Bloomington East

Hosted by US Army Corps of Engineers

New listing

Bloomington East Park includes Cedar Ridge, Hickory/Walnut and Oak Campgrounds, Ash and Elm Group Camps, and Bloomington Beach Picnic Shelters. The park is located just west of Clinton Lake, between the Rock Creek and Wakarusa River arms of the lake, and offers several different recreational options for both group and individual family camping. Bloomington Beach has a large sandy beach for swimming, and the park offers four sets of boat ramps with courtesy docks. Clinton Lake offers boating, fishing, canoeing, jet skiing, swimming and countless other water sports, making it the main attraction in the park; it is well-stocked with crappie, walleye, channel catfish and white bass, and its fish and wildlife resources give sightseers, fishermen and hunters ample opportunities. Visitors enjoy viewing bald eagles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese, wild turkey and other wildlife in abundance. There are horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts and playgrounds in several places, and a full 18-hole professional disc golf course is free to all visitors, with sets of discs available to borrow from the camp host stations. Bloomington East offers the Smokehouse Trail, while three other trail systems around Clinton Lake, the North Shore, South Shore and George Latham Trails, all offer hiking, biking and equestrian opportunities within a 20 minute drive. The park has over 300 campsites ranging from primitive to full hook-up to group camps, plus four group shelters and dozens of picnic tables. Cedar Ridge and Hickory Walnut are the two main campgrounds, comprised of individual family sites, many with electrical or electrical and water hookups. Somewhat removed from the larger Hickory Walnut Campground are Oak Campground, a loop of individual family sites, and Elm and Ash Group Camps, larger grassy areas accommodating up to 75 people. Elm and Ash are intended for tent camping groups but can handle a limited number of small trailers, such as tent campers, as long as they remain on the gravel circle drive; there is no electricity in either. Cedar Ridge, Hickory Walnut and the Bloomington Beach Day Use area provide flush toilets, drinking water, showers and a nearby dump station. There is a covered, accessible fishing dock a short drive or walk from the campgrounds and picnic shelters. The Bloomington Beach Day Use area has four picnic shelters with electrical outlets adjacent to the beach, ideal for large group or family gatherings, plus several single picnic tables for smaller groups. The picnic shelters are reservable, or open on a first-come, first-serve basis if not already reserved. Congress authorized Clinton Lake in 1962, and the finished reservoir was filled in 1980. While the dam and reservoir were originally built for flood control, the area has become a recreational oasis against a beautiful green Kansas backdrop. Clinton Lake's setting of steep bluffs, wooded shoreline and clean water is unequaled among Kansas lakes, and shoreline development has been limited in an effort to preserve as much of the natural setting as possible. The lake spans 8 miles up the Wakarusa Valley and covers 7,000 surface acres; if it ever approaches the top of its flood pool, an additional 5,800 acres will be covered, extending the area to 13 miles along the valley floor. The Visitor Center, on the northwest side of the dam, has several informative displays covering the history of the area, reasons for the dam and the wildlife in the area. The Clinton Lake Museum, located within Bloomington East Park, has displays on the history of the region and the Underground Railroad. The cities of Lawrence and Topeka are within a 30 minute drive.

Pet friendly

Pet friendly

Location

ASH GROUP

ASH GROUP CAMPGROUND · GROUP STANDARD NONELECTRIC · Overnight

Max Num of People: 75
Pets Allowed: Yes
Capacity/Size Rating: Single
Max Vehicle Length: 60
Campfire Allowed: Yes
Shade: Yes

Reserve on Recreation.gov

Campsites305

Lawrence, KS

To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Amenities

Accessible campsites
17 sites
Campfires allowed
Drinking water
Electric hookups
Fire pits
Grills
Picnic tables
Sewer hookups
Shade
Vault toilets
Water hookups

Rules & policies

Check-in
6:00 PM
Check-out
5:00 PM
People per site
Up to 8
Vehicles per site
Up to 2
Camping equipment required
Pets allowed

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US Army Corps of Engineers

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