Searching for a campsite that allows pets near Bellevue? Finding a place to camp with your dog in Iowa has never been easier. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or a happening campground near the attractions, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to go camping with your dog.
This campground offers both electric and non-electric sites as well as modern restroom and shower facility. All campsites are available by reservation only.
Maquoketa Caves State Park is one of the biggest attractions in Jackson County and is a great place for spelunkers and hiking enthusiasts. The caves in the area were formed after millennia of water erosion on limestone bedrock. This park contains more caves than any other state park in Iowa. The park itself covers 370 acres nestled among hardwood trees and high bluffs. With approximately thirteen caves, a great experience awaits you at this interesting and unique state park.
Bird Watching
Cave Exploring/Spelunking
Dump Station
Geological Formations
Handicap Access
Hiking
Interpretive Exhibit/Display
Modern Restroom
Park Office
Parking
Picnic Area
Playground
Registration Building
Restrooms
Showers
Toilet, Pit/Vault
Trash Dumpster
Visitor Center
Water Hydrants
Wildflower Viewing
Wildlife Viewing
We welcome you to experience the true beauty of the Midwest. Our campground offers a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere, where you can enjoy the landscapes of rolling hills and lush countryside, with a friendly and caring staff and numerous amenities Rustic Barn Campground & RV Park is only 3 blocks off highway 151/61/35 and extremely convienent to reach. Just a few miles from the beautiful bluffs of the Mighty Mississippi, we are conveniently located in the tri-state area of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, where there are endless activities and attractions. 7 miles from Dubuque, IA 15 miles from Platteville, WI 17 miles from Galena, IL 80 miles from Madison, WI
There are two entrances for the State Park - this one has the campground. There is no camping inside the other entrance.
Dyas Unit
Hike four miles of trails leading to scenic overlooks and a stream. The Deer Trail is a short, easy trail near the campground.
Camp at one of several camping sites in the Dyas Unit, containing electric and non-electric sites, modern restrooms and showers, and a sanitary dump station. One fourth of the campsites are available for self-registration on a first-come, first-serve basis, and advance campsite reservations can be made online through the online reservation system for Bellevue State Park. Reserve one of two open shelters for a leisurely picnic during your stay. Shelters offer beautiful views of the Mississippi River and are available for reservation through the online reservation system for Bellevue State Park.
Situated on 50 quiet, wooded acres only 2 miles from historic downtown Galena this campground accommodates all types of tents and campers and offer cabin rentals as well.
Thomson Causeway provides the unique experience of island camping on the great Mississippi River and it's well worth a try! The western edge of the recreation area offers visitors an unobstructed view of the widest spot on the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 3.5 miles from shore-to-shore. Here, campers can enjoy memorable views of the river and the valley, and partake in plenty of great water activities.
Popular activities include fishing, hiking, hunting,__biking and boating. Common fish species include the channel catfish, bluegill, walleye, large mouth bass,__and northern pike. The Central Trail section of the famous Mississippi River Trail passes beside the campground, offering visitors miles of walking and biking trails along the river bank.
The campground is built mainly on an island in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. Slow moving water on the eastern edge of the main recreation area creates a rich environment in which wildlife and fish abound.
For local information, please call (563) 362-8839 or call (815) 259-3628 for general information.
Head northbound along the river to see the Ayers Sand Prairie State Nature Preserve or the Mississippi Palisades State Park. Visit the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center and Fulton's Dutch Windmill. Or watch a minor league baseball game at the Clinton Lumberkings stadium.
$25 / night
$8 / night
Blanding Landing is situated in a lush river valley on the east bank of the great Mississippi, just 13 miles from Galena, Illinois. Rich deposits of minerals line the landscape. In the early 19th century, miners from around the globe flocked to the area in search of wealth from minerals. This was the nation's first mineral rush, predating California's legendary Gold Rush.
The Mississippi River draws crowds of anglers each year. The most popular species is the channel catfish. Bluegill, walleye, crappie and northern pike also live in these waters. Other activities include boating, picnicking and hunting.
The campround is off the beaten path offering a quiet camping getaway. Nestled along the backwaters of the Mississippi River, this area is a well known birders paradise plus access to miles of great fishing. Thousands of years ago, Ice Age Glaciers divided and detoured around the northwest corner of Illinois. In their wake, clusters of rugged hills remain. Today, the winding country roads are perfect for leisurely drives.
For facility specific information, please call (563) 582-0881.
The town of Galena is 13 miles north, and attracts tourists for its quaint atmosphere, unique shops and historic buildings. Eighty-five percent of the buildings in the town are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
$24 / night
Legend
Hand’s down, this is one of Iowa’s best state parks, so if you’ve never made your way here to Maquoketa Caves SP, you need to start making your plans. And if you are coming with a large group of kiddos, Maquoketa SP has you covered with not one 1, but 3 individual large group sized campsites with each accompanied by its own duo split restroom albeit basic with a simple, but very clean privy. You’ll access all three of these youth camping sites by taking your second left after accessing the SP turning left on 98 Street after passing the Maquoketa SP Visitor Center. Each site is completely shrouded by tall grasses providing some solid privacy as you stare up at an unobstructed view of a perfect star-filled night sky. Each site has its own designated firepit accompanied by several picnic tables and chopped logs, which serve as extra seating.
Beyond this, there’s no additional amenities, however there are more than 6 miles of hiking trails that await your ‘spazierengehen’ pleasure as well as pretty close access to Raccoon Creek, which is not big enough to do anything that includes oars (but at least you’ll have a good view of a trickling stream). Apart from the youth campground itself, there’s 13 bat caves to explore and scattered throughout the SP, you’ll find plenty of shelters with picnic tables featuring an assortment of both in-ground and stand-up BBQ grills. There’s a very good children’s playground near the only other campground here at Maquoketa SP, and it’s just a short hike up the hill past the bat cave entrance– about ¾ mile hike from the youth campground.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) While there’s not much in the way of decent, deep waterways at this SP to explore, if you head due east, check out 6B’s Campground, which on its lower level you’l discover has direct access to the Maquoketa River, which is definitely worth your oar paddling effort, but do yourself a favor and reach out to 6B’s before paying a visit; (2) In the event that you grow weary of trying to conjure up your next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler and you want to check out some local fare, trust me, there’s not much in these parts, although there is a small hidden-in-the-weeds joint called Bluff Lake Catfish Farm that not only serves up some amazing Midwest comfort food (fried catfish, cole slaw, fried shrimp, sirloin, fried chicken, prime rib, fried haddock), but the food shack sits in front of a lake complete with ducks who will eat your leftovers right out of your hand; and (3) If you’ve never gone spelunking before – and trust me, if you come here to Maquoketa SP, you’re going to want to – then make sure you bring the right gear: headlamp, good sturdy hiking boots, pants to keep the bugs, spiders and ticks away as well as plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Happy Camping!
Legend
This CG is one of 6 that you have to choose from here at Scott County Park, wherein Woodside is definitely more geared for the RVs – especially the much larger ones, so if you have a very big rig, this likely is the best CG for you – with each site offering FHUs with electric, water& sewage, fire rings and picnic tables. If you wanted to tent camp here, you could, although I would recommend nearby Incahias or Sac-Fox as better for tent campers. Unlike some of the other campgrounds, Woodside is somewhat bare and desolate inside the actual campground with the land being incredibly flat, but wide open so therefore not providing much privacy or shade whatsoever. Back-in slots are spacious, hard and very level with the grounds being incredibly well-kept and impeccably clean bathroom / shower facilities with great HOT running water.
Albeit with a short hike through the forest, Woodside CG is near Cody Lake and Glynn’s Creek, which offers some decent oaring in your kayak or canoe. Sitting adjacent to Cody Lake is an eponymous community shelter than can be reserved or used on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s also a playground for the kiddos and a restroom facility that is also spartan-clean as well access to Glynn’s Creek Trailhead which is a moderate hike and further afield throughout the rest of the park, there’s no shortage of hiking / biking / horse trails. We found Woodside to be fairly quiet, although lacking in privacy without the benefit of any real brush or trees to blot out our next-door neighbors, but that said, everyone was incredibly friendly with full displays of Midwestern hospitality that this area is known for.
Scott County Park is easy to fall in love with, whether traveling solo or with a family as there is a lot that this park offers up: from fresh water catch & release lakes, combination of topographies, from woodlands, wetlands and prairie grasslands, beautiful 18-hole championship golf course, outdoor exercise areas, club house and concessions, stand-alone cabins for rent, designated dump stations and trash receptacles, numerous picnic areas, massive heated swimming pool complete with a snake-like water slide, volleyball court, ranger stations, seasonal on-site hosts, firewood available for purchase at entry stations, Walnut Grove Pioneer Village and St. Anne’s church at the park’s NW perimeter, 7 community shelters, designated picnic areas, a memorial park, equestrian area and an incredibly well-paved network of roads that allows you to easily access just about every corner of this park. Oh, and the incredibly friendly rangers that constantly patrol and keep this beautiful park in full working order were nothing short of amazing.
Happy Camping!
Legend
My twin brother and I discovered this little hidden gem of a campground outpost just a mile or so east of Maquoketa Caves SP. This nature-infested outpost is split into 2 levels with an upper plateau section that is more geared towards the tent-pitchin’ bredren of my tribe, while the lower level straddles the Maquoketa River and offers up splendid waterfront views of the slow-moving, fresh-water creek variety. Apart from the very welcoming folks that run this place, led by Karen Townsend, what I loved most about 6B’s was the very welcoming community of fellow campers who rolled out the‘red carpet’ treatment for us when we rocked up. The upper level offers up only a solid picnic table, in-ground fire rings w/ fold-up BBQ grills and a tree-lined backdrop with a fenced in front lawn– perfect for a quick and EZ set-up. Massive bonus points for the location of this campground, which apart from rural country farmers and bat cave tourist passerby traffic, there was virtually no noise pollution to battle with.
If you’re rolling in on an RV, 5th wheeler or trailer, while you likely could park your mobile living room on the upper plateau, you’ll likely feel much more comfortable on the lower river basin, providing that you can make it down the somewhat steep decline gravel road(this is Iowa, so I don’t think anyone will be too challenged, but just want to put the decline out there). Before you’ve arrived at the river’s edge, you’ll notice a simply sublime solo picnic table that has strategically been placed in one of the very large, abandoned bat caves, which makes for a very special picnic outing. Turning left as you reach the riverfront, you’ll follow a single, narrow loop that offers up slots on a first-come, first-served basis, with each offering up water, 30 amp electric, boat ramp, diving platform and a fairly flat landing to park for the night or a week(or even month!).
Downsides? This camping outpost only accepts cash, money order or checks, which was a major bummer for us as we didn’t have any of those with us and while there were banks nearby(well, some 30 miles away), we weren’t members of the bank, which wasn’t even open, on account that it was after noon on a Saturday, so yeah, while a small thing, it became quite a big deterrent for us. If you can get this solo downside, there really is nothing else but upside, chief of which includes direct access to the Maquoketa River, which we enjoyed, given we were toting my tandem kayak with us, as well as, of course, just 3 miles west to Maquoketa Caves SP.
Happy Camping!
Legend
This Iowa SP campground is simply AMAZING and if you are a bat cave spelunker, you are going to be absolutely excited by this place, if you don’t know it already. For the rest of us outdoor enthusiasts who are simply looking for a great campground, then you’ve also struck the campground lottery, but if you are interested in staying here, I would STRONGLY encourage you to mind your dates taking note of when bat hibernation ends and begins – for what it’s worth, my brother and I drove all the way here only to find out that hibernation began the day of our arrival. That said, we could still hike all of the amazing trails, but couldn’t access the bat caves.
The campground that resides here, is less than a quarter mile away from the access point to the bat caves, creating huge upside for selecting this campground in the first place. A heavily wooded area encompasses every single site (there’s 28 in total w/ 24 offering 20 / 30 / 50 amp electric) providing a substantial amount of shade, will also allowing decent sunlight as well along a slowly winding lone lane that leads one into this shrouded camping haven. While the spots (#12-#16) towards the end of the lane are more earmarked for mi tent pitchin’ bredren, whereas the rest of the sites (#1-#11; #17-#28) are set-up for the RV and 5th Wheel toting crowd (although you could easily set up a tent on any one of these sites should you choose to).
A couple of points to keep in mind– the entrance to the campground is the busiest, so if this is of concern, steer clear of #1-#3 or #27-#28. Second, if you have kids and want to be planted near the playground, you might want to target sites #26-#28, where the spacious kids playground sets right behind these sites. In the event that being nearest the built-in amenities (restroom, shower, water source, community library, trash, firewood) are important to you, then look at sites #5-7 and #23-26. With this in mind, as you meander further down the lone campground loop lane, the quieter and more sheltered the place gets, so from #6-#24 should be a prime target for you if peace & solitude are important to you. Despite all of the advice I’ve just given, I don’t think you can really go wrong with any site here.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re looking for a primitive tent camping experience, then you’re going to want to book sites #12 and #13, which set a bit further back for the cul-de-sac end of the lane offering up more privacy and less noise from the rest of the camping commune; (2) All sites designated for RV’s are back-in and range in driveway length between 31 and 68 feet; (3) The campground itself is closed between December 1 thru February 28 each year; (4) This SP offers up more than 370 acres with 6 miles of hiking trails with 13 distinct bat caves to explore, so bring good hiking shoes, headlamps, proper long sleeve shirts and pants to keep the bugs and ticks away, which abound here aplenty; and (5) There’s plenty of picnic tables, most under shelters as well as scattered stand-up and in-ground BBQ grills all offered up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Happy Camping!
Legend
Offers basics: water, electric, showers some shade, stores nearby
Legend
CG offers gravel pads, tables, fire rings, electric, sump station, water, small pond with fishing, paddling, dog park. Close to stores for supplies, dining, fuel.
Guide
Nice educational center with canoe and kayak rentals, with lots of Mississippi backwater to explore. Showers are open until October 14 this year.
LegendMy mom remembers visiting this park in the 40's. Not a surprise since Grampa was a Geologist.
This is a small campground for such an old park, only 34 sites, walk-ins included. All sites are along one road with a turnaround at the end. There is only one building with toilets, showers and no pit toilets. These are clean and well maintained.
There is a playground near the entrance that is shared with the caves entrance area, a bit of a walk.
The caves themselves are down a long hill from the campground. There are facilities there too, and a concession stand with limited hours/ days. The caves are fun to explore, but not ADA accessible. Bring flashlights and in some areas watch your head.
The Visitor's center at the park entrance is staffed by volunteers and only open on weekends.
Once you've done the caves, there's not much else to see within the park. But visit the Hurstville interpretive center for a nice nature center and trails.
Guide
I’ll begin by saying this is by far the cleanest campground I have stayed at. The facilities were well kept including the vault toilet houses. We stayed in a walk to site and the views were incredible. Our tent pad was quite rocky so I would recommend sleeping pads or you will be very uncomfortable. Our site was also extremely dusty which wasn’t a problem at all just be prepared to be a little dirty. 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. I would definitely come back to Nelson Dewey and stay again. There was not a ton to do in the area so a short weekend stay was perfect. A highlight is that the park provided cart to use to haul all your stuff to the walk to sites. There is 1 designated parking spot per walk to site as well. The walk to sites are small and only accommodated our one (6 person) tent which was not a problem for us as we knew this ahead of time.
Guide
The park is on the beautiful might Mississippi river. It’s 2 miles from Potosi, WI with a large brewery with good food as well. Army Corps so half price with America The Beautiful senior discount card. If you like trains you will see many, close and going fast.
Legend
Cabin sleeps 6, has all amenities including firewood at no cost! Education center onsite with live animals, trails, open year round, Wapsipinicon River below bluff offers paddling, fishing. Menke Observatory offers sky programs.
Legend
Campground is nice with a few newer amenities, including shower house and handicap campsite. Gravel pads at sites include tables, fire, pits, electric,. There’s a dump station, play area, shelters for rent, and a pond that you can actually swim and fish and paddling.
Scout
Nice trails around. Camp was clean. Cool creek and bridge. Priced appropriately at $23 a night.
Traveler
I got a primitive tent site in an area all to myself, with a shower house just down the road, in a beautiful and quiet campground for $10 cash. You really can’t beat that. Campground is separate from the park so you don’t have to pay a park entrance fee to stay here.
Scout
We stayed at this campground over Labor Day. The owner intentionally doesn't fill all of the sites in order to give people more space- a great luxury over a holiday like this. The sites are pretty small and only one 'sleeping structure' is allowed on each site but we found that Jeff was very willing to let us put up two tents (one for my wife & I
+ one for the kids) because we were in the same family.
The bathrooms and showers were very neat and well maintained. We didn't use the showers because they were paid but our friends did and had good things to say about them.
The campground has a very nice playground (the favorite of the trip for one of my kids) and a lounge where anyone staying at the campground can rest with A/C, wifi, a phone charging area, and some board games.
The primary drawback is that there isn't a lot of outdoor activities to do in the area. All the land is private so there's not great hiking (a little in the state park about 20 min drive away), IL law allows waterways to be privately owned so you can't kayak the river, etc. Galena is nearby if you want to go shopping and we really enjoyed going to Terrapin Apple Orchard and picking some apples (if you're there in the Fall). But all in all I would say this is a great campground to rest and relax at- probably not ideal for outdoor adventures.
Legend
The campground offers to camp areas: one better suited for RVs, and the other area is better suited for primitive tent, camping. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings, our recites include electric. There is a campground host, shower house, shelter and playground area there too. The tent sites are prone to flooding occasionally from the gun river. There is a boat ramp with access to the river for fishing and paddling.
Legend
Cabin sits at end of campground lane with covered porch, parking for 3 cars, ADA accessible. Cabin has 2 sleeping rooms, sleeping loft, and sofa. Capacity is 10, with all kitchen amenities. Has fire pit, wood available in campground, tables, and gas grill with rental. Playground nearby, park has seasonal pool, garden of course, trails, Pride Lake for fishing and paddling.
Traveler
Two hour float trips on the North Fork Maquoketa River are available directly from the campground. There is a mix of permanent and temporary campers. The tent sites, nearest the river, are well spaced with flush toilets. Apparently there are also good trails, as many of the campers have ATV’s parked at their sites. The shower house, under the office, was spacious and clean.
Legend
Campground has gravel lanes, roads pads, appears to have annual residence, campground office, pool is clean, planes, farm, and fleet nearby for Supplies. Sites include tables, water, electric, though need updating.
TravelerI was hitchhiking thru, was dropped off by a ride that said he was buying a $14 tent site for me, come to find out he never did, I just was honest with sandy and the gentleman worker and offered the only 8$ I had, no sir, they said please stay for free and just enjoy. WONDERFUL PPL THAT CARE ABOUT OTHERS!! THANKS YALL
Guide
I wanted so badly to love this campground experience, but just didn't. Site 19 was an easy walk-in that theoretically had nearby vault toilets, parking, and water.
Each site only had space for one car to park before walking in. Not a huge deal, but annoying as there were 2 of us who drove separate and we had to problem solve. When we got to the site I was shocked to see that what was labeled as a tent site had literally NO flat space to actually set up a tent. Spacious site, but fully sloped.
Also, what I would have loved to know, is that the vault toilets are closed because they are doing construction to build something new in that space. Construction that starts loudly each day at 7am. Honestly every site from about #35 down was affected by the noise because the construction is happening in the middle of the loop (and actually blocking some of the one-way road as well).
The park in general was okay. Per the usual, the pet areas were lacking. No beach at all, just grass covered in goose poop and one cut out on the raised shore between tall grasses and foliage where a dog could potentially jump in. Certainly nowhere for a human to enjoy the water with their pups unfortunately.
Traveler
Nice quiet place no neighbors usually bothering you showers and toilets could be better but overall ok
Scout
I made a reservation back in April 20 q24 June 26th 6 days before vacation I received a refund notice from them not in the full amount I paid less than a half
RangerThis park is beautiful and perfect for an adventurous hike. The caves make this a unique place to visit but the hiking is rigorous. It proved to be tons of fun for me, my son and his friends. We would definitely go back.
Ranger
I took my son and one of his friends campjng to Bellvue State Park, however, we did not visit the actual park itself. The camp sites were close to one another, many had almost no privacy from the other campsites. We were at campsite 40, which had a severe incline. Also, if you prefer to hammock camp you may not be able to do so. I was able to find one tree and hook the other side up to my vehicle.
Legend
Primitive site offers table, fire ring, grill, tie up, outhouse, open space, hard surface parking. Trail is adjacent.
Legend
Campground is closed until further notice due to major electrical issue.
If you're looking for pet-friendly camping options near Bellevue, Iowa, there are several great spots where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Bellevue, IA is Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 31 reviews.
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