Best RV Parks & Resorts near Ankeny, IA

Established RV parks near Ankeny offer full-hookup sites with varied amenities and access conditions. Griffs Valley View RV Park in Altoona features spacious concrete pads with 30/50 amp electricity, water, and sewer connections. Adventureland Campground provides back-in sites with electric, sewer, and water hookups year-round. At River Oaks RV Park, 99 pull-through RV pads accommodate larger motorhomes and fifth wheels. The Bob Shetler Recreation Area features level concrete sites with electric hookups only, but includes a dump station at the entrance. "Large level gravel pad driveways surrounded by beautiful prairie grass. Fantastically clean and well maintained facilities."

Seasonal variations affect site availability throughout the region. Many parks fill quickly from Memorial Day through Labor Day, requiring advance reservations, particularly for weekend stays. Cellular coverage varies between campgrounds, with most reporting adequate Verizon and T-Mobile service for internet browsing and streaming. Pull-through sites tend to be more limited at state park campgrounds like Walnut Woods, where one camper noted, "The road around the campground is paved, but very narrow. We had to ask our neighbor across the street to temporarily move their tow vehicle so that we'd have adequate room to back into our site." Most RV parks provide on-site propane refill services, dump stations, and trash collection. Pet policies differ between facilities, with several welcoming pets but imposing breed restrictions.

Best RV Sites Near Ankeny, Iowa (82)

    1. Griffs Valley View RV Park

    11 Reviews
    Bondurant, IA
    5 miles
    Website

    $35 - $90 / night

    "The campground very very well kept with spacious concrete pads, both 30/50 amp and full water/ sewage hookups. Two nice laundry/shower houses, one in the front and one in the back of the campground."

    "I came here once for a baby shower and then check the place out for RV camping you can stay year round you can stay for a week a month or a day and they have full hookup propane they have so many interesting"

    2. River Oaks RV Park

    2 Reviews
    Runnells, IA
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 989-0574

    $45 - $60 / night

    "Nice size campground, sites have good spacing and full hookups that were installed with some thought."

    "We stayed here to go to the Iowa State Fair. It was easy to park here and catch a shuttle to the fair."

    3. Kellogg RV Park

    12 Reviews
    Kellogg, IA
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 526-8535

    "The sites are mostly pull through with full service electric, water, and sewer. The only real issue is the constant noise from I-80 which is just to the south of the campground."

    "Level sites with full hookups

    Plenty of space to walk the dog

    Right next to a gas station with great burgers and tenderloins! 

    It was cold and windy so we didn't get out much to explore."

    4. Shady Brook Camping & RV Adventures, LLC

    2 Reviews
    Earlham, IA
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 238-1998

    "We looked at the other reviews and it talked about it being so close to the freeway, but we didn’t hear a sound. It was really in a good perimeter of trees and lots of shade and level camp spots."

    5. Lakeside Casino RV Park

    4 Reviews
    Woodburn, IA
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (877) 477-5253

    $35 - $45 / night

    "All the spaces are pulled through. It is very clean. There is full hook up for water, electric and sewer. All spaces are paved. There are picnic tables scattered throughout the park."

    "The park was clean with level sites. The front desk person was friendly and helped me with my reservation. It was a close walk to Pilot for supplies."

    7. Adventureland Campground

    9 Reviews
    Bondurant, IA
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 265-7384

    "The staff was very helpful, plenty of laundry/restrooms throughout the campground and pretty clean overall. Concrete pads with full hook ups (30/50 amp, water and sewage) make setting up quick."

    "The sites are all mostly concrete slabs, so it was easy to back in and set-up. Not sure if they allow campfires, though. Pool was nice, and also had a few arcade games in the pool house."

    8. Bob Shelter Recreation Area & Campground

    15 Reviews
    Johnston, IA
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 276-0873

    $22 - $26 / night

    "We stayed at spot 20 which was extra wide, concrete pad with electric hook up. No water or sewer."

    "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."

    9. Jester County Park

    30 Reviews
    Granger, IA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 323-5300

    $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."

    "Iowa county parks are amazing. They pour money into them and it really shows. Clean, I mean immaculate. Nature/Conservancy center there is just next level."

    10. Acorn Valley

    11 Reviews
    Polk City, IA
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 276-0429

    $14 - $84 / night

    "We parked at a site by the playground and bathhouse , and could sit at our camper and watch our son play at a safe distance"

    "Booked an outer ring site surrounded by trees (and some pretty bold raccoons around bonfire time ;) )."

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 82 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


RV Park Reviews near Ankeny, IA

492 Reviews of 82 Ankeny Campgrounds


  • Renee H.
    May. 7, 2024

    Howell Station

    Large spacious campground

    Well maintained campground with mature shade trees. Gravel sites, a little bit of leveling required. Poor Verizon cell signal, no internet signal. Not much natural privacy between sites, but sites were well spaced apart. Paved trail nice for biking and walking. Fishing nearby and the Dutch themed town of Pella is a short drive and a must see. Bathrooms and showers were nice, clean. Handicap camp site and bathhouse available. Firewood for sale at front gate. The potable water available at the dump station was clear and good for drinking. Dump station is easily accessible. Dumpsters were positioned around the campground. Staff was friendly. The night we stayed, there was a severe weather threat, and the staff, at the end of the night, had unlocked the storm shelters (utility area in the middle of the bathhouses) should the need arise. We ended up having to seek shelter because of a tornado warning.

  • J
    Dec. 14, 2021

    Jester County Park

    Nice, Quiet CG

    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. CG has a kids playground, hiking trails, Equestrian Center, golf course and nature center. Plenty to do with the city of Ankeny just 15 minutes away. CG was fairly empty until around Thursday and filled on the weekend. Seniors can get$5 off per day of their reservation. Dump station is at the entrance of the CG. We camped at Jester Park in a Travel Trailer.

  • H
    Aug. 20, 2018

    Prairie Flower Recreation Area

    Fantastic Space and View!

    This quickly became one of our favorite close to home spots. Sites are large and there is plenty of space between sites. We had a concrete pad with a picnic table and fire pit with grill grate. Most are back in sites, but once settled we had a gorgeous view of the lake and sunsets. Restrooms were clean and dump stations were easily accessible. This is now our go to spot when we want to camp but stay close to home!

  • Jason F.
    Jun. 14, 2022

    Walnut Woods State Park Campground

    Comfortable Camping Convenient To Des Moines

    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. Most sites feature 20/30/50 electric, a fire ring and a picnic table. Some also have water and sewer hookups. Sites are relatively small and close together, so get comfortable looking into your neighbors’ site/camper depending on how your site is oriented. The road around the campground is paved, but very narrow. We had to ask our neighbor across the street to temporarily move their tow vehicle so that we’d have adequate room to back into our site.

    There is a bathroom, trash dumpsters, and a dump station with both potable and tank cleanout water spigots. There are trail heads near the campground that follow along the raccoon river for almost 2 miles. It was very muddy when we camped here, so we had to turn around about 1.5 miles into our hike and backtrack due to an impassible area.

    3 bars of T-Mobile and 2 bars of AT&T were more than sufficient for internet browsing and streaming.

  • A
    Apr. 3, 2022

    Adventureland Campground

    Parking more than camping

    I stayed at Adventureland for the summer months and had no issues. The staff was very helpful, plenty of laundry/restrooms throughout the campground and pretty clean overall. Concrete pads with full hook ups (30/50 amp, water and sewage) make setting up quick. Tent camping is an option in the back of the campground. Nature is not really the draw of this campground, convenience is more the approach. 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

  • D
    May. 27, 2023

    Rock Creek State Park Campground

    Nice Campground with a Lake

    No wake lake. Boat and kayak rental and a small store with basic necessities. Campground has some 30 amp and some 50 amp sites. New playground for the kids. Clean facilities.

  • Renee H.
    May. 23, 2024

    Des Moines West KOA Holiday

    Nice modern KOA

    Large modern KOA with sites to accommodate all sizes of rigs and also tent campers. Gravel sites require some leveling. Not much privacy between sites nor shade. Bathhouses were clean and private. Laundry available. Off leash dog area available. Convenient to John Wayne’s birthplace and covered bridges of Madison County. Bulk propane tanks were on site for winter campers. Camper cabins available. Small store with Hunt Brothers pizza to order. Gathering room on site and pedal car racetrack. Verizon cell signal was good. Garbage dumpster and dump station on site.

  • J
    Sep. 30, 2018

    Prairie Flower Recreation Area

    A lovely COE campground with wide level spaces

    The individual sites are quite spacious. They are paved and level and can accommodate large rigs. We have never looked for a pull-through site, we back in with our 37' Allegro Bus, so I cannot comment on them. There are several group camping loops that can accommodate small and large groups of campers. The campground, including showers and restrooms, is clean and well-maintained. There are beautiful views of the lake in the Cornflower loop. There are playgrounds for the children and plenty of space for them to run and play. Saylorville Reservoir has a marina, with a restaurant/bar. We have to keep our motorhome in storage, so we use Prairie Flower campground as our staging area when we get ready for an away trip. We can get in an out with food and whatever else we need to take with us, and we can utilize the dump station before leaving. We also like to go camping there mid-week and enjoy the quiet time.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 1, 2024

    Newton KOA

    This KOA Deserves Your Attention

    Literally a single stone’s throw from I80, one of the busiest thoroughfares you’ll find yourself on here in the great ‘Hawkeye State,’ this is one campground that very much deserves your attention, despite being a KOA. In fact, this campground outpost is so close to the highway that you’ll be hard pressed not to see or hear it during your entire stay. While this KOA does sit down a bit from the hustle & bustle that comes with a major interstate highway, a good number of the available RV sites sit on a sloping hill that is the same elevation as the highway itself, so if you do have the choice, opt for the lower sites (more on that later). 

    Sitting just 30 minutes east of Des Moines, Newton KOA offers up about 100 sites for RVs and 5th wheelers offering up all the standard hook-ups (water, sewage and 30 / 50 amp- but be careful because some sites only offer 30 or 50, while some do offer both, so be sure to ask when making your reservation). For mi tent pitching bredren, there’s about a dozen or so sites to choose from and all are fairly intermingled with the RV sites, although each site does sit on a plush patch of grass, so this KOA does a nice job on that front of integration. Oh, and if you don’t have an RV, 5th wheeler or a tent, on worries, this KOA will rent you one of its three cabins. 

    As this is a KOA you can expect a ton of amenities and this place does not disappoint with: catch & release fishing pond w/ fish cleaning station (that is oddly placed about as far away from the fishing pond as you can get), disc golf course, K9 camp for the puppies, cable TV, WiFi, in-ground pool (available 5/25 until 9/3) with ADA pool lift, horseshoes, meeting rooms, firewood for sale, LP gas refueling station, pool table, shuffleboard, social lounge, two kids playground, laundr-O-mat, basketball court, restroom & shower facilities, mini-market with basic groceries, ping pong, jump pad, game room, gaga pit, designated dumpster and dump station and of course the scattered fire pits and picnic tables. Just to go above and beyond, this KOA serves up free breakfast of flapjacks on Saturdays. Yahoo! 

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Whether you are pitching a tent or pulling up in your RV, the best sites IMHO are those in the lower valley, but located right in front of the main office, where there are 6 RV slots numbered #45 – 50 and 6 tent sites numbered T1 – T6; (2) Should you get hungry and might want to try some local fare, check out Taco John’s and La Cabaña Mexican Restaurant, which I guess stand for ‘local’ around here, although there is Newton Family Restaurant. If you are looking for something really different and amazing, I would suggest heading on over to Dan’s Sandwich Shop, which feels like real Americana from a bygone era, complete with a diner-esque vibe and matching elbow counter to warm up to over a nice piece of apple pie, scoop of ice cream washed down with a hot mug of coffee; (3) While this KOA has a mini-market, you will find a bigger selection with better prices just down the road at the local Walmart, where just due west of this, you’ll find a Hy-Vee Grocery store with a wine & spirits shop positioned there as well. Further down the road, you have excellent fresh cut meat from Fareway Grocery, but check out the local hotspot, Newton Market as well; and (4) While what you will discover from an outdoor standpoint at Newton KOA is interesting, if you want something more substantial, head to Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens for 6 acres of family-friendly landscape to explore with more displays and demonstrations that you can shake a stick at! Seriously, there’s a butterfly garden, peony border and nearly 200 individual species of trees here to check out. 

    Happy Camping!


Guide to Ankeny

RV sites near Ankeny, Iowa provide camping options with varied terrain and accessibility throughout the year. Located in Polk County, this central Iowa region has rolling hills and access to Saylorville Lake, with camping elevations ranging from 800-900 feet above sea level. Winter campground options remain limited, with most facilities fully operational from April through October when temperatures range from 50-85°F.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: At Bob Shelter Recreation Area & Campground, campers can fish in the Des Moines River directly below the spillway. "Love to camp here and watch the spill way," notes one visitor. The area also features modern restrooms and level concrete sites with electric hookups.

Biking trails: Campers staying at Griffs Valley View RV Park can access the 25-mile paved Chichaqua Valley Trail that runs between the campground and office. "Nicely paved 25 mile long biking and walking Chichaqua Valley Trail runs right between the campground and the campground office," writes one reviewer who stayed for two months while working in Altoona.

Wildlife viewing: At Jester County Park, visitors can observe bison and birds in designated viewing areas. "They advertise Elk and Bison which are smart enough to stay far away from humans, as it should be," mentions one camper. The park also features multiple hiking trails and a nature center opened in August 2018.

What campers like

Clean bathhouses: Acorn Valley receives consistent praise for its immaculate facilities. "Campsites are well kept and clean. Bathrooms are immaculate and cleaned every day," reports one camper. Another mentions, "This is a great place to camp! The whole place is super clean, especially the bath house."

Level sites: Many RV parks near Ankeny feature concrete pads for easier setup. At Bob Shelter Recreation Area, "Spot 20 is at the end which makes it very private with nice large grassy area adjacent to wooded area. It backs to the river below the spillway from the dam," writes one visitor who appreciated the level concrete pad with electric hook-up.

Community amenities: The campgrounds around Ankeny often include unexpected features. At Griffs Valley Valley RV Park, "The community center has nice showers, laundry, game room. Kitchen with attached TV room, oh and storm shelter. The pond is nice, groomed all around with paved paths," notes one camper who rated their experience 3 out of 5 stars.

What you should know

Wildlife encounters: Prepare for raccoon visitors at some campgrounds. At Acorn Valley, a camper warns, "Biggest downside is the resident raccoons. Come out every night to rummage through possible food options. Secure your food and they're no problem unless you're a light sleeper."

Reservation requirements: Most Ankeny area RV sites fill quickly during peak season. At Kellogg RV Park, one visitor shared, "Open year around. Nice large sites and no need to unhook. Clean rv park with easy access to 1-80." This makes it a good option for travelers needing overnight accommodations without reservations.

Proximity to attractions: Many campgrounds position themselves as bases for exploring local attractions rather than as destinations themselves. "This is a great spot if you plan on staying in the area and want to go to Adventure Land or Prairie Meadows. There are lots of restaurants near by like Spectators and Jethro's BBQ," writes one camper about Adventureland Campground.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Choose sites near play areas for easier supervision. At Acorn Valley, one parent shared, "We parked at a site by the playground and bathhouse, and could sit at our camper and watch our son play at a safe distance."

Water recreation: River Oaks RV Park provides full-hookup sites with thoughtful layouts. "Nice size campground, sites have good spacing and full hookups that were installed with some thought. Only used one stinky slinky, could have hooked up water with a 6' hose, and the electrical was near the back of the site," notes one camper who visited with a new puppy.

Riverbed exploration: Some campgrounds offer natural play areas beyond conventional playgrounds. "We're big fans of Acorn Valley. It's quiet and there is plenty of shade in the tent camping area. The tent sites lead to some small trails which end at the riverbed. Our boys love exploring here," writes one parent who frequents the area.

Tips from RVers

Internet access: For working campers, reliable connectivity matters. At River Oaks RV Park, "Free WiFi was good; we streamed tv. It did freeze a few times but hard to tell if it was the WiFi or the provider," reports one RVer who appreciated the camp's quietness and maintenance.

Space considerations: Site dimensions vary significantly between campgrounds. At Adventureland Campground, one RVer observed, "The lots aren't very big and you are kind of packed in there." This campground primarily serves visitors to the adjacent theme park and casino.

Year-round options: Some RV sites near Ankeny remain open throughout winter. "Spent the winter here, they are very good at keeping snow and ice under control," notes a camper who stayed at Griffs Valley View RV Park, which offers full hookups with both 30/50 amp service, water and sewage connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular RV campsite near Ankeny, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Ankeny, IA is Griffs Valley View RV Park with a 4.6-star rating from 11 reviews.

What is the best site to find RV camping near Ankeny, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 82 RV camping locations near Ankeny, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.