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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Army Corps of Engineers campground

Santa Fe Trail

Army Corps of Engineers campground in Council Grove Lake, Morris County, Kansas. 1,295 feet. 2.2 miles from Council Grove.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers Council Grove Lake
Elevation
1,295 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
33 31 standard electric, 1 tent only non-electric, 1 group standard electric
Longest rig
78 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water, Sewer
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Morris County

Overview

Santa Fe Trail Campground is located on the 3,310-acre Council Grove Lake in the green expanses of eastern Kansas.

Recreation

Boating is a popular pastime at the lake, and a boat ramp is located in the campground for visitors' convenience.

The lake is known for its fishing opportunities, with crappie and catfish being the most abundant. Council Grove was also the first lake in Kansas to receive stocking of Saugeye.

Hunters will find populations of quail, prairie chicken, wild turkey and deer on the nearly 2,700 acres of hunting lands surrounding the lake.

Hiking trails wind along the lake shore and into the forest. Pioneer Nature Trail is known as the most scenic trail, with plenty of wildlife, greenery and wildflowers creating a beautiful background.

Council Grove is also a starting point for the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway. This byway travels through the best of the remaining remnants of the Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem in North America.

Along the byway and 25 miles south is the National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, where visitors can spot colorful wildflowers in the spring and array of autumn colors in the fall.

Facilities

Santa Fe Trail Campground offers 35 reservable campsites, including one group camping area that can accommodate up to 75 guests. Electric hookups, flush toilets and other modern amenities are provided.

The campground has plenty of shade, along with open grassy areas for games and recreation.

Natural Features

Council Grove Lake sits in the rolling, grassy Flint Hills. The lake was created by a dam built in 1964, and now offers recreational opportunities to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Historically this area is where the Osage Indians signed a treaty to establish the Old Santa Fe Trail. A marker in the town of Council Grove indicates the place where the treaty was signed.

Nearby Attractions

The town of Council Grove, located about 2 miles southeast of the lake, is a National Historic District, with seven Santa Fe National Historic Trail sites in the community.

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

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting

The land around Santa Fe Trail

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 February 25, 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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