Campground Review – Rocky Ford Campground at Tuttle Creek State Park

Campground Review – Rocky Ford Campground at Tuttle Creek State Park

Rocky Ford Campground is one of four campgrounds in Tuttle Creek State Park.  It is below the dam of Tuttle Creek Lake and on the banks of a lake that is created from the backwater of the dam outlet and the spillway.

RV Park’s website:  https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Tuttle-Creek/Tuttle-Creek-Gallery/Rocky-Ford-Campground

RV Park’s location39.246387, -96.581932

Stayed in the park during our trip Tuttle Creek State Park and Kansas State Football – EMAW!

 

Not too much to see in the satellite photo except that there is a ton of old growth trees and shade a plenty.

 

1. Location.   Rocky Ford Campground is about 15 minutes from downtown Manhattan.  It’s the perfect distance to shoot over to campus for a football game or hit the Flint Hills Discovery Center with the family.  The Riley Point Campground in Tuttle Creek State Park is also about the same distance, but it doesn’t have near the shade of Rocky Ford and feels kind of like a parking lot.

 

2. Sites. The sites on Rocky Ford are all 20/30/50 electric with water.  Each site is finely graded gravel bordered with landscaping ties.  The sites aren’t the most level I’ve seen, but certainly not a challenge to get leveled up quickly.  The sites are quite wide to allow plenty of room under your awning.  As mentioned a few times, there is abundant shade.  The northern most sites are on the water.  I didn’t notice any significant bug issues during our visit.  Also, each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern hook.

Plenty of room on the sites
Not a ton of privacy, but still plenty of room between sites

3. Facilities.  Rocky Ford has it’s own dump station.  It actually has two stations and pavement to allow trailers going both directions.  Each station also has freshwater and a dumpster past the sewer connection so you can pull forward and let the next trailer start dumping.

Quite a dump station set up

The showerhouse is cleaned regularly and quite thoroughly.  However, it’s showing some age.

Four private showers in the front and men’s and women’s restrooms around the side
The inside of one of the showers. Again, cleaned well, but showing some age.

 

4.  Amenities.  The main attraction to the park is its namesake, Tuttle Creek Lake with plenty of fishing and boating activities.  The park website also provides, “Numerous nature trails, a mountain biking trail, and a scenic equestrian trail offer explorers a variety of routes to experience the aesthetic Flint Hills environment. Scenic picnic areas, an 18-hole disc golf course, volleyball courts, horse shoe pits, and conveniently placed restroom and shower facilities accommodate park visitors. The state-of-the-art Fancy Creek Shooting Range is open the first and third full weekends of each month. The Luke Nihart archery range is at River Pond Area and open daylight hours.  Archers provide their own equipment.  The River Pond Area has a swimming beach.”

 

5.  Extras.  The park hosts a country music festival, Country Stampede, annually in the summer.  If you aren’t coming to Tuttle Creek for Stampede, Rocky Ford is not the campground for you.  You need to look towards the campgrounds in Tuttle towards the North.  We had a blast here many moons ago before we were married.  It might not always be the most family friendly scene after dark.

 

Conclusion.  Tuttle Creek is a great place to camp.  The park can be a destination in itself, but it’s also a great place to stay and visit Manhattan, KS or Kansas State University.

 

Would We Stay Again?  Absolutely.

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