If you want to explore the beauty of Keyes, glamping is an excellent option. Glamping near Keyes is especially popular among campers who enjoy beds and electricity. You're sure to find glamping for your Oklahoma camping adventure.
Welcome to the Cimarron National Grassland, one of twenty National Grasslands administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Located within Morton and Stevens Counties in southwestern Kansas, the Cimarron National Grassland contains 108,175 acres.
Guide
This is a small park but has some really nice views. This is a great place to stop for a day or two as you are traveling. There is a place to see dinosaur tracks and also 3 corners (Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma). Highest point in Oklahoma, but you wouldn’t know it. When you get on top of the flats you can see for a ways! Watch for snakes on the trails but worth the early morning or late evening hike.
ScoutNice, quiet campground with good facilities! Short drive to the actual trailhead of the highest point in Oklahoma. Also, dinosaur tracks! I had zero cell service in the area, which was fantastic, but be sure to plan for it! Plan for heat and take plenty of water if you go on the High Point hike.
RangerAs Oklahoma's highest point of elevation, Black Mesa is a bucket list destination for any Okie. Well maintained campgrounds, restrooms, and amenities. Very little light pollution, so the starscapes are always beautiful. Campsites are located outside of the actual 'Black Mesa', but a short drive will get you to the trailhead. Trail is simple and easy to follow. Near the trail head is also 3-corners, and fossilized dinosaur footprints. Definitely worth a visit.
LegendLike some other reviews have said, the state park isn't at Black Mesa...just near it.
The area itself has plenty of cool things - Black Mesa, wonderful changing views, dinosaur tracks, petrified forest. Some of those things are at the state park, others are "nearish".
The campground itself - well, when I showed up I wasn't very impressed. Facilities are outdated and not well cared for. I don't blame the people working there. Probably just a funding thing, especially being so far from the population and capitol of Oklahoma. It's a shame because a lot of people pass through this corner and it might be their only impression of Oklahoma.
But friendly neighbors, great evening weather and some nice star watching despite thin clouds made me warm up to the place.
Some spots are have big nice shade trees, but with all the star watching you might actually want a spot without trees.
No Verizon service but AT&T was strong enough to FaceTime with.
Next time I come back to the area - and I hope to - I will check out camping options at some of the nearby bed and breakfasts. Would love to see the state invest a little in this camp. I don't think it would take much.
RangerI would give it 5 stars but the bathrooms weren’t very clean and there was no soap. But it does have great tent sites and lots of RV sites. Has a small playground with swings and a merry go round. A few good trails. We saw turkey and deer at the campground. Close to a few nice sites to visit. Black Mesa trail to the highest point in Oklahoma, the tri state marker, and picture canyon about an hour away in Colorado. And maybe the best part, no mosquitos!
GuideBlack Mesa State Park in the panhandle of Oklahoma. Farthest point you can go in the panhandle and it borders Colorado and New Mexico. It’s the only part of Oklahoma that’s on Mountain Time.
The park was great. We stayed in a tent but also had a trailer that we carried everything in so we were able to stay in a RV spot. We went in the summer and it was not crowded at all. Most others stayed a night or two, but we stayed 4 or 5 days. By the weekend more people were coming in. There was electric and water at our site but I don’t remember if they had sewage hookups as we didn’t use that. There are restrooms on site. The showers could have used a real good scrubbing but were usable. The park ranger maintained the grounds well. The views are gorgeous and if you get up during the night to see them, the stars you can see out there are amazing!! There are some trails to hike around the camp and even some fossilized wood. There is a lake right there too and at least one lookout spot over it which was perfect at sunset.
We hiked Black Mesa and took a trip into New Mexico to see Mount Capulin Volcano.
The park was peaceful and beautiful. Not a lot of shade trees but there were some areas in the campground that had some.
A great experience. We definitely want to go back.
Legend
The Cimarron Grassland is an amazing part of the Great Plains ecosystem and definitely worth a look when driving through the southwest corner of Kansas. It will not be what you’re expecting! The sunrises alone are worth the price of admission, which was just $7 per night.
Just off the park driving tour road, this little campground sits between small ponds in a larger wetland area within the Cimarron River. Each site is spacious with the usual picnic table, fire ring, and tent pad. Vault toilets and potable drinking water are available all year round, we just had to wait for the faucet to thaw after freezing up overnight.
The area is fantastic for bird lovers, and we watched flocks of Starlings tuck themselves into the marsh grasses for the night. Raptors, warblers, and many other bird species use the area as a fly-over stop during migration. Hiking is close by on the Sante Fe Trail which follows the original path of the old wagon trail through the plains, biking and other motorized recreational vehicles are allowed in certain areas. While the terrain might not be challenging, the sandy soil makes any long walk or ride just a little bit more difficult.
The nearby town of Elkhart affords the usual amenities for groceries, gas, and a few restaurants. The National Grassland office is also in town if you want more information about the area. Check out our blog about our time traveling through southern Kansas...and unexpected treat!
GuideNot very many spots but nice fishing at small ponds. One pond has ADA access
Small playground nearby
Hiking on flat ground
Nice when nearby Cimarron River is running
Historical sites nearby.
No store at location but access to gas groceries etc. In nearby Elkhart
ScoutHad a great time camping here in early spring. Although the night was chilly & windy, this grassland provided us a comfortable place to sleep and a very peaceful night.
ScoutCimarron National Grasslands,$7.00 per sites 10 sites(some are double sites so they call it 14 sites) all pads ar gravel, a couple are pretty level, all sites have fire ring, vaulted toilets, several water spigots according to Kansas worker they check the spigot monthly. Several Ponds some are stocked with trout in the winter a stamp is needed for the rainbow trout. During the summer they are stocked with catfish. 23 miles Santa Fe Trail are within the Parks boundaries. Bobwhite, and coyote, dear and other birds spotted through the Park. CAUTION: Before you get to site 1, there are 2 trees the one on the left has the scars to show the damage it has done to taller vehicles(we are 13.11 and just received a slight raspberry a couple layers of self leveling caullk and all is good for now!).
GuideLovely camping in the National Cimarron Grasslands. Peaceful beauty all around. Only one other camper. Highly recommend if you are looking for off the beaten path. Vault toilets and water.
GuideGreat small campground! Not busy, sites are well maintained, there is water, trash bins, and pit toilets as clean as they come. Verizon has good coverage out here. This is definitely one of my favorite campgrounds so far in the Plains states. Looks like they’ve made some recent updates to be more accessible.
TravelerNice campground. Level sites, water available, and restrooms. Sites are separated but you will hear generators from nearby neighbors.
I only stayed one night but I would recommend the campground.
TravelerBlack Mesa lies in the panhandle or no man's land (OK) and is somewhat of a hidden gem in the rough. The park itself has some nice options and amenities. The sites were decent and spaced out well. They also included a covered area where the picnic table was. Not a ton of shade overall so it can get warm fast. Take a drive north and view the beautiful scenery including the Black Mesa site. There's also a dark sky viewing area above the campground. There is a store as well with some fun souvenirs.
RangerI came here with my cousins and definitely underestimated the heat. I would have brought a tarp shelter because the sun is brutal and kept beating down. I recommend bringing frozen water instead of just water because the water does become warm after a while and is hard to drink. The campsites here are first come first serve. There is hikes but not much to see as the ground is mostly flat. T Here are some plants here that you cant see anywhere else.
RangerRolling hills and cliffs, mostly shrubs. Nice easy hiking trails and lots of wildlife, perfect place for all the dino-loving kiddos in your life. Was pretty empty when we were here in May, it’s isolated in a great way. Lovely sunsets. Pretty windy, make sure you have a decent tent (not a $30 dome tent). State park so the facilities were basic and pretty clean like I expected.
GuideWell maintained sites. Helpful staff. Spaces limited
ScoutHot showers, easy access to the Mesa.
TravelerIn the middle of no where, so bring all you need. Boring drive in to the park. Bathrooms were not very clean
RangerThis is the best and just about the only camping area if you want to visit the Black Mesa Preserve, which somewhere around 15-30 minutes away by car. There are many tent and RV sites in the creek area, and there is a bathroom here, though it feels like a high school locker room, wasn't very clean, and didn't have soap (during the coronavirus pandemic, so this was a little upsetting). There are tent sites in the lake area, which is a short drive from the main camping area.
There was a camp host there to guide us, and she was very friendly and helpful.
Thankfully, this site now doesn't turn on its street lights, so you can see the stars in all their glory! This is the darkest skies in the continental US, so I was so happy to hear they've finally shut off their street lights. View of the Milky Way is stunning from here.
The creek was dried up when we were here. But we saw a fox, a couple deer, rabbits, and many bird species.
YOU MUST go visit the Preserve. The scenery is gorgeous, and you can find dinosaur track fossils, and ancient native peoples rock carvings, if you know where to look. Also check out the tri-state marker, and continue maybe 100 yards beyond it to see an older original marker. Bring loads of sunscreen and look out for snakes.
GuideI loved the hiking trails and the nature walks. It is out in the middle of no where but nice.
GuideFirst 2.5 miles of the hike are fairly easy with the last 1.5 mile going uphill with lose rocks/boulders. Campsites are a little too close together.
GuidePetroglyphs, dinosaur tracks, incredible wildlife, and of course the awe-inspiring night sky. Plan your trip during a new moon for best results.
Campground has showers, flush toilets, private tent sites, and a nice swimming spot.
A little hard to navigate but be sure to bring the high clearance vehicle and you’ll be fine.
TravelerThis was an amazing camping trip! Very spotty cellphone service (which is good!) except when there is severe weather. Prepare for anything! The hike up to black Mesa was relatively easy and well marked. Want to return soon!
GuideThe night sky was very dark and starry. Other campers had telescopes and were very friendly. It appeared under staffed, and the one ranger there looked very tired (possibly alil over worked). Showers were outdated and had like warm to cold water, but I was still very grateful! Had "0" Verizon cell service, and that was Awesome!
TravelerWe chose to stay at Black Mesa on our way back from a week in Colorado, when we were about 30 miles from the park we started to wonder what we got into. The landscape driving up to the park is like desert. To our surprise we pulled into a little oasis in the middle of big country. It is parks like this one that makes me so happy to be RV’ing. On our way back to Colorado next year we will stay here for a week and enjoy this awesome place. If you want to be off the grid, this is the place to come.
ScoutThis small campground is a special experience. Driving to this off the beaten path site is a worthwhile adventure. If you are thinking about exploring through the area make this a stop. The well tended facilities, cleanliness, and quiet all made for a perfect experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Keyes, OK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Keyes, OK is Black Mesa State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 33 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 3 glamping camping locations near Keyes, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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