Aurora is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Iowa camping adventure.
$25 / night
"We're so happy to have this property on our platform. Set up camp anywhere and relax under the stars. Come check them out and leave a review."
$99 / night
"24 years ago River Jct Lone Tree Iowa was Just stumptown. Outhouse at the top. Just a spot by the river. A lone camper. How things have changed . Still primitive tent campgrounds there."
"My son and I tent-camped at Macbride Nature Recreation Area (not nearby Lake Macbride State Park) several times circa 2005. Always a good time."
GuideOur one-night stay at the Sugar Bottom- Coralville Lake Campground was terrific! My husband and I stopped there during our cross-country road trip. We arrived around 7:30pm on a Sunday in September and easily got a spot. The lady at the entrance station was incredibly kind and answered all of our questions.
The campground is very well marked, with easily visible site number labels. Each site is in a grassy area with a picnic table and fire ring with a grate. Our site had a tree or two that provided some shade, but some other sites were a but more shaded.
We ended up staying in site #103, which is right by the water. What a beautiful view we had! Our campsite was very close to a boat dock, a sand volleyball court, and a sandy beach. We didn't have a chance to swim at the beach, but it looked really nice! It had a large, designated swimming area that was marked with floating ropes. We were also located close to a building with restrooms. Each restroom had a clean, hot shower. The showers were free, which was a plus!
In my opinion, this is definitely a 5-star campground. I can't wait to come back!
RangerWe stayed in a walk-in site for one night at the Non-Modern campground. It was wonderful! We arrived at dark and set up our backpacking tents but were able to see stars and be separated from our neighboring site. The campground had a water spigot to fill containers and dumpsters (no trash at site). There are no amenities at the campsites in this campground. A restroom with pit toilets similar to a National Park are on-site. They were very clean, as was the campground. It is on a lake so you will hear boats in the early morning hours and wildlife.
LegendTent area among trees includes fire rings. Showers/restrooms onsite, walk in sites too, firewood available at West Overlook permit station, beach nearby, Iowa River and Coralville Lake nearby (good fishing).
LegendWhile it was our first time camping in Iowa, we were extremely lucky to land upon this slightly hidden fresh water centered campground just a 20 minute drive south of Route 80 near Montezuma, wherein one needs only follow Road#63, before coming across Diamond Lake County Park. With the fall colors being in full bloom when we visited, the entire campground was awash in bright yellows, reds and oranges from the changing colors of the leaves. Also, as we were visiting in mid-October, versus some of the other reviews here, we found that we had the place mostly to ourselves, which made for a rather peaceful sublime respite we were searching for.
As for the campground itself, what we enjoyed most was how this location is, for the most part, very well organized in keeping the RV'ers and 5th Wheeler crowds together, while preserving a nice slice of verdant lakeside pasture for us primitive camper types. Each of the sites for camping come equipped with (in most cases) fairly new aluminum picnic tables, fire ring with folding BBQ grill. While we didn’t stay in the RV areas, given our tent-pitching persuasion, what we did see was fairly impressive and looked altogether rather brand new with freshly poured concrete slots and fairly mint-looking RV hook-ups (50 amp electric and water) and this same area also boasted a brand new restroom facilities.
Obviously, the main attraction here is Diamond Lake itself, with its more than 90 acres of fresh water, albeit murky fresh water, was certainly a hit with this camping family. We enjoyed being able to get out on the lake with our kayaks and canoes as well as go for very long walks around the circumference of the lake itself, with which you will find simply splendid trails. And if that’s not enough exploration for you, then head further inland and away from the lake to explore this parks other 660 acres of grassy prairieland.
From an amenities standpoint, there’s a decent amount, including: three shower houses, four shelters, 2 dump stations, three his / her latrines (some much more dated than others), boat ramp and fishing dock, a dedicated fish cleaning station and what looked to be a fairly new kids playground. In all there’s a total of 120 sites to choose from, with 80 designated for RVs / 5th Wheelers and 40 earmarked for primitive camping, which do not come with any electric, which was on one hand the biggest bummer, but on the other hand, offered up front-row access to lakeside camping bliss as many of these primitive campsites are located right on the water’s edge.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Check-in is self-registration and is done onsite, so net-net, this place is first-come, first served as no online or advanced registration is taken. While we didn’t mind this, and given that we arrived right around noon as folks were actually checking out, we got the ‘pick of the litter’ of campsites. Electric sites are $20 / night and non-electric are $10, so this place is incredibly affordable; (2) If you are looking for some grub nearby after growing weary of another meal of franks & beans, then there’s really just a few nearby options: Subway, Sauced Pizza & Pub, Casey’s and Yolanda’s Tacos over in the little town of Montezuma; (3) While there are actually few different campgrounds here at Diamond Lake, for primitive campers, the best sites IMHO are located as far southwest as you can possible go around the lake, where there’s more than a dozen or so sites that sit right in front of the water and present a completely isolated surrounding.
Happy Camping!
GuideThis campground has great facilities with spacious sites. We have plenty of space for our dogs on two stakes. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. There are large trees that provide a lot of shade for the campground. There are play grounds for the kids. It is along a river for fishing and bird watching.
LegendStayed for one night in October. We didn’t make a reservation and arrived after sundown so it did get a little confusing finding the place. But once we found a site we were good. There’s no place to buy firewood nearby so come prepared.
Campsites are very open so there isn’t much privacy and I’m sure Sumer days are very busy with the lake nearby. The site we stayed in wasn’t very level but it wasn’t that big of a deal. There’s no electric but there is a water spigot nearby. No showers but there is pit toilet nearby.
LegendLiterally 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!
TravelerVery nice campground, each sight has a fire ring and table, plus a lantern pole. It is in a city park like setting and on the lake. Fire wood for sale at the entrance, you have to get water at the entrance only electrical hook up. Showers are very clean and there is also a children’s play ground.
LegendCampground Review:
Cottonwood campground is one of several that surround Coralville Lake near Iowa City. This particular tent only campground is set in a nice grove of cottonwood and other trees within easy walking distance of the spillway and the Devonian Fossil Gorge. There are fifteen sites spread out in two areas: a heavily wooded area and a mature cottonwood grove. I was at site 2 in the cottonwood grove. While there is no understory to provide privacy, sites are nicely spread out and well maintained with mown grass, clean picnic tables and fire pits.There is a clean bathroom with flush toilets and showers next to the parking lot. The previous campers had left wood at several sites, so you may get lucky and not have to buy much wood. One unfortunate thing that was overlooked was an access trail that could lead down to the Fossil Gorge. To get there you will either have to walk the busy road or drive. When in the Fossil Gorge there is an interpretive trail winding through the limestone gorge that will help you spot fossils. There is also a nice river walk trail. I also hiked the Woodpecker Nature Trail down and alone the lake. There are two additional campgrounds that had primarily RVs on either side of the river below the spillway and dam release. In total there are five different campgrounds in the Dam Complex, with Linder Point going through some renovations at this time. The whole facility is run by the Corps of Engineers.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I get to test products. This weekend I got to test the Gregory Jade 33 day/backpack. I refer to it as a day/backpack because while it may be sold as primarily a day pack, it can hold enough for an overnighter. Let me just say this: I used to love my Osprey pack. Now it will likely gather dust in the gear closet since I will now just use this Gregory all the time. I really like this pack, let me count the ways:
The fit is amazing. The torso sizing has overlapping sizes (the small and medium sizes have about 2” of overlap, so no weird “I’m in between sizes” baloney. It’s the “just right” mama bear pack size.
The hip belt wraps nice and snug with just the right amount of padding. I don’t feel like I’m being squeezed by a boa constrictor, but I also feel like the hip belt is going to stay in place and not rub or chafe.
The hip belt has huge pockets that fit my phone, some snacks, the keys, and anything else I need handy. I like how the pockets seem to expand to hold it all.
The back is super breathable with a cool ventilated back panel and moisture wicking mesh. I never got hot using it and my back was dry after a long day hiking.
Hands down my favorite thing about this pack is the U zipper to get into the main compartment along with the normal drawstring. The U zipper is the game changer since it means I can easily reach something I shoved to the bottom without having to take everything out.
I haven’t played much with the sunglasses loop/snugger on the front, but I like the idea that I can hook and snug them in without having to take off my pack to put them in the top pocket.
Having the rainfly included is great. I don’t necessarily think the under the flap pocket is the best place to keep it (might be nice to have it in an integrated pocket on the bottom of the pack), but since it is not attached in anyway, you can store it wherever you want.
The front mesh pocket seems to be made out of really nice stretchy mesh that is less likely to snag. It’s nice and large and will fit my rain gear easily.
The side pockets for H2O are nice and deep and you can snug anything in with the compression straps.
Things that could be improved:
I wish the top pocket was lined in case I wanted to store my sunglasses there.
The built in safety whistle is a bit weak. I will still take my own whistle that is really shrill and loud.
For this price I would have liked the pack to include a water reservoir (it’s all set up to include one, with the right straps to hold the tube in place and a cool hanging set up inside for the Gregory water reservoir that they sell).
Tent camping near Aurora, Iowa offers a variety of unique experiences, from serene private sites to accessible public areas, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to connect with nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Aurora, IA is Winter Camp at Walking Stick Adventures Farm with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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