewhat close to us, so that is its big pull for us. The biggest pull for me is stopping in Lawrence on the way home. Lawrence is a college town with great restaurants and shops. Clinton had great views, questionable bathrooms, however. Depending on when you go, you may get rowdy college kids nearby. We always find ourselves going back for the convenience.

Could be better

Not bad, but Clinton is just not very rural place in general. No much of a view in this spot eather

Not very rural

Lots of spots to choose from. Can be packed, especially on holiday weekends. I usually come here with larger groups of people or to test out new gear since it's the closest to my house. Campground 1 is definitely the best area. Lots of easily accessible trails, but water views are non existent and water access is not close.

Easy car camping 

If you enjoy no privacy and camping on top of your neighbor, look no further! If you the your dogs like we do, expect to keep them tied up on a short line and for the park rangers to come check every few hours. For a place with issues of bodies in the lake and homeless squatters, strange for rangers top consistently come into other campsites to check on illegal activity. We tried to go swimming once and was met with piles of dead fish on the swimming beach. Plus side, it's close and bathrooms are clean.

 subpar

I stayed at the free site a ways from the lake called Woodbridge public use area and the hiking trail that connected this spot to the lake was killer as well as the campground was beautiful I camped in the rain for 2 of the 3 nights I stayed here and it was still a very very enjoyable experience and it FREE!!

WOW!

Had a large family gathering here. crowded but clean and fun. 

Been a Couple of Years

We love this campsite, especially in the off months! We always get a great private campsite, but I can see where in more popular months, it can get crowded! Bathrooms are clean, dog friendly! Hiking trails are great too!

Great place to camp, off season! 

It's good for kids because it has a field and a playground. Some primitive sites do NOT have a fire pit. Bathrooms are bug filled. Even the showers that close all the way. Some campers look like they live there.

Lots of primative and camper sites. Big Field for playing.

Weird campsites, not enough trees, super loud at night due to traffic, the lake is disgusting and we ended up leaving after one night. Would never return. 

Would not recommend   

Free dispersed camping at camp area 3. Showers have warm water. Very muggy in the summer. 

Not bad

Overall it’s a very nice park, close to the lake and lots of space.  The biggest drawback is some pretty poorly maintained showers &amp; bathrooms.  The larger shower houses were fine but the satellite vaulted toilets looked like they hadn’t been swept in a few years.  If you’re an rv camper who showers in your rig it’s a great place, if your a tent camper be ready for some ick.

A weekend away

Another great state park.  Stayed in camp ground 1 in the off season so wasn’t too packed but it was busy. 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.  Plenty of distance between campers.  The gravel pads and paved roads made it very easy to get into spot and set up.  The park had all the amenities and not too far a drive from town for supplies if needed.   In addition to a number of hiking trails, they had a disk golf course and an archery range.  The park has a day use fee of $5 a day per vehicle which is independent from the state camping fee.  But they offered me an annual pass (calendar year) of $25 for the day use. 

Roomy park

Good shade. Well maintained and good sized spots. We’ve also rented cabins which are nice. 

Good for a quick weekend

Sites are nicely spacious. Stayed on site 141 and it had much room and privacy.  Bathrooms were clean most of the time except late Saturday  I guess most people back from their activities and lots of use but overall site camp was great. U can see deers along the way too  and the hiking trails are nice view of a creek but make sure u take hiking boots as some spots are very muddy 

Nice and clean campground 

I was having a difficult time finding a campground with availability on our way back from Colorado since we were leaving on the Sunday before Memorial Day. We decided to stay a couple of extra days and we found sites available at this one. There are two separate campgrounds at Clinton State Park, and we stayed at campground 1. We checked in with the camp host since the office was already closed. We asked for water, electricity, and somewhere close to the bath house. I guess two out of three aren’t bad. The bath house that we were closest to was closed for the season. The open one was at least two hundred yards away. Getting up in the middle of the night, we decided to drive to it in the dark. We didn’t understand why we couldn’t get a site closer to one of the open bath houses since there were several available sites. Another disappointment was that with all of the recent rain, we had a huge puddle separating our pull-through from our picnic table and fire pit. Again, we should have asked for another site. Other than those two disappointments, it was a really good campground, especially for being a state park. The individual toilet/showers were spacious and very clean. There was shade at some of the campsites, and there were open fields for kids to play in. Although the playground was small, there were other things to do. There was a disc golf course, an archery range, hiking trails, and the lake. The lake is large, and there is a place to launch boats, canoes, kayaks, jet skis, etc. At another part of the lake, there is a huge marina for larger boats. Bering in such a remote area, you don’t have to worry about the sounds of traffic. Overall, Clinton State Park is a place you can stay where there is plenty to do. Although there is no swimming pool, other activities previously mentioned should keep you busy.

Large State Park with Many Types of Camping

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!

Big and Beautiful!

My husband and I pulled into this campground around 7 pm and didn’t have a reservation.  The instructions at the self pay were confusing, as the directions made it sound like you needed a reservation but when we talked to the campground host she said we could just pay at the permit office in the morning.  We stayed in Campground 1 in one of the primitive sites.  There were many sites to choose from even through there were quite a few campers here during the middle of the week.  It was a bit of a hike to the water but the bathrooms were clean and had single room toilets with showers. Beautiful area with lots of wildlife!

Great for an overnight stop!

The campsite was okay. It was a busy weekend and we were not in a preferred spot, but it was wooded. The ranger at the gate was horrid. He was rude, yelled at each person coming through. He was especially annoyed at me for wearing a mask. He wasn’t and was within 3 feet. Lawrence is a college town with high rates of covid across the campus. He is talking one on one with these kids several times a day! He seriously grabbed my phone out of my hand when I asked him not to. The dump station has pooling sewer water and the water was not working. The park lacks maintenance, and it could be cut backs due to covid. Clinton lake it nice, but beware if heading out for camping.

UPDATE--I ended up with Covid a week later. Pretty sure it was my interaction with the park ranger that did it.

Rude Ranger at Gate and dump station disgusting

Staying 2 weeks and couldn't have been more pleased! Website is little to no help unless visiting in peak season, but the camp hosts and park rangers are the tops. Visiting in non peak is as easy as driving in, finding a spot and paying your fees. Full bath houses, disc golf, archery range, a d an abundance of hiking all around the camps. 

Solid large state park, great hikes

This park has undergone some improvements with Prairie Clover Camping Loop {#1} showers and bathrooms clean and newly painted; dump sites and lagoons redone. Electrical sites sold out weekends so mid week may be your best bet. Patsy welcomed us at the gate and was the camp host. Part-time Employee Dianna and her husband Randy with their little dog Sprocket were fantastic in helping us getting our campsite. We ended up in the primitive loop in the trees overlooking the Clinton Marina inlet #60 which was only one without table and fire rings (didn’t need them for our first dry run camp). Saw eagles, turkey vultures, and possible osprey.

Clean, neighborly & refurbished 

Easy access, many spots, bathroom that locks, with shower. A loop of camping spots surrounded by trees.  Nothing to complain about. 
People were friendly. 


Nice 

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. 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. Lots of wildlife, hiking, and beautiful lake.

Excellent Park

Nice weather on that day to cook out nearby the beach, and fishing at the lake. Not the cleanest spot but had to clean it with water and soap on the tables. There is trails to sightseeing and can be used with bikes as well. Five dollars for day permit.

A day trip

Campgrounds are laid out well, but it can get loud at night. The park rangers have their hands full and they do a good job with settling disputes and quieting the rowdy campers.

Good campground

I was there for a few days on business and didn't maximize fun time. It was clean. I didn't use the facilities. I'd stay here again and explore. I was up against the lake. The front check-in person was nice.

A nice campsite for a few days

We stayed a week at Clinton State Park’s campground  at site 92 in the middle of July with our two dogs. 

Pros:
The park itself is very big so the sites were pretty big which is always a big plus. Sites come with a picnic table and a fairly large fire ring which we unfortunately never got to enjoy because we were here during a heat wave (100+ almost every day). 
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. There’s also a marina and boat ramps for anyone who has a boat, which we sadly did not. 
Of course, it’s important to mention this was one of the most affordable places we’ve ever stayed, granted, it was with a non sewer site but still.

Cons:
The check-in situation was not very good. We received our site number upon reservation but we didn’t receive any instructions on when and where to check-in or if anyone would even be there to check us in. We also weren’t aware we’d have to pay for a parking pass for both our RV and towed vehicle which is normally $5/day but since we were there 7 days they gave us the annual passes which came out to $50 total for both vehicles.
This one obviously most likely just has to do with the time of year we were here and it’s out of the park’s control but there were SO MANY BUGS especially at night. We hung our outside string lights like normal and, as you’ll see in the photos, they were absolutely swarmed with bugs. We’ve never seen so many bugs in one place, not even close. 
We also, as mentioned above, stayed at a W/E only site in the Prairie Clover Campground and each campground only has one dump station (2 total for the whole park) and the one for ours was closed for construction, which we were not made aware of, so we had to drive a pretty good distance to take our honey pot to the only one that was open. 
The bathrooms/showers were extremely hot because of no ventilation, had a lot of bugs, and the showers only give you one temperature and one pressure level, neither of which were great, and the lights in both are on a sensor and they went off within about 5 minutes of being in there and no matter how much you motioned it wouldn’t come back on so you’re stuck showering in the dark. 
Lastly, our Verizon service wasn’t very good, only about 2 bars of LTE. We both work full time remotely so this was concerning but luckily with our jet pack connected to an antenna we were able to get around 3 bars of LTE which was enough for us to work off of.

Overall:
This is a nice, affordable state park/campground overall, not exactly the prettiest but it’s big and offers big sites and a large lake you can enjoy. It would have been much more enjoyable to stay during a cooler time of the year when there wasn’t so many bugs and on a site that had sewer (a non sewer site was our choice to be fair) so you didn’t have to worry about the dump station situation. Also not having wi-fi or great phone service was inconvenient but we had enough to make it work. We don’t plan to spend a whole lot of time in Kansas but if we came back through anytime that’s not spring or summer we’d definitely consider staying here again.

Big, affordable sites but lots of bugs

It was busy and noisy up until quiet hours, super family friendly, the camp sites are quite large and spread apart. The showers &amp; bathrooms were nice! Many spots to choose from, we were lucky to grab one with tree cover making it feel like we were really out in nature. Lovely park and campground. 

Easy Camping, For Our First Time

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.

Relaxing Car/Tent Camping Spot

Camped out at site 13 for a real peaceful Saturday. Half of our group took the trail and hiked to the campsite, the other half got there by kayak/paddleboard. The site was very secluded and had a very interesting layout. Lots of hammock tree setups too. 

Only real issue we had was there wasn’t a lot of flat ground. The tents we pitched were pretty close to the fire, and the biggest patch of flat ground was down wind from the fire. 

Peaceful

Nice park in a beautiful setting. Only downside was the bugs were horrible here. Swarms of gnats and mosquitoes. The bathrooms were pretty dated too. 

Lots of dry sites we liked. Stayed 6 nights through the weekend as a first come first serve basis. As such we found it difficult to understand the Kansas State park booking and permits system.  You can buy day or yearly permits. You can book online a minimum of 2 days in advance with reserve America. The best shower/bath room is near the entrance to prairie clover in the SE corner. Some of the doors are hard to lock, the drains are plugged. It's really hit and miss. Katie in the park office saved us as newbies. There's a camp host at Prairie Clover campground.

Photos of Prairie Clover Campground — Clinton State Park

Real photos from real campers