Woodridge Park and the George Latham Trail

Woodridge Park, Clinton Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Douglas County, near Lawrence)

Woodridge Park sits on a remote peninsula on the northwest shore of Clinton Lake, near Lawrence, and it’s set up for primitive camping. Recreation.gov says tent camping “is allowed throughout the park and along the 4.5 mile George Latham hiking trail,” and Kansas City Hiker counts 15 marked primitive sites with fire rings along the loop, some in the woods and some on the lakeshore.

It’s a short loop and a manageable first overnight within reach of Kansas City, with sites that reviewers describe as spread out and quiet.

The hike

The George Latham Trail is a single 4.5-mile loop through what Recreation.gov describes as 450 acres of oak and hickory forest and restored native grassland. Kansas City Hiker describes a natural-surface trail with moderate elevation changes that passes through thick forest, prairie fields, and rocky lakeshore, and writes that “once you leave the trailhead, it’s serenely quiet here.” A June 2026 U.S. Army feature says the trail “offers excellent hiking opportunities as well as overnight camping along the trail, if desired.”

The campsites are spaced around the loop, so how far you walk depends on which one is open. Alexandra J., reviewing on The Dyrt in September 2022, describes a half-mile walk to site 4 on the lake without seeing other hikers. Zach C. (July 2019) wrote that the trail sites “are really spread out and even if every spot is full you still feel secluded,” and Ashley F. (September 2017) thought a camper “could camp the whole weekend and potentially not see another person.”

Summer is the hard season. Kansas City Hiker warns of overgrowth, insects, and poison ivy in warm months and suggests the cooler seasons instead. The guide also rates the hike as challenging for young children despite its short length.

Clinton Lake has more trail. Compulsive Hiker’s 2012 guide describes about 21 miles of trails along the North Shore, including a red-blazed “Land’s End” section, and more than 30 miles of equestrian trail at Rockhaven on the south shore. The Kansas Trails Council lists the North Shore and South Shore trails among those its volunteers maintain. Those are day-hiking and riding trails in the sources we found; Woodridge is where the backpacking camping is.

For a longer trip in the same part of Kansas, the Perry Lake Trail loops about 29 miles around the next lake to the north.

Tips

Fill water at the trailhead area. Recreation.gov lists a spigot in the park; there’s none on the trail.
Leave the alcohol at home. Recreation.gov says alcohol is strictly prohibited in Woodridge Park.
Bring local firewood. Firewood must come from Douglas or Shawnee County, and only dead, downed wood may be gathered.
Go in the cooler seasons. Kansas City Hiker warns of summer overgrowth, insects, and poison ivy.
No bikes. Kansas City Hiker says bicycles are prohibited on the trail.
Leash dogs on a 6-foot leash and clean up after them.

Camping

Recreation.gov’s rules for Woodridge: stays are limited to 14 consecutive days in a 30-day period and eight people per site; quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.; fires go only in the fire rings the Corps provides; chainsaws aren’t allowed. The park has a vault toilet and a water spigot. Recreation.gov now lists the backcountry sites as individual “Hike To” campsites (Woodridge Backcountry 1 through 50, plus one unnumbered site), each with check-in and checkout times, alongside 15 tent-only sites, so check availability and reserve there before you go. Kansas City Hiker describes the trail sites as first come, first served; Recreation.gov doesn’t say whether walk-up camping is still allowed. The Clinton Lake office is at 785-843-7665.

Inside Intel: Site 4 is the one reviewers single out. Alexandra J. (The Dyrt, September 2022) wrote that “Site 4 is right on the lake and had a beautiful view of the sunrise,” about a half mile from the trailhead.

Trail facts

Distance: 4.5-mile loop
Route type: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Campsites: About 15 primitive sites with fire rings along the trail (Kansas City Hiker); more than 50 in the park, with 51 backcountry “Hike To” sites listed (Recreation.gov)
Water: Spigot in the park; none on the trail
Reservations: Backcountry “Hike To” sites are listed on Recreation.gov; walk-up rules not confirmed
Toilets: Vault toilet at the park
Group size: Eight per site
Managing agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Clinton Lake, 785-843-7665
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Lakeshore nights at Woodridge site 4:

Site 4 sits right on Clinton Lake, about a half mile from the trailhead. If you sleep on your side, these tips on pads, pillows, and knee support can help.

Try these fixes →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.