Richey Cove

Richey Cove Campground is located on the 3,310-acre Council Grove Lake in the green expanses of eastern Kansas. Boating is a popular pastime and a boat ramp is located in the campground. The lake is known for its fishing, with crappie and catfish 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 public hunting lands surrounding the lake. Hiking trails wind along the lake shore and into the forest, and Pioneer Nature Trail is known as the most scenic, 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, which 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 an array of autumn colors in the fall. Richey Cove offers 43 reservable campsites, including one group camping area that can accommodate up to 40 guests. Electric hookups, flush toilets and other modern amenities are provided, and the campground has plenty of shade along with open grassy areas for games and recreation. Council Grove Lake sits in the rolling, grassy Flint Hills behind a dam built in 1964. Historically this area is where the Osage Indians signed a treaty to establish the Old Santa Fe Trail, and a marker in the town of Council Grove indicates the place where the treaty was signed. The town, about 2 miles southeast of the lake, is a National Historic District with seven Santa Fe National Historic Trail sites in the community.