Established Camping
Buffalo Grass — Wilson State Park
About
State Park
Wilson Lake
Located along the Post Rock Scenic Byway about 5 miles north of I-70, west of K-232
Located in the heart of the Smoky Hills, Wilson State Park is considered by many to be the most beautiful in the state. Wilson Reservoir features a rugged shoreline punctuated by scenic cliffs and rocky outcrops. The park and surrounding wildlife area offer the opportunity to view and photograph deer, pheasant, waterfowl, songbirds, and furbearers.
Wilson Reservoir offers excellent white bass and striped bass angling. The Cedar Trail in the Otoe area is a one-mile loop with a concrete surface and is great for a leisurely, low-stress walk. The 24.5-mile long Switchgrass Bike Trail is popular with mountain bikers to pursue this challenging activity.
Wilson Wildlife Area is located on the upper end of 9,000 acre Wilson Reservoir. The 8,069-acre public hunting area is made up of 5,000 acres of rugged rolling hills of native prairie, approximately 2,000 acres of cropland, and 1,000 acres of riparian timber along the Saline River, Cedar Creek, Turkey Creek, and Elm Creek. The area has a waterfowl refuge that was established in 1996.
The park offers both utility and primitive camping. Utility sites are open year-round. Water hookups and shower buildings are available April through September. Frost-free water hydrants and several toilets are open through the winter. For RV users, the park has three dump stations - two in Hell Creek and one in Otoe. Selected sites can be reserved for a fee through the park office or reserveamerica.com. Available on a firstcome, first-serve basis, these sites are reservable starting mid-December for the following year
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiGood
- VerizonAvailable
- AT&TGood
- T-MobileGood
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Dispersed
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Showers
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Sewer Hookups
- Big Rig Friendly
Two Wonderful Stays
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.
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Location
Buffalo Grass — Wilson State Park is located in Kansas
Address
3 State Park Road
Sylvan Grove, KS 67481
Coordinates
38.92204151 N
98.50651182 W