Clinton State Park is formidable. It's like Thanos, if Thanos was water and dirt. It's massive, filled with trees, and it is murky. The only time I've ever been stopped by water patrol while in my tiny boat has been on this lake. I saw him dartin' straight for me amongst a hoard of rich people in their fancy little shiny boats. Men drunk as the cow on Tuesday blaring there speaker systems that cost more than my boat, and this joker brought his $80,000 police boat right to my little inflatable tube. He checked me over, they were nice enough. I guess people do die on this lake if you're not responsibly careful enough. It's not a place to play around if you're not prepared for the worst. There are so many great secluded shelters strewn about this place, and the Clinton Park of it does require a $5 per day access fee I believe go check local updates. Per car mind you; and less in fact you paid for the state stamp with your yearly registration on your vehicle which I do. It's a good deal for $15 a year. The fishing however if you're a true fisherman is spectacular. Clinton has some of the best fishing in the country. It's not for the faint of heart however, and the surface is vast. I once drove across this lake on a boat going about 4 mph for half a day and didn't make it halfway across it. They have great sections where the bass fishing is amazing during certain periods of the year. It's a great place, and if you don't want to get out on the water you can go to the spillway which a lot of people do for fishing. Be safe. read more

Clinton Lake is a fantastic visit for those wanting to learn more about our state parks. What I really enjoyed about Clinton lake were the friendly people, the affordable stay, and the great clean environment. We took our vacation here and stared up at the sky with a telescope, went fishing, enjoyed the trails. All of these are available and easy to access. We went in an RV (a 24') and had an easy time getting service and having fun. Bathrooms are clean, showers are well maintained and have incredible, and I mean absolutely incredible water pressure. There are a few pieces of advice I would give before you attend. The trails are fantastic, but if you plan on going now you had better plan on taking with you PLENTY and I mean PLENTY of bug repellent. The trails are full of ticks and chiggers, and you will find your ankles and body well covered if you have not taken the right precautions. Don't walk trails where you aren't covered, and don't do things that will put you at risk. read more

Clinton State Park - Our dog at Clinton Lake - Parks Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Clinton is always worth the visit, where you're a Lawrence native or heading over from KC. Far and away my favorite part of this lake/park is their trail network, which can be accessed at several northern points around the park. Portions of the trail almost have a Colorado vibe with evergreens, and little waterfront glimpses along the way. As I'm writing this in August, I have to include this extremely pertinent tidbit: WEAR BUG SPRAY! I don't care if you spritz gasoline around your ankles, failing to wear bug spray in late summer will cost you dearly as the chiggers here have destroyed me on more than one occasion. I legit have had hundreds of tiny bites from one hour of hiking, and they linger. I've camped here a couple times, once was rogue camping back in high school which was great, right by a little beach. Once we paid to camp and it was basically hanging out at an RV park with neighbors who wanted to stay up all night over several Busch Lights. Not my thing. Clinton is also great to ride around since it's a sizable lake, and easy to access from Lawrence. I'm a road cyclist, but even I took advantage of the super-wide sidewalks on 23rd St. that will safely transport you out there as you head west. Catch a sunset at the dam, hike the trails, take in nature and live it up! read more

I've run the Sanders Saunter trail run here twice and I love this park. It's easy to get to and the running trails are amazing. We got 25K in and got to see a lot of gorgeous scenery. It's great to be able to run along side the lake at some points. and the trail is very technical in some spots. I wish I could review the rest of the park/ lake I just have not made time to look around. read more

Clinton State Park - Parks Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

This place was pretty cool, but I wish there was a better way to explain where to go and where the best sites to visit around the lake are for a visitor - at first I ended up in a spot that had barely any access to the scenic lake and it was so disappointing but with some exploring, I did find more and ended up having a pretty nice time looking at different areas of a very beautiful lake. read more

We stayed here one night on our way out west. Seemed dated and a little overgrown. Would probably look for another location if I were to travel out west again. read more

Very nice park, very friendly people and it was very clean, and there was a ice cream truck going around selling things and our puppies loved the park and had fun meeting others, everyone loved the puppies. Thank you for an awesome park.. read more

Sites are reasonably level and the grass is mowed. The bathroom is not very clean and no hot water in showers . I made reservations online but I was surprised when I got here there was a additional five dollars fee daily for entrance to area. read more

Nicely maintained park! Bathrooms and shower houses looked freshly redone on one of the campgrounds, but the other appeared to only have 1 shower house/bathroom open. The primitive sites are nice but on the smaller side. We ended up using 2 sites side by side and it was perfect for our 2 tents! read more

This is a good location in the area for hiking and trails. The portions of the blue and white trails I've been on weren't too challenging and offered a nice variety of incline. I'd like to go back and explore other areas of the park, including the lake, and try to spot an eagle! read more

Clinton State Park - View of the lake from the blue trail - Parks Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

It's beautiful to watch the sunset here except there is not really a beach but a ton of rocks that you can sit on and the bugs get pretty bad, but it's really fun to go with friends. read more

We camped here for the night during a road trip from CO to NC. It was really accessible, and the grounds are beautiful. It is nearly impossible to find an electronic pay station, so I do not recommended checking into a campsite after hours. Ultimately, we ended up leaving in the middle of the night due to high winds, which we should have expected since...we all know what happened to Dorothy. read more

YES!!! A body of water close to Lawrence, and a large lake at that! Filled with hiking trails, scenic points, bike trails, and tons of water to paddle on, this is a sanctuary for me. Had a crappy day? I come here. Need a place to watch the sun set? I come here. Want a mini beach vacay? I come here. While I don't advise to dunk yourself and swim extensively in the nasty water, it's a good lake to bring watercraft. I see tons of boats out there. Sigh, I miss my dear Mission Bay in San Diego, but Clinton State Park is beautiful in a whole different way. Can't wait for the autumn leaves to color the park. I see myself being best friends with this place whether i be in a canoe, on a bike, or in sneaks. read more

Great place to hike especially at the top that overlooks the lake. The trail that leads to it can get busy but it's still has truly magnificent views of the lake and the surrounding park. Definitely recommend if outdoors are your thing. read more

Outdoor enthusiasts would be hard pressed to find a more ideal place in eastern Kansas. With extensive hiking and biking trails, Clinton wins my vote for best outdoor area around. The trail system can be accessed from the main park entrance or at the trail head just south of Clinton Parkway leading towards the levee. The trails are maintained by volunteers, so definitely plan for some rocky spots and exposed roots. Also, traffic isn't directed so two-way riders are expected. Watch out around curves etc. The hiking trails, shared with bikes are fine but my favorite are is the George Lantham loop on the far western side of the lake in the Woodbridge primitive area. The 4.5 mile loop has varying terrain, from rocky shores to open prairie and offers great views of the lake. There is free primitive camping in the area as well. It makes for a nice get away and you can chill out around a campfire at night while making smores. The beaches on the eastern side of the lake are night though the murkiness of Clinton makes me stay away from swimming. To access these areas, you have to pay a day-use fee, but there are free areas on the south and west sides of the lake. read more

My husband grew up in Lawrence, near the Clinton Lake dam, and we always visit the lake when we are in town. The park boasts miles of trails for public use. If you're a runner you will love the variety in incline and landscape. The trails are also perfect for dog-walking or the contemplative stroll. You can even walk to the waters edge and admire the sunset! There are a few benches to walk to and campgrounds if you are inclined. The only gripe I have about the park is the abundance of litter (alcoholic beverages specifically) along the waters edge from people who come to party by the lake. Other than that, a wonderful park that is always worth the visit! read more

We stayed at Clinton State Park in campground 3 section for 1 night. Although the camping fee is only $21/night but the hidden cost was $3 processing and $5 entrance fees, so our electric/water hookup cost us 29/night. The female staffer at entrance kiosk neither friendly nor helpful; abrupt and offer no park map. The kicker was you have to drive to a camp host after 4PM to pay for your site and not the host come to you. This campground lack orientation map and friendliness attitude when dealing with campers. Proper customer service training is desperately needed here. Our site is on gravel and not at all leveled, leveling blocks are needed here. WiFi? You must be joking! Decent LTE/3G for internet access. Bathroom is dated, but functional. Showers need more hooks and toilet small single roll canister ran out fast. OTA TV has 59 digital channels. 2 double dump stations located along the main park road. Would we come back again? Hell no! There are more reasonable cost and friendlier staffs where we are going. read more

Water, grass, trees, picnic/barbeque areas, and a dog park! This place is great! They have some nice short and easy hiking trails, some pretty views and well, I cant hink of better places to let the dogs out on a sunny afternoon! We ran into a couple deer the other day on our walk as well! read more

With campsites starting as low as ten dollars a night for a basic set up, the price is one the best parts of this park. Free parking, and boat access comes with your lot rental, and there are bathroom facilities within walking distance from every lot. Also, a short drive will take you to the bath-house which has over fifteen shower stalls and indoor plumbing for the toilets. The staff is friendly, some lots are reservable in advance online or by phone, and there is a well stocked store within a few miles if you forget any bare necessities. read more

Clinton State Park - One of two fire pits at campsites. - Parks Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Sweeping outdoor spaces and views with a good trail system make this a go-to place to breathe fresh air. The north shore trail system is wooded and feels secluded on most days. read more

I try to get out here as much as I can. It's a great spot. Camp, fish, hike. Being outside is healthy. Family friendly.

If you're into a desolate, post-apocalyptic scenery, this is the place for you. We visited on a lovely sunny day, so it wasn't the weather, but the lake is dreary and the "beach" is not at all pleasant to walk on. Kansas City is really not a place for hikers, but this park is possibly the least friendly one in the area. read more

We went over to Clinton State Park last weekend with the intention of seeing some bald eagles. The park was lovely though we saw no eagles upon inspection. We'd heard that the marina near the lake was the place to get lucky. We drove over and paid the $5 fee to get to it. The great part of paying the fee was that we discovered 3 bald eagles walking on the ice. Home run Clinton State Park. read more

I like coming to Clinton State Park to get miles in on my bike. Ironman Kansas is held here each June and new in 2013 is the Kansas 5150 and Lawrence Triathlon. IM KS and 5150 both swim in Clinton Lake (starting at the Marina, but there is no swimming allowed there during the regular day, you need to head up to the beach within the park) and then the bike route starts at the marina and goes through the park, out of the park and over the dam and into the surrounding area. Clinton State Park's roads are HILLY, you are going to get a dang good workout in even just within the park's limits. It is $4 to enter the park and there are bathrooms (slightly nicer that port o potties, but not too much). It is also beautiful and well-maintained. If you ride your bike outside of the park's limits, watch for cars. There is shoulder some of the way, but because of these big races, I think the cars are accustomed to seeing a lot of rides. Many athletes will take advantage of the campground here before and after the races. It is fun to run through the campgrounds and see all the campers and have them cheer you on. More power to them, but I want a comfy bed before a race :) read more

We liked the park a lot!! The primitive spots are 13$ a night. We think that's kinda steep especially since the spots are so close together. They aren't really primitive. We read that they were free when we arrived. But it was not. We got there at 10pm and left around 8am so didn't get to look around at all. It was pretty many trees so shade cover. read more

We stayed for two nights with our kids. The area is really pretty, but the campground itself was moderate/fair and the facilities were awful. My husband and I made a list of pros and cons of our stay. PROS: tent sites offer way more shade than electrical sites (which offer very few trees), disc golf course was very nice, the marina is impressive, the ppl working the office were accommodating, especially when dealing with the 3am party campers. CONS: The site itself was unkept, had to move because not all sites have a fire pit and there was no picnic table, at the new site our picnic table was rotted (had sit on towels bc it was really bad), there was a pile of leaves on the site that looked like it hadn't been raked for about three years (w/lots of deer ticks), there are very few toilets and they are a long walk away, no toilet paper was ever available, no ventilation in the restrooms, few showers which caused long wait lines w/no benches to sit on while waiting, the beach is about 10-stories down a steep staircase (don't bring a lot of stuff bc you have to haul it back up), no shower at the beach house, no toilet near the beach (have to climb back up the stairs to go potty), the water is disgusting, there was larvae on the top of the water (all over), we did not go back to the beach but instead went into Lawrence and played at the local pool which was excellent. Needless to say, we will not be coming back to Kansas to stay at a state park again. read more