Kansas camping

While Kansas may not be thought of a destination for camping, but we’ve got great places. This is our top 5 camping destinations right here in the Sunflower State and the perks of going there:

Milford Lake

Milford Lake seems to be a fan favorite. Northwest of Junction City, the Milford State Park includes the state’s largest lake and a 15,709 surface-acre reservoir. For campers, anglers, hunters and day visitors, this is a place for the family to have fun.

Walleye, crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, catfish, and small mouth bass are ready to be pulled from the lake. With a 19,000-acre wildlife area the park, including the Steve Lloyd refuge which is an additional 1100 acres, there are plenty of places, flora and fauna for photo-ops and you may even see a bald eagle. The Milford Nature Center and Milford Fish Hatchery offer awesome exhibits for your viewing pleasure. Hunters have the opportunity to go after quail, pheasant, prairie chicken, duck, goose, rabbit, turkey, deer, and squirrel and trappers are common in the area going for raccoon, muskrat, and beaver.

Cimarron National Grassland

Cimarron National Grassland is a 108,175-acre area in southwestern Kansas, the largest area of public land in Kansas and the only parcel managed by the Forest Service. This natural beauty includes rock cliffs, cottonwood groves, grassy fields, yucca and sage brush, providing recreational opportunities as diverse as bird watching, scenic driving, hunting, picnicking, camping, fishing and experiencing history.

The Santa Fe Trail cuts across the grasslands in a 23-mile stretch with the Point of Rocks as a landmark on the trail. The Eight Mile Corner, 8 miles west of Elkhart, Kansas is the Tristate Point where the boundaries of three states intersect and is marked with brass plate. A nearby windmill which has "Kans." "Okla." and "Colo." for blades has been in place since 1903.

Eisenhower State Park

Eisenhower State Park features 1,000 acres of tallgrass prairie, 440 acres of woodland and a complete range of recreational facilities in addition to the 6,930 acres of Melvern Lake. It features a variety of camping options; 186 utility campsites-81 with water, 37 with sewer hookups, 68 electric only sites and five shower houses and non-utility sites are available as well. For those equestrians out there, the park has campsites and corrals for that too along with four modern cabins, two primitive yurts and one primitive cabin for rent.

Eisenhower has trails for horseback riding, biking, hiking and archery. Area wildlife include white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, bobwhite quail, squirrels, furbearers, and waterfowl. Fishing is abundant with walleye, crappie, sauger, white bass, and channel catfish.

Wilson State Park

Wilson State Park is located along the Post Rock Scenic Byway about 5 miles north of I-70, west of K-232 in the heart of the Smoky Hills. The wildlife area an 8,069-acre public hunting area made up of 5,000 acres of rolling hills of prairie, 2,000 acres of cropland, and 1,000 acres of riparian timber. The reservoir offers white bass and striped bass angling. The park wildlife includes deer, pheasant, waterfowl, songbirds, and furbearers. There are walking, biking, and hiking trails to be enjoyed too.

Kanopolis State Park

Northwest of Marquette, on the Prairie Trail Scenic Byway Kanopolis State Park offers more than just the lake. Horsethief Canyon and Mushroom Rock State Park are just two of the many sites to see in this area. More than 30 miles of trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders, 15 of which are on the Smoky Hill Wildlife area. The 3,500-acre lake and 12,500-acre wildlife area provide anglers and hunters abundant fish and game.