Best Tent Camping near Boone, IA

Dolliver State Park was our maiden voyage in our travel trailer and it was obvious we were pitiful newbies! The park's beauty and tranquility did get disturbed a couple times when our dogs got loose (newbs!). The park staff were friendly and very helpful as were our fellow campers. The sites are mostly level with picnic tables and fire rings. Sites range from shady to sunny and the reservation website depicts the sites with a small photo and details about the amount of slope and shade. Cell service was good but no WiFi without a hotspot for us. We had fun, learned a lot and plan to camp here again!

We went to this state park with family and had a great time. We chose to do a walk-in tent site because my brother in law recommended it. The site was great! It had tons of trees, dirt area to set up tent, and nice grass surrounding it. The fireplace and picnic table we unexpected with a walk-in site, but a good surprise :) We camped mid-October and were pleased to see the modern bathrooms still open too! Loved the canyon drive and it’s fabulous views :) We heard about an awesome bicycling trail that connects this park with another and are already planning a trip to go back and do a bike trip! Excellent experience.

This is my favorite place to go hiking, kayaking, camping and fishing.

There is a half mile portage with a campsite on the river which you must call to reserve. The other campsites are $10.00 registration. They have porta potties around. Two places to launch kayaks. Most campsites have fire rings, picnic tables and trash bins. Some have grills. They also have firewood for sale or you can find enough wood around still. I didn’t see any water hookups so bring a filter or water. There is a Kum & Go up the road to get missing supplies.

The only downside of camping is you hear the interstate traffic but it’s minimal. The quiet hours are at 10:30pm and they have a gate which is closed at sunset when the park closes for non campers.

Lots of hiking trails and wildlife. The fishing is the best place for largemouth bass, bluegill, catfish. No swimming is allowed and only electric motors, no gas.

Check out their Facebook page for more updates and if you see me out there say hi!

Stayed at this campground for 3 nights while visiting Des Moines.  We stayed in Loop 1- site 138 because we wanted electrical.  The electrical box has 2 standard household plugs which is nice.  This loop was mostly RVs due to the electrical hook ups.  There aren't really trees between the sites, but it is in a wooded area which is nice and there is some space between the sites so you don't feel like you are right on top of the other people.  Generally, people were pretty quiet, especially once it got dark.  Each site as a gravel drive and then open gravel area with a picnic table and fire pit with grill grate.  Plenty of room for camp chairs and other furniture you may want to set up.  There is a grassy area all around the gravel with plenty of room for multiple tents.  2 bath/shower houses within a short walk from the site- they were both clean and solid to use.  There are some short trails within the park which are generally well marked, but just 1 trail is longer than about 1/2 a mile.  Didn't check it out, but there is also a large lake.  Lots of picnic areas throughout the park.  There's also a volleyball court and free lending library near one of the bathhouses.  Overall, I'd recommend this campground as long as you don't mind seeing your neighbors.  Quick drive into Des Moines too.

This was a great spot for our overnight stay while traveling I-80. Its about 6 easy miles off the interstate, and well marked. The lower camp zone looks like it floods easily and was pretty muddy, so we opted for a nice level spot in the upper section. 50 amp plug in, fire rings, picnic tables, great park for our 3 year old. Our review would be 5 stars, but all the restrooms were locked for the season, and the only signage was on the doors of the facilities. No signage about the closures at the self registration. We probably should have checked the restrooms prior to setting up. Still, a very nice place and we would definitely visit again.

All campsites at Timmons Grove are$18/night and are electric. I have visited this place many times but only camped once. This place has never been busy when I have visited.

I generally do not camp electric, so$18/night was steep for non-electric tent camping. There is no shower and the restroom is a port-a-potty.

The area itself is really beautiful. There are good hiking trails, including a walk through some wildflowers. Bird watchers will love this place. Also expect to see deer and turkeys.

There is boat access to the Iowa river as well as a public hunting area(I have not gone boating or fishing here, or hunting).

Other than the nearby highway, which is not too bad for noise, the campground is really quiet.

The price and the nearby highway are my only real complaints here. I am giving it 4 stars.

We settled into one electrical site and one tent site for our adventure. The tent section offers fairly large sites, and views of the river. Our electrical site was decent size and the"backyard" was right up to the river bank. We anticipated some rain so we set up a screen tent for shelter right along the river to enjoy the view while we waited out the rain. Electricity at these sites appears to be brand new. The dirt work that was done to accomplish this had not yet been smoothed out, so making sure your area is lit to avoid tripping and ankle sprains is essential. As it turns out we camped on the same weekend of a large group's annual camp out at this location. 2nd weekend in April every year. Several families with RVs, and while they were great neighbors, we came to understand the site we were in is usually a part of their group. There are no reservations at this campground, so setting up early is the only way to assure you have the site you want. The facility has running water by mid April, no shower, but a single flushing toilet and sink, no soap. The campground does not have a trash can or dumpster on site at all, so you must pack everything out. Really good stay