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A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Army Corps of Engineers campground

Outlet(Melvern)

Army Corps of Engineers campground in Melvern Lake, Osage County, Kansas. 980 feet. 3.3 miles from Olivet.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers Melvern Lake
Elevation
980 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
137 137 standard electric
Longest rig
80 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water, Sewer
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Osage County

Overview

Outlet Campground is situated below the Melvern Lake Dam on the eastern edge of the Flint Hills of Kansas. Visitors enjoy the area's wide range of recreational activities, including boating, fishing, hiking and hunting. Find a virtual tour of Melvern Lake at http://www.photographyoptions.net/images/melvern/tour.html

Recreation

Melvern Lake impounds nearly 7,000 acres of water on the upper reaches of the Marais des Cygnes River Valley. Boating and swimming are popular activities on the lake.

Anglers will find walleye, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, as well as black, striped, white and smallmouth bass.

The 18,000 acres of land surrounding Melvern Lake provide plentiful hiking and hunting opportunities. Several trails wind around the lake, including the 4-mile Tallgrass Heritage Trail, which begins in the campground. Hunters may find deer, quail, turkeys, ducks, rabbits and squirrels throughout the area.

Facilities

This large campground offers 140 family sites, many of which have full hookups for electric, water and sewer. Two group day-use picnic shelters with electrical hookups are available as well. Several family picnic sites can be used on a first come, first served basis. Amenities include flush and vault toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. A boat ramp, accessible dock and fish cleaning station are located on-site. Younger campers love the park's swimming beach, playground and stocked fishing pond, which is open year-round. Laundry facilities are no longer available to all campers. Click Here for a Virtual Tour (http://www.photographyoptions.net/images/melvern/tour.html)

Natural Features

The Flint Hills represent America's last expanse of intact tallgrass prairie, made up of big bluestem, switchgrass and Indian grass. The rolling hills on the south side of the lake are wooded, and the campground has scattered trees and limited shade.

The description, directions and fees are the Army Corps of Engineers’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • birding
  • boating
  • camping
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • mountain biking
  • swimming
  • water access

The land around Outlet(Melvern)

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
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

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.

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.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated July 3, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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