Closed
— The campground experienced temporary closures in 2025 due to federal staffing shortages. Current operational status is uncertain for the winter season.
About
North Richey Cove Campground is located on Council Grove Lake, a 3,310-acre reservoir built in 1964 on the Neosho River in the rolling Flint Hills of eastern Kansas. The campground provides direct access to the lake via an on-site boat ramp, making it popular for boating and water recreation. Council Grove Lake is known for quality fishing, with abundant populations of crappie and catfish, and was the first Kansas lake to receive saugeye stocking.
The area surrounding the lake features nearly 2,700 acres of public hunting lands with populations of quail, prairie chicken, wild turkey, and deer. Hiking trails wind along the shoreline and through the forest, with the Pioneer Nature Trail being particularly scenic with wildlife, native vegetation, and seasonal wildflowers. The lake sits in historic territory where the Osage Indians signed a treaty establishing the Old Santa Fe Trail.
Council Grove Lake serves as a starting point for the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, which showcases the remaining Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem. The National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve lies 25 miles south along this route. The historic town of Council Grove, a National Historic District with seven Santa Fe National Historic Trail sites, is located about 2 miles southeast of the lake.
Directions
From I-70, take Highway 177 south for 30 miles. The North Richey Cove entrance is located on the west side of the highway at the dam road.
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