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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

  1. Home
  2. Kansas
  3. Santa Fe Trail

Camping at Santa Fe Trail near Council Grove

Public campground · Council Grove · 32 campsites · 1 group

A forested campground near hiking. RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

Santa Fe Trail Campground sits on the western shore of Council Grove Lake amid the rolling grasslands of the Flint Hills, a remaining swath of North America's tallgrass prairie. The lake itself was formed by a dam completed in 1964 and stretches across 3,310 acres of water and nearly 2,700 acres of adjacent hunting and public use land.

4.0 on Recreation.gov · 95 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 12 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 72 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • Electric on many sites

    Some sites have no hookups.

  • Pets welcome
  • Vault toilets

    Showers on site. Dump station on site.

OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 32 sites
No sites offered for these dates.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Check dates on Recreation.gov.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
014
tent only nonelectric
––$17
017
standard electric
––$22
016
standard electric
––$22
015
standard electric
––$22
004
standard electric
––$27
020
standard electric
––$27
008
standard electric
––$27
018
standard electric
––$27
024
standard electric
––$27
003
standard electric
–
No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

No sites offered for these dates
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

  • Boat Ramp
  • Dump Station
  • Entrance Station
  • Horseshoe Pit
  • Playground
  • Showers
  • Vault Toilets
Check-in
4:00 PM
Checkout
3:00 PM
Pets
Allowed (per listing)
Maximum stay
14 nights

Hookups (individual campsites): 31 electric, 1 no-hookup individual sites · group site listed separately (1 electric).

Location

1026 Lake Rd
Open in Google Maps ↗

Santa Fe Trail: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Santa Fe Trail?
Longest RV site listed: 72 ft (30 of 32 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Santa Fe Trail have RV hookups?
31 electric, 1 no-hookup individual sites · group site listed separately (1 electric) (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Santa Fe Trail?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Santa Fe Trail?
Allowed (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 72 ft (30 of 32 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 31 electric, 1 no-hookup individual sites · group site listed separately (1 electric)
Pull-through / back-in
Listing 3 pull-through, 30 back-in
Road & site access
Listing 23 paved, 10 gravel site driveways
Pets
Listing Allowed
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 3 (40 reports), AT&T 3 (17 reports), T-Mobile 3 (13 reports)
Water
Listing Water at 28 sites
Shade
Listing 25 of 30 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $14/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 14 nights max
Getting there
Listing 1026 Lake Rd (map in Location below)
Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Selected reviews

Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (95 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.

“Nice campground. Most sites are level. ”

Beth S 5 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Great location, rocky drop-off down to water but good spot to launch a kayak or canoe. Took 6” on the low side to level our camper. Not a lot of afternoon shade. Nice facility, restroom was stocked and clean. ”

Zach M 5 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Only wanted Friday night & had to book 2 nights…also the most unlevel site I’ve ever stayed in”

Regina W 3 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

Explore nearby

  • Campgrounds near Council Grove
  • RV rentals near Council Grove
  • Glamping & cabins near Council Grove
  • RV rentals in Kansas
  • Glamping in Kansas

Guides for this trip

  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
–
$27
012
standard electric
––$27
030
standard electric
––$27
031
standard electric
––$27
029
standard electric
––$27
027
standard electric
––$27
009
standard electric
––$27
032
standard electric
––$27
022
standard electric
––$27
005
standard electric
––$27
006
standard electric
––$27
010
standard electric
––$27
019
standard electric
––$27
026
standard electric
––$27
028
standard electric
––$27
002
standard electric
––$27
025
standard electric
––$27
021
standard electric
––$27
011
standard electric
––$27
013
standard electric
––$27
001
standard electric
––$27
007
standard electric
––$27
023
standard electric
––$29
S-1
group standard electric
––$240

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights5 sites open for every night

Pink Gravel Campsites

12 mi from Santa Fe Trail (straight-line)
Sites from $8/night
$16 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights1 site open for every night

Bare Ass Acres

22.4 mi from Santa Fe Trail (straight-line)
Sites from $45/night
$90 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights5 sites open for every night

Equine Estates KS

26.1 mi from Santa Fe Trail (straight-line)
Sites from $32/night
$64 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Compare site types

32 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7 · 1 group site listed separately. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Standard sites with electric

Tent or RV, with power

31 sites · $27, $22/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Tent-only sites

Tents only, no power

1 site · $17/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Group standard electric (group)

1 site · $240/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Trip idea

Ideas for your stay

An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.

  1. Day 1 · Arrive and settle in

    • Check in and set up camp.
  2. Day 2 · Get out and explore

    • Night Ghost Tour of Pythian Castle in Springfield Missouri Missouri area · 1.5 hr · from $20/person
    • Awareness Tour Missouri area · 45 min · from $35/person
  3. Day 3 · One more stop, then head home

    • History Tour of Pythian Castle in Springfield Missouri Missouri area · 1 hr · from $13/person
Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 32 sites take tents. See open sites ↑
  • Electric sites: 31 sites have power.

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 72 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

2021 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf Black Label
2021 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf Black Label

Travel trailer · 29 ft · sleeps 8 · 78 mi from campground

$120/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
2022 Keystone Bullet Ultra Lite, two a/c and 1.5 bath, perfect for families
2022 Keystone Bullet Ultra Lite, two a/c and 1.5 bath, perfect for families

Travel trailer · 37 ft · sleeps 8 · 80 mi from campground

$129/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Brand New ( Delivery Available) 2022 Dutchmen Coleman Lantern LT
Brand New ( Delivery Available) 2022 Dutchmen Coleman Lantern LT

Travel trailer · 30 ft · sleeps 8 · 93 mi from campground

$138/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
Things to do

Activities near Santa Fe Trail

Bookable tours nearby

Paid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

Night Ghost Tour of Pythian Castle in Springfield Missouri
Night Ghost Tour of Pythian Castle in Springfield Missouri

Missouri area · 1.5 hr · from $20/person

Awareness Tour
Awareness Tour

Missouri area · 45 min · from $35/person

History Tour of Pythian Castle in Springfield Missouri
History Tour of Pythian Castle in Springfield Missouri

Missouri area · 1 hr · from $13/person

See 5 more bookable tours
Tour The Ozarks Private Springfield Brewery Tour
Tour The Ozarks Private Springfield Brewery Tour

Missouri area · 4 hr · from $214/person

Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season Apr 1–Oct 30: RV & Tent $17–$240 per night
  • Peak season Apr 1–Oct 30: RV & Tent $17–$240 per night

stays up to 14 nights (Recreation.gov rules).

Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Santa Fe Trail

For July weekends, book about 170 days ahead. Three in four July Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 66 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
April11 days ahead80 days ahead7 days ahead63 days ahead
May52 days ahead134 days ahead39 days ahead157 days ahead
June98 days ahead168 days ahead27 days ahead164 days ahead
July66 days ahead170 days ahead22 days ahead158 days ahead
August26 days ahead123 days ahead11 days ahead78 days ahead
September20 days ahead74 days ahead9 days ahead58 days ahead
October10 days ahead52 days ahead8 days ahead51 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (8,040 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

Kansas City Limestone Mine Underground Drive Tour
Kansas City Limestone Mine Underground Drive Tour

Missouri area · 1 hr · from $60/person

Mark Twains Hannibal Smartphone Walking Tour Plays as you walk
Mark Twains Hannibal Smartphone Walking Tour Plays as you walk

Missouri area · 50 min–1 hr · from $8/person

Murder Mystery Detective Experience in Joplin MO
Murder Mystery Detective Experience in Joplin MO

Missouri area · 2.5 hr · from $15/person

Ticket Pass to Emmaus Asylum Ghost Hunt in Missouri
Ticket Pass to Emmaus Asylum Ghost Hunt in Missouri

Missouri area · 9 hr · from $129/person