Phillips Lake State Recreation Area

We stopped here on our way back from Colorado to the east coast in our camper van. We arrived in the dark which made finding a good spot difficult. There are a lot of ruts in the roads which made getting around somewhat difficult. Highly recommend 4WD and a higher chassis. It's also not a great place for trailers or long rigs. We eventually found a small mowed field to camp in (see map). Exploration during the daylight offered a better site near the water (see map). It is a beautiful space but there were a LOT of bugs at night in the high grasses and it feels pretty remote. We drove surrounded by corn fields for miles before even getting there.

Takeaways:

• DO NOT attempt if muddy or raining a lot unless you are experienced with getting out of muddy areas.
• Recommend 4WD, no trailers, and no long rigs
• Be careful with lights inside and screens if you arrive at night or you will end up with a vehicle full of small bugs

Decent spot to stop at if you want a little more secluded sleep than the walmart in Lexington. Did a quick overnight car camp on the way to CO/UT and had no issues. Road right up to the sites was a hard pack clay road decently uneven and tight, big rigs beware might not be ideal. Second site to the right coming from south is where i stayed, little hill and a spot overlooking the lake that was fine to get to in my outback. Didn’t explore at all, not sure of number or quality of other sites. Felt safe, decent amount of garbage and a firepit left from others (pack out!!). Site was pretty uneven but was able to make it work.