It’s no surprise motorists often slow as they top a small rise off Highway 156 between Jetmore and Garden City. Before them appears a sight so stunning that many might think it a mirage.

Seemingly out of place amid the high and otherwise dry plains sits HorseThief Reservoir with 450 acres of water. As well as being one of Kansas’ prettiest lakes, HorseThief Reservoir is also one of the newest and uniquely managed playgrounds in the state.

Framed by rugged canyon lands and broad expanses of native prairie grasses and wildflowers, the reservoir holds trophy-sized largemouth bass, saugeye and catfish. There is can’t-miss action on bluegills and crappies for kids. Powerboats have places to roar. Kayakers have quiet waters for paddling, too. 

But it’s the shoreline accommodations that are becoming the reservoir’s major claim to fame, thanks to comfortable yurts at the heart of America’s “glamping” movement.

“I guess you could say we’re the yurt capital of Kansas,” says Audrey Rupp, the reservoir’s district manager. “It offers campers a unique experience.”

Based on the round, soft-sided, weather-proof structures first created on Mongolian steppes over 3,000 years ago, the modernized yurts are in great demand at high-end camping destinations from Maine to California.

HorseThief’s campground (not to be confused with the Horse Thief campground area of Kanopolis State Park) currently has five yurts and will soon construct five more, thanks to a grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce and Kansas Tourism.

HorseThief’s yurts are 30 feet across, sit on perfectly level concrete and come with beds and some furniture. Some have complete plumbing and bathing facilities. Those that don’t are within short walks of spacious shower houses. 

The weather-proof yurts have heating and air-conditioning, making them usable year-round. They also have private picnic tables and firepits. 

All not far from shore, HorseThief’s yurts are placed so campers can listen to the sound of waves rolling to shore while watching the stars through the skylight at the yurt’s peak.

Such moments of outdoor relaxation are among the reasons HorseThief Reservoir was created, according to Rupp.

She recalls there had been talk about putting a dam on Buckner Creek since the 1930s. Naysayers, especially within the past 40 years, said it would never get enough water to amount to more than an oversized mud puddle.

But unlike most western Kansas streams and rivers, Buckner Creek has long flowed freely rather than go dry, even during years of drought. Finally, in 2005, citizens in Finney, Ford, Gray and Hodgeman counties passed a tax bond to create a watery playground in a part of the world once called “The Great American Desert.”  

The lake is funded by the four Kansas counties and user fees, with few ties to state or federal governments. No water is pledged to irrigation or drinking water supplies.

 

horsethief-yurt

Construction on the dam began in 2008 and was completed in 2009. The lake was half-full in 2010. Even with several years of severe drought, it filled to conservation level in 2016. That’s 450 surface acres to 39 feet deep.

Rupp says the lake has lost about seven vertical feet of water during the ongoing severe drought, but access is still easy.

Rupp, her board of directors and a very active group of volunteers do what they can to maximize recreation possibilities and the number of visitors. 

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks manages the fishery, which includes working with the habitat and regularly stocking the lake. There are miles of hiking, cycling and equestrian trails and a swimming beach.

Rupp notes a steady calendar of special activities—free movie nights, disc golf tournaments, music and kite festivals—is intended to keep the experience fresh for even the most regular lake visitors. 

“We’re open year-round and stay pretty popular. We get a lot of hunters who stay and people who just like getting out any time of the year,” Rupp says. “We have people who want to come out and stay in our yurts around Christmas every year. You just can’t get a more peaceful setting than that.”

 

Visiting HorseThief Reservoir
  • Entry Fee
    • Daily permits $5 / Annual pass $50
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  • Camping Fee
    • Daily fee $10, with full utilities $25 / Annual fee $250
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  • Yurt and cabin rentals
    • Nightly from $60 to $110 / Some require a minimum two-night booking