Prairie Dog State Park
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- YesAlso cabins
- Official site
- travelks.com(785) 877-2953
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
In Norton County, about 4 miles southwest of Norton, Prairie Dog State Park covers about 1,178 acres.
The park supports archery, fishing, wildlife watching, and hiking. Overnight options include campsites, with RV sites with full hookups, tent sites, and primitive or hike-in sites. There are also cabins for rent.
Pets
Pets must always be restrained by a camper, cage, hand-held leash, or tethered chain no longer than 10 feet; not allowed on swimming beaches/buoyed swim areas or in public buildings.
Statewide rule from Kansas's park system (source). This park’s page doesn’t state its own pet rules, so check for local restrictions.
Fees and passes
Per vehicle: $5 daily vehicle permit or annual Kansas State Parks Passport ($15.50 resident via vehicle registration, $25 at KDWP office); camping permit required in addition for overnight stays, prime-site fee Apr 1–Sep 30, $3 per-stay transaction fee.
Statewide fee rule from Kansas's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Kansas park passes
- Daily vehicle permit — $5. Daily vehicle entry; not required at Mushroom Rock, Prairie Spirit Trail and Flint Hills Trail state parks Details
- Kansas State Parks Passport (annual vehicle permit) — $15.50 with Kansas vehicle registration renewal; $25 at a KDWP office. Entry to any Kansas state park without the $5 daily vehicle fee Details
From the Kansas state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- CampItKS (KDWP camping reservations)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites | — | Electric and Water Hookups: 67; Electric-only Hookups: 13; Full Hookups: 10 | — |
Camping details from the park
Modern Cabins
2
Primitive Cabins
2
Primitive Campsites
154
67
Electric-only Hookups
13
Full Hookups
10
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Cabins and lodging
- Modern Cabins: 2 units
- Primitive Cabins: 2 units
Modern Cabins
Primitive Cabins
Things to do
FishingWildlife viewing and birdingHikingArcheryCamping
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Mathes Nature Trail | 1.4 mi | Easy | WalkingConcrete, and dirt surfaceAccessible |
Trail descriptions from the park
- Steve Mathes Nature Trail
- Length – 1.4 miles
- Terrain – Concrete, and dirt
- Difficulty level - Easy
- Usage - Walking
- First 1000ft are ADA accessible.
Fishing
- Largemouth bass
- Wipers
- Crappie
- Saugeye
- Channel catfish
Kansas Fishing License
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Camping
- Tent camping
- RV camping
- Electric hookups
- Water hookups
- Sewer hookups
- Primitive or backcountry camping
Lodging
- Cabins
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
The first thousand feet of the trail is ADA. There are 15 ADA campsite pads.
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 13037 State Hwy 261
Norton, KS 67654 - Nearest town
- Norton — about 4 mi southwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 39.8126, -99.9631
- Phone
- (785) 877-2953
- kdwp.prairiedogsp@ks.gov
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Kansas State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- TravelKS.com (State of Kansas official tourism site, Dept. of Commerce) 'Kansas State Parks' page — 29 park page links; contacts/coordinates from KDWP's public ArcGIS 'KDWP Spatial Directory' Offices layer
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology