Free RV Camping at Kansas State Fishing Lakes
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks operates 46 "state fishing lakes", nearly all of which support free RV camping.
One of the “best kept secrets” of Kansas RV camping are the forty-six (46) state fishing lakes operated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Several of these lakes have sites large enough for 40+ foot RVs. There is no fishing license requirement to camp here, and no vehicle pass requirements either.
Camping is free for all but a few lakes.
A couple of lakes that stand out for RV camping are: 1. Chase State Fishing Lake, about 20 miles west of Emporia is one of the favorites, with a dozen sites, and 2. Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake #2, just east of Manhattan, has about double the sites as Chase.
Maximum stay is 7-days per lake, after which you must stay away from all state fishing lakes for 5-days before returning to another one.
Pets must be restrained on a leash no longer than 10 feet.
Quiet hours are from 11:00pm to 6:00am.
Click here to see a map of these lakes.
Boondocking Sites of the Week
Our favorite boondocking sites for the week go to…
Indian Creek Dispersed Area, Fishlake NF, Utah, (GPS 38.4260, -112.4805) - Located about 19 miles northeast of Beaver, UT, this site is located on the banks of Manderfield Reservoir. There’s enough room for about 6-7 RVs, plus a few more on the road up. The access road is rocky and bumpy, perhaps better suited for high-clearance rigs. But you’ll find secluded camping here, even on holiday weekends. Read reviews on FreeRoam.
Rufus Landing Recreation Area, Army Corps of Engineers, Rufus, OR, (GPS: 45.6932, -120.7562) - Located along the banks of the Columbia River, about 110 miles of Portland, OR, this gravel jetty was created when the Army Corps of Engineers dredged up the riverbed to build John Day Dam. The result was a dispersed camping area large enough to hold 20-30 large RVs. It’s gets windy here, and there is train noise, but the views are spectacular! Read reviews on FreeRoam.
Vedauwoo Glen Dispersed Area, Medicine Bow-Routt NF, Buford, WY, (GPS: 41.1529, -105.3750) - Located along I-80, about 19 miles east of Laramie, WY, is a small section of Medicine Bow-Routt NF called “Pole Mountain”. Vedauwoo Glen is a popular rock-climbing area. FR700 takes you through a “designated dispersed camping area” of about 70 marked campsites. These are all free, with a 16-day limit. There is also a paid-campground nearby. Read reviews on FreeRoam.
Are There Laws Against Running Your Generator at Night?
All state and federal land management agencies have rules against creating a public disturbance. Some agencies actually name generators, or other motorized equipment, in their wording. But these rules are largely enforced on developed campgrounds where camp hosts and officials make routine patrols. Otherwise, when boondocking, it requires another camper to call in a complaint, and those calls are rarely answered in the middle of the night.
If you plan to run your generator at night, then behooves you to find a campsite further away from other campers.
If a camper chooses to camp close to your site, you’re still free to kindly remind them that you’ll be running your generator at night.
Or, just don’t say anything and run your generator as you please. In most cases, campers don’t phone in complaints until after they’ve already complained to you. Most just pack up camp and leave.
Agency officials will not fine you, or arrest you, for running your generator at night. The worst they will do is knock on your vehicle and ask you to turn it off.
Read more about the laws and regulations of running a generator at night…