Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail Campground is located on the 3,310-acre Council Grove Lake in the green expanses of eastern Kansas.
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.
Notifications and Alerts
New for 2024, check-out time is 3PM and check-in time is 4PM.
Need to Know
New for 2024, check-out time is 3PM and check-in time is 4PM.
Campsite must be reserved prior to setting up camping equipment.
- Two camping units are allowed per campsite, i.e. one RV and one tent or two tents. Only one camping unit may be plugged into the electric service.
- Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Park gates close at 10pm, all park visitors who are not camping must depart prior to 10 p.m.
- Pets must be kept contained at all times (i.e. leash or pen). It is a violation to leave pets unattended.
- Help keep your parks operating at their best - Please report issues and concerns with any of the facilities to a park ranger or gate attendant. For emergencies call Morris County Sheriff Office at (620)767-6310.
- Help protect your public property by leaving them better than when you arrived. Trash receptacles are available throughout the parks. Please throw away any discarded materials in these locations; campsite fire rings are not to be used as trash cans. Dumping of household trash is not permissible.
- All motorized vehicles (including toys) must be licensed and tagged to operate on Corps roadways. An Off-Road Vehicle park is located below the dam in Outlet Channel-East; maximum wheel-base width of 66-inches.
- Click here for more information on Council Grove Lake
- Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
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.
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.
Contact Information
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1026 Lake Rd COUNCIL GROVE KS 66846-9322
Phone Number
For campground inquiries, please call: 620-767-5195
Rental Options
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
Driving Directions
From I-70, take Highway 177 south for 30 miles. Continue west across the dam road, then right onto City Lake Road. After a mile turn right into the campground entrance.
Available Campsites
- Site 020, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 017, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 025, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 009, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 007, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 031, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 018, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 005, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 024, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 027, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 008, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 006, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 015, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 023, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 001, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 014, Loop SFET, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
- Site 016, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 010, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 026, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 002, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 032, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 011, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 021, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 003, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 028, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 013, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 022, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 004, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site S-1, Loop SFET, Type Group Standard Electric
- Site 030, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 019, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 029, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
- Site 012, Loop SFET, Type Standard Electric
