Best Glamping near Arlington, IA

Nelson Dewey State Park Campground offers premium glamping accommodations set against the backdrop of the Mississippi River bluffs. Located in Cassville, Wisconsin, about 45 miles from Arlington, this park features spacious yurts with comfortable amenities and spectacular river views. The yurts provide an elevated camping experience with proper beds, electricity, and heating options for year-round comfort. As one visitor noted, "The views are beautiful and the bar is nice! The campground had quite a few geese when we went so lots of honking and goose poop which don't work out if you want peace and quiet and clean shoes." Boulder Creek Campground, situated in Bagley, Wisconsin, offers luxury canvas tent accommodations with modern amenities including hot showers, flush toilets, and access to electrical hookups for those seeking a more refined outdoor experience.

Recreational activities abound at these glamping destinations with hiking trails well-marked throughout the parks. Nelson Dewey State Park provides stunning overlooks of the Mississippi River that can be accessed directly from the glamping sites. A reviewer highlighted, "Beautiful spot, tents included. This is a great little park if you need a place to stop for the night." Guests can take advantage of canoe and kayak rentals at Pinicon Ridge Park for water-based adventures. The region's Driftless Area topography creates a unique setting for glamping with limestone bluffs and river valleys providing scenic backdrops. Most glamping accommodations require reservations, with peak season running from May through October. Winter stays are available at select locations with proper heating elements in the yurts and insulated canvas structures.

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Best Glamping Sites Near Arlington, Iowa (17)

    1. Delaware County Coffins Grove Park

    2 Reviews
    Dundee, IA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 927-3410

    "Electric and water only. Nice playground for young kids. Limited activities."

    "Small creek runs through the park (on the edge of the campground) and a fun place for kids to explore and play in."

    2. Nelson Dewey State Park Campground

    20 Reviews
    Cassville, WI
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 725-5374

    $33 / night

    "The site itself was sloped away from the road making it feel tucked into the trees. The downside was that the only flat space for the tent was very close to the fire pit."

    "Had a hike on site on the bluff. Stunning views and very secluded. Carts available for hauling in your gear. Hiking trails, fire wood for sale on site. Bathrooms very nice, showers like new!"

    3. Bailey Ford Delaware County Park

    2 Reviews
    Delhi, IA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 927-3410

    "from trout steam,river access for boats or kayaks, to the beautiful trails with educational signs along it. this park is perfect"

    "Trout stream, trails, river access, showers and a playground. I recommend!"

    4. Goeken Co Park

    1 Review
    West Union, IA
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 425-3613

    5. George Wyth State Park Campground

    14 Reviews
    Cedar Falls, IA
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 232-5505

    $15 - $23 / night

    "**

    • Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.)"

    "Nice campground with some non-electric sites on bank of Cedar River, clean shower house and flush toilets."

    6. Pinicon Ridge Park

    9 Reviews
    Central City, IA
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 438-6616

    "Water and electric hookups, dump station near by. Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table."

    "Storm shelter right on site. Playground is awesome for kids of all ages. Hiking trails are well marked and all over the park and state land nearby. Lookout Tower is a must see."

    7. Boulder Creek Campground

    3 Reviews
    Bagley, WI
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 996-2201

    $32 - $260 / night

    8. Lake Meyer County Park Campground

    2 Reviews
    Calmar, IA
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 534-7145

    "As someone who bicycle tours I appreciated fire wood being on site and close to where the tent area is. The bathrooms aren’t the best but they worked."

    "Lake Meyer sits atop a hill above the Lake. Beautiful trails with lots of wild life. Even an eagles nest. There are hook ups and water."

    9. Waukon City Park

    3 Reviews
    Waterville, IA
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 568-0081

    "Includes electric and water and showers and firewood. Best value I have found yet. They have a bunch o pavilions and facilities. Pool, tennis, lake."

    "Free firewood, free wifi, water and electric at each campsite. Found a nice shady site for tent camping."

    10. Grant River Recreation Area

    12 Reviews
    Dubuque, WI
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 582-0881

    $14 - $26 / night

    "Nice view at the Mississippi River $20 per night with electrical hook up. "

    "We stayed right by the bathrooms. Showers have a push button so water pressure and temperature was not very great. The river was a great view and campground was big to walk around."

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Recent Glamping Photos near Arlington, IA

5 Photos of 17 Arlington Campgrounds


Glamping Reviews near Arlington, IA

95 Reviews of 17 Arlington Campgrounds


  • C
    Jun. 6, 2018

    Matsell Bridge Natural Area

    Nice little inexpensive primitive site... spaces almost always available

    Nice quiet little primitive campground next to the Wapsipinicon River. Unfortunately, when I was there the last weekend of May, the gnats were bad, and the mosquitoes were just starting to gear up. HOWEVER, take bug spray and enjoy the rustic peacefulness of this "best kept secret" for primitive and inexpensive camping sites. Beautiful location, ranger close by, wood for sale just across the bridge, fire pits and picnic tables at every site. Good for RV, trailer or tent camping… level ground and lots of shade. Primitive bathrooms, no showers or running water.

  • Mary S.
    Aug. 31, 2018

    George Wyth State Park Campground

    Another bargain at an Iowa State Park

    Why Should You Camp Here?

    • Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.) There is no separate park entry fee (unlike some states).

    • You can rent kayaks, canoes or pedal boats near the campground at Wyth Lake. And there are 3 other nearby lakes.

    • There's a small beach at Wyth Lake.

    • The Cedar River is on the edge of the campground.

    • You're so close to Cedar Falls and Waterloo which means there are craft breweries!

    • We were only there for a night but I saw this on reserveamerica.com: "The Lake-to-State Park Bike Route is a 50 mile route connecting Pine Lake and George Wyth State Park. The route primarily utilizes county highways and established bike routes and paths once inside Cedar Falls/Waterloo." 

    • We didn't do everything we could do there, because we were just passing through. Check this out: https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/george-wyth-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IA&parkId=610125

    Amenities

    • The usual fire ring and picnic table

    • Dump station and potable water

    • Flush toilets and running water in bathrooms along with push button showers. Ok, push button showers are not ideal. Just keep pushing that button and hopefully you'll be okay with the temperature that you can't control!

  • Rene
    Aug. 21, 2020

    Nelson Dewey State Park Campground

    All around decent site

    I camped in 18 in early August. The site itself was sloped away from the road making it feel tucked into the trees. The downside was that the only flat space for the tent was very close to the fire pit. As a hammock camper, this was not a good site. The trees were far from the cleared area making a hammock hard to set up. Facilities were great and the mosquitoes we're almost non-existent. Great location for a larger group or multiple tents.

    The only thing you need to be aware of: there is a train track very close. The train runs very regularly and can be loud. For me, it was the city noise I needed to fall asleep.

  • Melissa K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 3, 2017

    Boulder Creek Campground

    Pretty Disappointed

    This park fell short in so many ways. Having stayed in other Yogi Bear's we were expecting similar accommodations. I will say they had a lot of rain and it did affect most of the campground. We booked over the phone for two nights. It was nearly $90 for those two nights. This is pretty spendy for us but we were meeting friends there. We arrived at the campground and were given site 14. It as across from our friends cabin so it should have been good. However, we got to our site on a very poorly maintained road only to find the site did not have a fire pit or a picnic table. It was extremely tiny, barely big enough for our truck and definitely not enough room for our two tents. The site was covered in sticks and debris and there was trash bags in front of the cabin across the washed out road. We went down to voice our concern that this was just not going to work and they said to try site 13. Even worse then 14. It was a grass spot, mowed out, no place to park a vehicle, which I'm glad I left at the bottom of the hill, extremely narrow, washed out road going to site 13. There still was no picnic table but there was a fire pit. Stated this is just not going to work. We paid way too much for so little accommodations. They said they couldn't refund or move us to an electric site (we didn't need electric but the two previously mentioned sites were not going to work) without talking to their boss. After already spending 28 days in a tent, across the country, I was pretty upset that this yogi bear was so bad. They did end up moving me to site 17, which was one of the few that did not have a completely flooded fire ring. Which leads to the next things, almost all of the grounds were completely flooded. Fire rings couldn't even be seen they were so far under water. To walk to any part of the park involved getting your feet wet. The playground swings were above water making it difficult for the kids to reach them without getting really wet. There had been no attempts to move any water from the storms making it difficult to enjoy parts of the park. The pool was pretty cold but I suppose it is Wisconsin. The staff did have many events going on but if you were early, you wouldn't even know the events were going on. They showed up right on time and then had to set up. But they did do a variety of races and had a pirates and princess dance. They brought in actual hair dressers to do the little girls hair for them. That was something the girls in the group enjoyed. They also had cartoons playing in the evenings. The kids also enjoyed that. Overall, I would never return, there are so many really nice parks in Wisconsin for way less money. This was not worth it at all.

  • Rebecca B.
    Jul. 26, 2020

    Nelson Dewey State Park Campground

    Best bluff views

    Had a hike on site on the bluff. Stunning views and very secluded. Carts available for hauling in your gear. Hiking trails, fire wood for sale on site. Bathrooms very nice, showers like new! Lots of picnic sites along the bluff.

  • David S.
    Sep. 1, 2022

    Pinicon Ridge Park

    Nice clean and generally spacious

    Stayed in The Plains area. Water and electric hookups, dump station near by. Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table.

  • B
    Jun. 12, 2022

    Lake Meyer County Park Campground

    Great spot, tents included

    This is a great little park if you need a place to stop for the night. It was very inexpensive for tents ($10 I think) and the tent camping area was very nice with 3 giant pine trees and some picnic tables and fire rings. As someone who bicycle tours I appreciated fire wood being on site and close to where the tent area is. The bathrooms aren’t the best but they worked. Overall its a safe, clean, welcoming campground for both tents and RV’s.

  • J
    May. 22, 2018

    Chimney Rock Canoe and Campground

    Best place to unplug with the family.

    Excellent staff. One of the best kept campgrounds I've been to. Between the campground and the nearby towns, there is easily two weeks of activities to do. More depending on the time of year you go. They offer canoeing, kayaking, tubing, sand volleyball court, shower facilities, water and electrical hookups, cabins, picnic shelter, and firewood on site. Go to http://www.chimneyrocks.com for more information

  • K
    Jul. 18, 2020

    Airport Lake Park Campground

    Beautiful spot

    Exceptionally clean. New basthroom/ shoer house. Water electric at each site. Dump station on site. Nice swimming beach and many fishing jetties.


Guide to Arlington

Yurt camping near Arlington, Iowa offers options within the Driftless Area's distinctive limestone bluffs and river valleys. This unglaciated region features elevations between 603-1,719 feet, with temperatures ranging from 10°F in winter to 85°F in summer. Campgrounds in the area provide varied accommodations from basic tent sites to fully-equipped yurts with seasonal availability dependent on weather conditions.

What to do

Trout fishing access: Bailey Ford Delaware County Park provides convenient access to stocked trout streams just 18 miles from Arlington. "Bailey's Ford has everything you need for a night or a week. It's clean and beautiful. Trout stream, trails, river access, showers and a playground," notes a visitor. The park maintains year-round access with parking near fishing areas.

Hiking educational trails: Pinicon Ridge Park offers well-marked educational hiking paths across varied terrain. "Hiking trails are well marked and all over the park and state land nearby. Lookout Tower is a must see," explains one reviewer. The trails include informational signage about local flora and fauna.

River adventures: George Wyth State Park features multiple water bodies for boating and paddling. As one camper shared, "If you're a biker there is a wonderful bike path. It will take you all through Cedar Falls and Waterloo you could bike all day long. Nice little cozy places to enjoy lunch along the bike trail." Canoe and kayak rentals are available on-site.

What campers like

Storm shelters: Pinicon Ridge Park provides storm shelters near shower facilities. "Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table," notes a reviewer. This safety feature is particularly valuable during Iowa's severe weather season.

Complimentary firewood: Waukon City Park offers free firewood with campsite rental. "$15 tents. Includes electric and water and showers and firewood. Best value I have found yet," shares one camper. The park also provides water and electric hookups as part of the standard fee.

Mississippi River views: Grant River Recreation Area offers direct riverfront camping. "Right on the Mississippi River. Concrete pads and beautiful views of the Missippi," states one visitor. Most sites feature river views, though railroad noise is noted as a consideration.

What you should know

Train noise considerations: Nelson Dewey State Park Campground has railroad tracks nearby that create noise disturbances. "The campground was quiet except for the occasional train that rolled through those are quite loud due to how close they are to the campground," reports one camper. Trains run regularly including overnight hours.

Seasonal flooding risks: Several parks in the region experience flooding during heavy rain periods. At George Wyth State Park, "because it is so close to river anytime it rains heavily there is flooding in several areas of the park. And almost every year (usually late summer, early fall) it rains enough to flood a good portion of the park."

Yurt availability timing: For those seeking yurt camping near Arlington, Iowa's seasonal availability typically runs May through October with limited winter options. As one Nelson Dewey visitor noted, "Site C is incredibly difficult to reserve (best dates I could find were a Mon-Wed in October which I booked in APRIL)."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Arlington, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Arlington, IA is Delaware County Coffins Grove Park with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Arlington, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Arlington, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.