Bluffton Area Campground

I didn't want to give this campground a mediocre rating, as the park is very nice. One thing I'd like to see from this and other parks - allow visitors to pay the additional cost of the daily vehicle entry pass when booking a camping reservation.

Let’s begin with the positives: The park is typical Kansas grassland and offers a variety of recreation options. There’s a small basketball court, a playground, archery range and BMX area with small hills. The RV sites are generously spaced and mine was very level. The power worked fine. My Verizon signal was one bar of LTE, but adequate for texting, basic emails and some internet service. At night, there’s only the sound of the wind, crickets and an occasional owl. The loop was sparsely populated in September, so plenty of privacy.

Once I parked, I noticed that the water spigot was less than a foot off the ground, making it difficult to get water into any type of bucket or pitcher. It was also leaking. Not a drip, but a steady, thin stream of water which I could hear all night long and which soaked the ground. I never saw the camp host, but I'm sure they knew about this issue. When I managed to get some water in my pitcher, it was an icky yellowish color. Probably okay to drink, but unappealing, so I only used it for washing dishes.

The bathroom/shower building is a far walk from all of the campsites on the loop. This is fine if your rig is self-contained, but mine is not. The restroom had the standard concrete floor seen in many state parks. Just to note, the bathroom obviously hadn't been swept/cleaned in a few days at least, as the piles of dead bugs around the sink and on the floor proved. As I started my shower, the water was barely lukewarm and quickly became full on cold. I was the only person in the bathroom and the floors were dry, so the lack of hot water was not due to overuse. Then I saw it - a one inch scorpion in the corner, just above the shelf where my shampoo and other shower items were placed. I was able to kill it with my comb. A few minutes later, I reached for my washcloth and a SECOND SCORPION was perched on top of it! I knocked this one to the floor and squished it with my shower sandal. I finished up quickly and checked my shower caddy carefully before leaving.

Nope! I won’t be returning to this campground.

This was my second stay in Ellis, both on cross-country trips. I don't think I'd make it a destination, although it is very peaceful and quiet. The views of the lake are amazing. Beautiful sunset while we were there.

The campground is about 15 miles off of the I-70. It is in the middle of sprawling farmlands. Very remote.

We took a long-term spot. It was right on the lake and had a nice little deck. The place was pretty much vacant; so, we did not see any harm in staying in that spot. It had water, sewer, and 30A. There are signs in the park saying to be careful as the water pressure is 60psi. I can confirm that. We dialed the psi down to 40 using a pressure regulator.

There are tons of very nice sites. They are spacious and clean. Any one of them would have made for a good experience. Definitely recommend a visit. Super quiet and relaxing.

I camped here thinking my dog might be able to swim but it seemed too much work. The ranger staff is very nice and I was here on a weekday in the fall so not many campers. But what threw me was the price, it costs for your site, then a daily entrance fee then $3.00 to process even if you just come in without reservations. I would have no problem staying here again, I would just know that it is going to cost more than most state parks. Site #7 was a pull thru site that I just needed for the night. The sites also seemed very close together without much privacy or vegetation. Overall, this state park was fine for the night.

Cedar Bluff is a typical state park on a man-made lake, but we particularly enjoyed camping in spot W-12 thanks to the ample privacy and friendly policy for late arrivals and 2pm departures. This has become a must-stop on our way across Kansas on I-70, as it's nearly equidistant from Denver and Kansas City. The 15 miles this park sits off the highway are an easy drive with well paved country roads with 65 mph speed limits. The deep dark skies are perfect for stargazing. Fires are allowed within the fire rings, which I believe are placed at every camp site.

The best part of this park is that it's very friendly to late arrivals and late departures, thanks to a self-service system that is very well thought out. They accept cash or check for arrivals after the office closes at 4pm on weekdays (later on weekends), credit and Apple Pay are available during the day. A single night's camping allows you to stay until 2pm the next day - perfect if you wish to enjoy the park the morning after a late arrival! The park is far enough away from cities that it's pretty vacant, at least during the week.

The pricing structure can be a little hard to understand, as they charge different amounts for 30 amp, 50 amp, water, or full hook-ups. We paid $21 for camping, and $5 for a vehicle single-day pass (non-residents can get an annual vehicle pass for $25). Transaction fee was $3. There are numerous ways to get discounts of up to $10 / night by buying 14 day passes or annual camping passes. Unlike Colorado, they even have (limited) monthly rates and allow for long stays.