By David Markham
A recently-accepted JCPRD Camping Feasibility Study doesn’t establish any public campgrounds within the district, but will serve as a tool for considering development of camping facilities as part of future park planning and updating efforts.
“This study is a flexible framework, not a mandate,” explained JCPRD Project Manager Will Metcalf. “The study does not obligate JCPRD to implement camping but gives the organization a clearer basis for evaluating future opportunities and incorporating camping into planning. This study evaluates the appropriateness of public camping within JCPRD parks, identifies camping types that may be the best fit, considers potential locations, and begins to outline the implementation and operational responsibilities that come with it.”
A 12-member internal steering committee working in conjunction with consultants SWT Design developed the study through a year-long process. The Johnson County Board of Park & Recreation Commissioners accepted the document earlier this year.
The study was developed partially in response to six existing JCPRD park master plans adopted between 1996 and 2019 which mention the possibility of offering some form of camping, but at which none of those options have been developed or implemented.
“This study was initiated to answer a basic but important question – Is camping feasible in JCPRD?,” said SWT Design Project Manager Julian Sabin. “As it stands today, JCPRD does not offer any public camping opportunities, and this study was the first step towards understanding whether that could be arranged.”
The only camping currently allowed on district properties are three group camping sites for organized not-for-profit youth organizations, such as scouts, and occasionally as part of organized and staff-supervised programming. JCPRD’s group camping sites are located in Big Bull Creek and Shawnee Mission parks, and at the TimberRidge Adventure Center adjacent to Kill Creek Park. To learn more about JCPRD’s group campsites, visit JCPRD.com/617/Campground.
The 98-page study concludes that “(public) camping is a feasible and valuable addition when implemented at a scale that responds to community interest while remaining compatible with JCPRD’s park character, operations, and long-term flexibility.” The study also notes that “JCPRD has the opportunity to be a unique provider of public camping in the county.”
A survey conducted in mid-2025 as part of the study drew 1,100 responses and found that camping is a popular form of outdoor recreation that is growing not only in numbers of participants across demographics, but also in the dollars being spent on camping and camping-related recreation.
Nearly 73% of respondents reported camping at least a few times per year, with most saying they prefer camping in groups of two to four individuals, and with 44% preferring to camp with pets. Popular camping activities cited by respondents included campfires (81%), hiking (62%), cooking (30%), stargazing (30%), and boating or paddling (23%).
“(The community) is very interested and excited about the possibility of having public camping,” Metcalf concluded. “When I was reviewing written comments from the survey, a lot of people said that if only they had high-quality tent camping nearby, that would mean that they would camp more often, and people who don’t camp anymore said that might get them back into camping.”
“Rather than designing one specific campground, the study identifies camping types, common components, general design, and operational considerations that can be applied across different sites depending on the park character, amenities, utilities, and operational capacities,” Sabin said.
Based on the survey findings, recommended camping types include: Primitive Tent Camping, which would be rustic, secluded, and low-impact; Basic Tent Camping, which would be entry-level and family-friendly with simple amenities; Yurts, which would be weather-protected as well as basic but approachable; and Cabins, which could be modest but comfortable with heating or cooling for year-round use.
“These four types serve a wide range across the county and will position JCPRD to deliver community camping at a high level, consistent with the standard of excellence, fit for the needs of the community, and with the quality of the community,” Sabin said.
It was noted that other types of camping, such as glamping, large trailers, RVs, and motorhomes, are not being recommended at this time.
Camping types would be mixed and matched to fit different park settings and user needs, and different campgrounds would have different maximum numbers of campsites.
The study investigated camping at the existing JCPRD locations where camping was proposed in past master plans. At Greater Kill Creek Park, the study identifies primitive tent camping, basic tent camping, yurts, and cabins as possible camping types suitable for the Proving Grounds area, and basic tent camping for the Roberts Lake area. At the TimberRidge Adventure Center, primitive and basic tent camping were identified for the group camp area. At Big Bull Creek Park, cabins were identified for the Sand Pond Area, and primitive and basic tent camping for the 213th Street access point. All four types of camping were identified as possibilities for the Stoneridge area of Cedar Niles Park.
The study makes no specific camping type recommendations for Shawnee Mission Park, which will soon undergo master plan update efforts.
“The park includes a wide range of potential locations and popular recreational amenities that may be attractive to campers,” the plan states. “As such, it is recommended that the Shawnee Mission Park Master Plan update consider public camping as a potential program addition warranting further investigation.”
For regional context, the study committee also looked at other area camping examples. These included: Smithville Lake in Clay County, Mo.; Blue Springs Lake, Lake Jacomo, Longview Lake, and Blue and Gray Park Reserve, all in Jackson County, Mo.; Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park camping areas in Clinton and Hillsdale state parks; Ironwood Park in Leawood (cabins only); and Smith Fork Campground in Smithville, Mo.
Some key takeaways include: JCPRD could differentiate itself with smaller camping areas, greater site separation, better screening, and a more intentional relationship to park amenities; direct lake access is not essential for success; daytime activities drive campground use; and cabins could fill a gap in the region.
A Johnson County camping market study undertaken to support the recommendations found: a higher-than-average spending on camping and related expenditures; county residents are more likely than the average American to have to have participated in camping or backpacking in the past 12 months; and the presence of “significant population segments” who are likely to camp.
Camping is “perceived as a cost-effective experience, popular across many levels, and serves as a gateway activity that leads people for other forms of outdoor recreation,” Sabin noted. “That means campers tend to become hikers, paddlers, cyclists, and long-term park users.”
The JCPRD Camping Feasibility Study also ties into the JCPRD Legacy Plan accepted in 2024, which recommended exploring additional camping opportunities, and the JCPRD Natural Resource Plan accepted in 2025, which identified rustic camping as an appropriate and complementary use within the district’s natural areas.
“If JCPRD chooses to move forward, then we believe the data makes a compelling case for doing so,” Sabin said. “The next steps would include evaluating operational responsibilities and staffing needs in more detail, defining maintenance expectations and service standards, refining reservations and key structures, and considering phase implementation for a pilot project to test the model before full build-out. JCPRD currently has an opportunity to be a unique provider of public camping because there is simply no outdoor camping in the county itself.”
