Top 5 Camping Experiences in Leavenworth County, KS

Submitted by Visit Leavenworth KS

Looking to spend more time outdoors this summer? Leavenworth County offers plenty of variety for prospective campers, whether you’re the type to rough it or would rather find refuge in a tricked-out treehouse.

Nestled between the Missouri River and historic downtown Leavenworth, Riverfront Park & Campground offers 13 paved camping sites with electricity from April 1 to Oct. 31 each year. Guests also can rent a 25’-by-25’ picnic shelter suited for family gatherings, and restrooms and showers are available for use through a $20 refundable key deposit. Fire pits, a boat ramp and playground equipment for the kids round out the park’s amenities. And don’t forget to look for signage honoring this area’s past campers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who trekked through here in July of 1804 with the Corps of Discovery Expedition.

• Nearly 40 lots surround a small country lake at Suncatcher Lake RV Park. Guests fish, walk their dogs in neighboring woods and enjoy access to a host of nearby attractions, from downtown Leavenworth (10 minutes away) to the Kansas City metro (45 minutes). The park is open year-round and provides on-site laundry and shower facilities.
   
• One of Leavenworth County’s newest camping spots is Tranquility RV Park, which boasts 25 100’-by-50’ RV pads to accommodate larger vehicles. Each site features its own picnic table, fire pit and some sort of shade for those blazing summer days. Guests also find a 24-hour, coin-operated laundry room and free wi-fi.

• The overnight “Western Experience” package at Watkins “C” Ranch gives you a taste of the cowboy lifestyle without sacrificing the creature comforts. This property, now managed by the fourth generation of a local horse-ranching family, has crafted a “glamping” adventure that, of course, includes a trail ride for two. Afterward, you’ll retreat to your tent – one with an actual bed in it, as opposed to a chilly sleeping bag on the ground. The Watkins “C” team will even help you get a bonfire started as night falls. S’mores, anyone?

• Kids aren’t the only ones who get to have treehouse hideouts. In fact, at Hidden Valley Wilderness Retreat, the treehouses are adults only. “It is intended as a peaceful destination of renewal and/or a romantic getaway,” according to its proprietors, and guests are meant to absorb the stillness of the surrounding acreage, which includes two miles of wooded walking trails. Three treehouses are fully furnished, plumbed and kitted with kitchens, air conditioning and cable TV. Relax in the property’s hot tub, by a koi pond or in front of a barbecue grill.