Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Ankeny, IA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Find the best campgrounds near Ankeny, IA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
$20 - $25 / night
"Nice CG located on the North end of Saylorville Reservoir. Camped in the upper CG site#145. Numerous shade trees, gravel pad and room for our 20' trailer and TV."
"A couple minor complaints that I developed would be that it is right next to the golf course so there is a lot of near by traffic, and people like to cruise on motorcycles and drive muscle cars through"
$20 - $336 / night
"The Prarie Flower campground at Saylorville Lake is an open, flat grassy campground near wooded trails around the US Army Corps of Engineers land."
"Lots of prairie area around, spacious sites. Varying levels of shade. A25, had a good amount of shade and was near the nice playground and nice bathrooms. No view of the lake from loop A."
$22 - $26 / night
"We stayed here for two nights while visiting family nearby. It’s a pretty location with the dam and waterway right there. The sites are well spaced."
"Great spot located next to the Des Moines River. Check in was a breeze and conveniently near the fill and dump stations. Peaceful lot near the river. Great fishing in the river."
$24 - $26 / night
"Above average overall for central Iowa. Views of Saylorville Lake. Plenty of shade. Clean restrooms. It’s a large park and some sites are close together, but generally spacious. Good cell service."
"Lots of RV sites around. The whole area around Saylorville Lake has camping. Lush green plots of land everywhere. I forget how pretty it is in the Midwest when I'm gone for so long."
$35 - $90 / night
"Has a cute pond and is adjacent to a bike and running trail. The main lodge has very clean restrooms and showers with hot water! Recommended"
"There is also a very nice bike trail right outside the park."
$14 - $84 / night
"Great find on our way through Iowa. Clean and spacious. Very quiet, just listen to the frogs at night."
"Booked an outer ring site surrounded by trees (and some pretty bold raccoons around bonfire time ;) )."
"Close proximity to the state fair without being to close. Great stay! Our site had an open field behind it definitely recommend."
"There are two RV sites with shower houses, and about 10 tentsites on a large rectangular area in the back surrounded by trees."
"With a theme park on one side and a casino on the other, both in walking distance. It’s more of a park and party place hahaha"
"There are lots of restaurants near by like Spectators and Jethro’s BBQ.
As far as the RV park goes it’s pretty busy, mostly small families and older folks."
$23 - $25 / night
"There's a boat camp, a bird watching area, a playground, plany of park space with picnic tables and BBQ pits, hiking and biking trails, and even a lodge that I assume can be rented for events."
"Walnut Woods is conveniently located 25 minutes outside of downtown Des Moines. Sites are paved and mostly level, although we did have to throw a couple of blocks under one side of our TT tires."
"Thomas Mitchell park is located outside of Altoona Iowa on 197 acres. There are electric and non electric sites available."
"The drive into the grounds was a little confusing, but I imagine that in the daylight we would have had an easier time."
GuideVery nice lake. Very nice grass for your tent. The sites both tent and RV are simply too close for you to enjoy the place. Camp fires every 10 feet.
TravelerVery convenient to I-80, well-laid out. Most convenient, though, was setting up at the site and then walking 🚶♂️ to the co-located gas station ⛽ and burgers for dinner (and great ice cream cones). And then sitting on one of the benches watching the birds as the sun set over the prairie.
GuideWe had a great stay here, check in was easy, getting firewood was easy, the bathhouses were so clean and nice, hiking and views were amazing! The only thing we had an issue with was a camp site of noisy people, which was not the parks fault!
ScoutBeautiful campground! Lots of trees and peaceful area. Our spot was pretty level and well maintained
GuideVery nice state park campground on a lake. Well kept grounds, clean bathrooms no wifi but cell service is available. 20 min from Grinnell
TravelerIf you want to tent camp, bring a cart or something to haul everything with. The parking lot is a LONG WAY from any private tent site. Youth group camp, the ones with all the energy and strength, is next to parking lot. That's messed up.
RangerEverything’s changed out here, can no longer pay using cash have to reserve it online and can no longer stay out here for a month for my construction workers , definitely don’t like the changes and with all the hidden charges definitely not my cup of tea, $16 plus tax for non electric tent camping is ridiculous and two years ago it was $8-10 for that , on the website it says $12 plus $4 processing fee just ridiculous
ScoutThis is a nice place to stay off of I 80. It’s nice but packed. The voicemail said it was fully booked from May until September. Good thing we got through because they found us a site for the night.
RangerCampsites are well spaced, some have good views of the lake. Men’s bathroom is clean, showers have good hot water but could use a deep cleaning. Bike trail. Very quite when we stayed there.
Camping near Ankeny, Iowa, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to enjoy nature, whether you're in a tent, RV, or cabin.
Camping around Ankeny, Iowa, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for adventure or a quiet getaway.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Ankeny, IA is Jester County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 29 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 parks near Ankeny, IA that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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