The river is beautiful and a great spot to camp at. The hiking trails are not covered by much shade at all so do bring extra water! Pretty little park and the near by town has a nice BBQ spot I tried out. The campsites themselves that I stayed at were back-in style with shaded cover area with tables. There is shade coverage walking to the river and around the campsites themselves though. Would definitely recommend a trip here even if to just relax on the river.
Between the swimming hole and Gorman Falls you have some great views and amazing hiking! Saw some deer and hogs while out hiking on this property. Armadillo are all over the place as well.. Do be aware the cell service is pretty much nonexistent down at the campsites. There was a general store that did canoe/kayak trips a while back but not 100% sure after the pandemic.
I messed up my schedule and sadly only spent one night here. It was truly a beautiful park and the campsites were well laid out. Very packed due to Sturgis being the same time back in August. (Didn't realize I planned at the same time) even with being very busy the area was great. Sylvan lake was gorgeous and the hike up to Black Elk Peak was beautiful. Would highly recommend. Raspberries grow along the trails and are a nice midhike snack. Bring water as it takes some time. Great views! Nice facilities at this campsite as well.
Last there in Dec 2019 and the area was very barren. The hiking trails were very nice though and had a lot of variation. They were being used mainly as mountain bike trails but were still plenty fun for hiking and taking in the rest of the views.
Would recommend some sort of heater or extra layers for winter camping but wasn't terrible.
Lost pictures on my old phone.
Great little spot tucked into the trees. Was a tad cold but got to hike the whole park in a day really. All flat minus some small slopes. Camp grounds are nice and well maintained. Nice facilities and plenty of area to fish your heart out. Would recommend bringing some sort of heater during the winter.
Early spring 21 just went and had a blast. Fairly packed now that the state opened up fully. Over all though that time was perfect weather for kayaking and hiking the short trails that this park has. Tent camping is great and the spots are well payed out with plenty of space between them. Shower and bathroom facilities are in decent shape and do the job. Was impressed for havi g never heard of it prior to arrival. Online reservations available to make it easier.
Was extremely lucky to get site #1. Shaded section with a nice little beach to walk into the river. River flows quickly but the sounds right next to the site will lull you to sleep. Has table and fire ring. Showers on grounds but does cost to use the shower. Just bring your quarters. Near by outfitters will let you rent a canoe and let you take your dog as well. Takes a few hours for the whole canoe trip but the views are breath taking and you can paddle right back to the campsite. Would highly recommend but do CALL EARLY TO RESERVE!!
Over all a great park. Easy drive in and out. Reservations are made easily online and can easily get you fishing license for out of state online. Had a great spot along the bend and enjoyed the relaxing weather. Decent prices for renting canoes. Allowed dogs on them as well. Big plus being a solo traveler with the pup. Great hiking as well. The trail map when I was there back in August 2020 was a tad misleading on the longest trail. It has become longer and will be a workout. Still brings you back full circle but have water. Great scenery and nice town all around.
Driving through Kansas and coming up on this park and it's views made it a great spot to stop at along the way. Able to pull up to campsites and park next to your tent area. Everything was clean and my spot was a nice wake up view looking across the lake. Only caught a catfish while there but still great fun. Wish I could've gotten video of the thunderstorm that rolled through in the distance. Overall though, great hiking around the lake and good spots. Just a short drive to town also if you need to pick anything up.
Happen to run across this spot back in August of 2020 just driving around. Luck would have it I had great neighbors in the campgrounds. The ground is all rock but easily drivable once alongside the river. The entrance is the tricky part. If you have low ground clearance you may have an issue but I saw people that made it in regular sedans. Over all great spot and would camp there again for sure. Plenty of spots but can fill up in the summer very quickly.