Camping
There’s nothing like sleeping under the stars
Like other Iowa campgrounds, Palisades Kepler State Park west of Mount Vernon offers scenic vistas and abundant wildlife/Gazette archive photo.
By Jan Clarke
Iowa has unlimited opportunities for camping, whether you prefer to hike in, enjoy the comfort of your RV, or rent a cabin! In addition, many of the state parks have sites that are wheelchair accessible.
Make sure you have a campsite. Check the offerings online:
Or, if you’re the impulsive type, just show up! Fifty percent of the state parks’ sites are first come, first serve. Cabins may be reserved 12 months in advance.
You also can camp in four of Iowa’s state forests: Loess Hills, Shimek, Stephens, and Yellow River. Three of the four – Shimek, Stephens, and Yellow River – have equestrian sites as well as non-modern and hike-in sites.
In addition to municipal, county, state and federal campgrounds, there are plenty of independently owned campgrounds and RV parks throughout the state.
Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly experience or the ultimate outdoor adventure (or both!), camping in Iowa will create memories that last forever.
Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
[...] For more on camping, check the iowa.com camping page. [...]
May 5th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Thanks, exactly what I was looking for. Saved me some time.
Bookmarked
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:50 pm
You are absolutely right, Terry! Coralville Lake, Saylorville Lake, Lake Red Rock and the others are some of the prettiest campgrounds in state. Thanks for sharing! Maybe this spring or summer someone will take some video and use the “video comments” to add it to this page.
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:03 am
What about all the wonderful campgrounds owned and managed by the federal government in Iowa? Especially the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Coralville Lake alone has over 500 campsites available around the lake.