Public land camping
Camping in Kansas
49 federal places to camp in Kansas, from Army Corps of Engineers, on the land they sit on.
- 49
- federal places to camp
- 49 Army Corps of Engineers
- 2,559
- campsites you can book ahead
- At the 49 places that take reservations on Recreation.gov. The rest are first come or not listed there
- 1,725 ft
- the highest you can drive to
- Lucas Park
- 13
- counties with federal camping
- 36 gateway towns, each with three or more within 30 miles
The Kansas campground map
Select a pin for its elevation, its sites and its page. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see how you get there, and use the finder for a campground, a town or a peak.
Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.
Map layers
Legend
Federal land, by managing agency
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
US Forest Service (USFS)
National Park Service (NPS)
US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
Department Of Defense (DOD)
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Other Federal
State
Local
Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
Alaska Native Allotment
Federal campgrounds, by agency
- Forest Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- National Park Service
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others
State and local land (USGS PAD-US)
- State land
- County and city land
- Regional agency or district
- Land trust or conservancy
BLM roads and trails
Roads Managed for Public Motorized Use
Road
Primitive Road
Roads Managed for Limited Public Motorized Use
Road
Primitive Road
Trails Managed for Public Motorized Use
Trail
Trails Managed for Limited Public Motorized Use
- Trail
Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map
Roads
Roads open to all Vehicles, Yearlong
Roads open to all Vehicles, Seasonal
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Seasonal
Special Designation, Yearlong
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails
Trails open to all vehicles, Yearlong
Trails open to all vehicles, Seasonal
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Yearlong
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Seasonal
Trails open to motorcycles, Yearlong
Trails open to motorcycles, Seasonal- Special Designation, Yearlong
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" in Width, Yearlong
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" or Less in Width, Seasonal
BLM Wilderness
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Study Area
BLM recreation sites
- Camping
- OHV area
- Trailhead
Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.
Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.
Select any point to see who manages the land.
The map could not start in this browser.
It needs WebGL, which is turned off or unavailable here. You can still browse public land by state, or use the BLM’s own maps.
Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.
Camping near a town
- Bunker Hill
- Burlington
- Cherryvale
- Council Grove
- Dorrance
- Dunlap
- Hillsboro
- Independence
- Junction City
- Kanopolis
- Lawrence
- Lebo
- Lecompton
- Lucas
- Lyndon
- Manhattan
- Marion
- Melvern
- Meriden
- Milford
- Mound Valley
- New Strawn
- Olivet
- Olsburg
- Oskaloosa
- Overbrook
- Ozawkie
- Parkerville
- Perry
- Pomona
- Quenemo
- Riley
- Scranton
- Sylvan Grove
- Wakefield
- Wilsey
No town by that name has three federal campgrounds within 30 miles. Try the county list below.
Every federal campground in Kansas
49 places
- Arrow Rock Army Corps · Melvern Lake · Osage County 1,083 ftelevation 33sites 78 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Bloomington East Army Corps · Clinton Lake · Douglas County 912 ftelevation 305sites 60 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Bloomington West group campground Army Corps · Clinton Lake · Douglas County 961 ftelevation 1site n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Canning Creek Army Corps · Council Grove Lake · Morris County 1,311 ftelevation 42sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Carbolyn Park Army Corps · Pomona Lake · Osage County 1,046 ftelevation 26sites 55 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Card Creek Army Corps · Elk City Lake · Montgomery County n/aelevation 19sites 76 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Cherryvale Park Army Corps · Big Hill Lake · Labette County 868 ftelevation 24sites 68 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Coeur D'alene Army Corps · Melvern Lake · Osage County 1,103 ftelevation 48sites 65 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Cottonwood Point Army Corps · Marion Reservoir · Marion County 1,366 ftelevation 167sites 70 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Curtis Creek Army Corps · Milford Lake · Geary County 1,195 ftelevation 66sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Dam Site Army Corps · John Redmond Reservoir · Coffey County 1,064 ftelevation 21sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Damsite - Fall River Lake Army Corps · Fall River Lake · Greenwood County 931 ftelevation 33sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Farnum Creek Army Corps · Milford Lake · Geary County 1,203 ftelevation 51sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- French Creek Army Corps · Marion Reservoir · Marion County 1,356 ftelevation 20sites 55 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Hillsboro Cove Army Corps · Marion Reservoir · Marion County 1,358 ftelevation 53sites 70 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Kanza View Army Corps · Council Grove Lake · Morris County 1,325 ftelevation 4sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Kit Carson Army Corps · Council Grove Lake · Morris County 1,292 ftelevation 11sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Longview group campground Army Corps · Perry Lake · Jefferson County 1,020 ftelevation 2sites 50 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Lucas Park Army Corps · Wilson Lake · Russell County 1,725 ftelevation 93sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Marion Cove Army Corps · Marion Reservoir · Marion County 1,375 ftelevation 17sites 45 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Michigan Valley Army Corps · Pomona Lake · Osage County 1,066 ftelevation 78sites 66 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Minooka Park Army Corps · Wilson Lake · Russell County 1,563 ftelevation 146sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Mound Valley Army Corps · Big Hill Lake · Labette County 868 ftelevation 84sites 78 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Neosho Park Army Corps · Council Grove Lake · Morris County 1,307 ftelevation 8sites 50 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- North Richey Cove Army Corps · Council Grove Lake · Morris County 1,303 ftelevation n/asites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Old Town Army Corps · Perry Lake · Jefferson County 902 ftelevation 38sites 70 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Outlet (Pomona Lake) Army Corps · Pomona Lake · Osage County 943 ftelevation 28sites 65 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Outlet Channel Army Corps · Elk City Lake · Montgomery County n/aelevation 14sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Outlet(Melvern) Army Corps · Melvern Lake · Osage County 980 ftelevation 137sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Richey Cove Army Corps · Council Grove Lake · Morris County 1,307 ftelevation 39sites 75 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Riverside Army Corps · Kanopolis Lake · Ellsworth County 1,420 ftelevation 29sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Riverside East Army Corps · John Redmond Reservoir · Coffey County 1,022 ftelevation 41sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Riverside West Army Corps · John Redmond Reservoir · Coffey County 1,035 ftelevation 25sites 60 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Rock Creek Army Corps · Perry Lake · Jefferson County 917 ftelevation 79sites 72 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Rockhaven Park Campground and Equestrian Area horse camp Army Corps · Clinton Lake · Douglas County 999 ftelevation 24sites 75 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Santa Fe Trail Army Corps · Council Grove Lake · Morris County 1,295 ftelevation 33sites 78 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- School Creek Camground Army Corps · Milford Lake · Geary County n/aelevation 39sites 60 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Slough Creek Army Corps · Perry Lake · Jefferson County 1,023 ftelevation 173sites 72 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Stockdale Army Corps · Tuttle Creek Lake · Riley County 1,106 ftelevation 12sites 62 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Sylvan Park Army Corps · Wilson Lake · Russell County 1,465 ftelevation 26sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Timber Creek Park Army Corps · Milford Lake n/aelevation 21sites 48 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Timber Hill Park Army Corps · Big Hill Lake · Labette County 925 ftelevation 20sites 30 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Turkey Point Army Corps · Melvern Lake · Osage County 1,066 ftelevation 49sites 65 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Tuttle Creek Cove Army Corps · Tuttle Creek Lake · Riley County 1,232 ftelevation 39sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Venango Park Army Corps · Kanopolis Lake · Ellsworth County 1,499 ftelevation 124sites 65 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- West Rolling Hills Army Corps · Milford Lake · Geary County 1,196 ftelevation 65sites 60 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Whitehall Bay Army Corps · Fall River Lake · Greenwood County 996 ftelevation 30sites 77 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Wolf Creek Army Corps · Pomona Lake · Osage County 1,046 ftelevation 56sites 55 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
- Woodridge Park Army Corps · Clinton Lake · Douglas County n/aelevation 66sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
Nothing matches those filters. Clear one and try again.
Camping rules worth knowing in Kansas
- Fire restrictions follow the county as well as the agency
- The Forest Service posts restrictions and closures for the Cimarron National Grassland on its alerts page, and states plainly that even when no restriction is in place on the grassland, any restriction in force for an individual county must be followed. For the Cimarron that means Morton County, which the Forest Service links from its own fire restrictions page. Check both before you plan a meal around a fire, and carry a stove that does not care what the answer is. Source 8
- Wind is a threat to the camp before it is a threat to the drive
- The Weather Service puts numbers on it: sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph can cause isolated damage, widespread damage comes with higher speeds, and straight-line winds inside strong thunderstorms can exceed 100 mph. High winds blow objects around, which on a Kansas trip means an awning, a roof tent and anything on a rack long before it means a vehicle leaving the road. Watch the western sky through the afternoon and pick where the vehicle will sit before a storm builds, not while it is arriving. Source 38
- The only federal campground in the state takes no bookings
- Cimarron Campground on the grassland has twelve sites at seven dollars a night, is open year round, and the Forest Service states it is strictly first come, first served. That makes it the exact opposite of the Corps of Engineers water in eastern Kansas, where all 49 campgrounds in our build can be reserved ahead and none is first come only. Arriving late on a holiday weekend is a different gamble at each end of the state. Source 5
By agency
Campground records: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), read September 19, 2026. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Fees, seasons and limits change; confirm with the managing office before you go.