Campgrounds and RV parks near Hutchinson, KS

Sand Hills State Park is built for active trips. The park features eight trails that add up to 14 miles and weave in between 10 to 40-feet high sand dunes, through grasslands and trees, and around ponds. Trails are open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, and 14 sites have horsepens made up of two 12'X12' pens, designated as prime equestrian sites. Cheney Reservoir is the water-sports draw. Located in windy central Kansas, the lake offers excellent sailing, and national sailing regattas take place at Cheney. Campers launch kayaks and canoes from waterfront sites, and a 9-mile trail system runs through flat terrain suitable for mountain biking. In town, the Cosmosphere space museum, Strataca underground salt museum, and the Kansas State Fair each September pull steady RV traffic.

Spring and fall are the most comfortable windows for RV travel. Hutchinson has about 118 days with comfortable weather, and the best time to visit is April to May and mid September to October. Spring brings the wettest stretch and the strongest thunderstorm activity, so plan for wind and the possibility of severe weather advisories in May and June. Summer runs hot and humid. July averages a high of 93°F and a low of 68°F, and afternoon heat indexes on the prairie can push higher. Shade at open state-park loops is limited, so full-hookup sites with functioning A/C matter. Winter camping is possible but stripped down. Water is typically shut off to most utility campgrounds, bathhouses, and dump stations for the winter, while electric service remains available at many sites. The Sand Hills campground includes corrals and frost-free hydrants for year-round camping. Winter sites at Cheney are largely first come first serve, paid at the park office or via self-pay.

Sand Hills is a small, well-kept campground. The park has 64 utility sites; 44 have water, sewer, and electricity, and 20 have just water and sewer. All sites have 50 amp service. Concrete pads, fire rings, lantern stands, and picnic tables are standard, and a shower building serves the loop. Cheney is much larger and more spread out. The park has grown to include 223 electrical sites with water, 22 boat launching lanes on 7 boat ramps, 10 restroom and shower houses, 2 modern restrooms and 6 vault toilets, and 4 trailer dump stations, with a mix of primitive and utility camping. Loops vary widely: some sit right on the water, others tuck under cottonwoods further inland. Expect wind almost every day, level-to-gently-rolling terrain, and long sight lines. Bring leveling blocks and secure any awnings.