Prairie Rose State Park

It was a bit cold, lots of bad weather, but we found some great places nearby, a dutch windmill near by! Very cool

I was going to stay there but I lost my phone in the porta potty and had to move on. But I will try to make there on my way to my next project.

We stayed during the campground's last weekend in October, and loved it. It was so gorgeous with all the fall colors, and it's really a gem of a campground.

Pros:

-Beautiful, huge lake with lots of pretty views

-Primitive spots are separated from electric spots, which is great if you're looking for quiet, peaceful tent camping

-Primitive spots are relatively private and generously sized, you don't feel like you're right on top of your neighbors

-Decent portapotty in close distance

-Plenty of picnic spots

-Electric spots are right along the lake, which offers beautiful views

-On-site firewood

Cons:

-Full modern bathrooms are a long walk/drive away

-Not much for activities

-Water hydrants are right in the middle of people's camping spots, so it feels awkward to grab water

-The only hiking trail is EXTREMELY poorly marked and when it ends (it doesn't tell you it's ending) you either have to just turn around or walk a mile along the busy highway with very small shoulder. We mistakenly took the highway expecting the trail to continue, but it didn't and it was very scary, 0/10 don't recommend.

-Not many walk-in spots

-Lots of primitive spots are on a hill, so your tent is a little sideways

-Not many dumpsters

-No lights in the portapotty, so you'll need a headlamp at night

EDITED TO ADD: We stayed again in May, and it was a great place to spend a weekend. Quiet, friendly but not a party crowd, and a nice, relaxing environment overall. Word on the streets (from the DNR warden) is that they’re looking into creating 2 more hiking trails too.

We showed up easter sunday when everyone in the loop left except one van, so it was pretty empty. But the wind was so intense an constant. Probably about 20 to 25mph wind all day and night. Temp was mid 70s to 80s. Well kept sites and the park ranger came through to check reservations were correct on the posts. Random people did come through the loop area to either hang out or go to the trail, which alerted our dogs everytime. We even thought some lady did a drug deal by grabbing an orange bag from one of the electric posts then left, pretty weird. We stayed on site 81 next to water which was essential. Big lake close by to fish which I'm guessing the only thing to do here other than walk the trail. I ran the trail for a workout, it's all grass around the lake. All the sites are pretty close together, about 20 to 30 apart so of you like that then there you go, but we wanted space for our dogs and privacy. Stayed 2 nights. All views of corn.

Reserved electric unit 090 for the weekend, which had a scenic corn field for a backdrop - this is Iowa! Paved roads, level gravel sites, wide & mowed trails, clean pit toilets and a layout that isn’t too cramped. The pond has multiple shoreline fishing spots with picnic tables and a cleaning station. Basic playground in front of the beach which is a short drive or a ~1 mile trail walk away.

Nice level sites, fairly Large, great fire pit With multiple grilling options. Beautiful pond and nice and quiet.

Very Nice sites. Many shaded. Only one shower room for campground, a drive from most sites. Pit toilets for rest of sites. Nice lake.

An oasis of solitude. The park is somewhat small but laid out nicely. I paid extra for an electric site to be close to the lake. It is 9 or so miles north of the highway so it was actually quiet. There were zero bugs to deal with. Amazing!!!  And no raccoons. I stayed one night, a Thursday, so I don’t know if it gets bad on a weekend. There were lots of locals there using it like a big backyard. The lake isn’t big but big enough to be useful.

Great campground if all you want to do is fish.

These Iowa state parks are extremely clean and well taken care of. The lake is huge with multiple trails that the kids loved. Playground was directly behind us which is a plus for us.

Stopped at Prairie Rose SP for one night on our way to South Dakota. Very nice campground with a large lake, and almost empty! Clean showers, hiking. Electric only. Water available in the campground.

small camping area, great rv area. awesome swimming pond, awesome fishing lake

This park surrounds the whole lake and you can explore everything thing by trail or water. Lots of fishing and swimming, we went looking for wildflowers along the lake trails. Even though there are tons of campsites it does not feel at all crowded. Very nice and clean.

Yay: Hard to choose a campsite, all had great views and little perks. Check out the cabins too.

Nay: None, perfect experience!

Surprise: trails are perfect for XC skiing in winter. We saw bald eagles and deer very close to the tent.

I really like Prairie Rose State Park. It is about ten miles north of Interstate 80 near Harlan, Iowa. The lake is gorgeous and has many different view points. There is plenty of space and a lot of different activities. A lot of folks fish and picnic. There are also a lot of geese.

The camp sites have great views of the lake and the park was pretty empty when I visited. This park truly is a rose in the prairie.

Our family of four tent camped one night at an electric lake front site. Sites are close together, but we had no neighbors so we had our privacy. The outhouse style bathroom was clean, but flies were abundant. The grounds were well maintained and DNR staff was very helpful. They even helped us with a small bike repair. The kids enjoyed biking and swimming. The whole family enjoyed prairie wildlife such as a blue heron, geese, bald eagles, frogs etc. The hiking trails were well cut out and offered views of the lake, woods, and natural prairie. Showers, no wake boating, and fishing were also available. We would have been happy to stay a few more days!