2 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Cabins near West Des Moines offer accommodations ranging from basic to fully furnished units with various amenities. Timberline Campground in Waukee provides cabin rentals with electrical hookups and indoor facilities. Jester County Park maintains cabins that are "fully stocked, linens included" according to visitor feedback. Des Moines West KOA Holiday features cabin options with electricity and basic amenities. "We rented a cabin for $50, because it was only about $10 more expensive than what we were planning on spending for a campsite in Minnesota. Inside, you had two wooden cabin-style buildings with little front porches. Inside, you had two bunk beds, and the bottom bunk of one was a pull out futon, so you really had room to sleep 5 people."
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. KOA-style cabins at Des Moines West typically include air conditioning and basic furnishings, while Waterfront Cabin offers a more secluded experience with electric hookups and outdoor toilets. Adventureland Campground in Altoona provides year-round cabin access with water and electric service. Most cabins require advance reservations, especially during summer months from April through October. Pet policies vary by location, with many campgrounds including Timberline, Jester Park, and Adventureland allowing pets in cabin areas. A visitor noted, "We stayed one night in a basic cabin. AC was on upon arrival- check in/out was quick and easy! Bathrooms were immaculate!"
Most cabin rentals include beds with mattresses but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries. Kitchen facilities vary widely between properties—some cabins feature mini-refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee makers, while others provide only outdoor fire rings with cooking grates. Cuttys Des Moines Camping Club and Thomas Mitchell County Park cabins include picnic tables and fire rings for outdoor meal preparation. Nearby grocery options include Walmart and Hy-Vee stores in surrounding communities. KOA locations typically maintain small camp stores with basic provisions. Shady Brook Camping & RV Adventures offers cabin rentals with limited amenities but allows pets, making it suitable for travelers with animals who need simple accommodations.
"Playground was next to us but it was fun watching the kids play. Full sun in the morning but afternoon was shaded by trees. Restrooms and shower was clean and close walking distance."
"We called ahead to see if they had sites available that night. Arrived just before the office closed at 7pm."
from $35 - $80 / night
"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. "
"Fire rings, picnic tables, level gravel sites."
from $20 - $25 / night
"We stayed at the West Des Moines KOA for the Nationals Softball Tournament for my daughter in July. There were 6 families that stayed there with us."
"Very nice campground with running water,electricity and wifi. It's opened year round."
"The Shower/restrooms were clean and stocked. Firewood is available for 8$ a bundle. Sites are gravel base and fairly level. The city park has a edge maze that is unique. "
"We will definitely return, we loved this park. The bridges of Madisin County, Clarke Tower, cute local ice cream shop, John Wayne Museum! So much fun in a cute Iowa community!"
from $15 - $22 / night
"After some confusion with booking (office hours are until 7pm, confirmation email said 9pm) we were able to get ahold of the operations manager at the park who helped us."
"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."
"They have indoor/outdoor pools mini golf, camp store, paddle boats, and other camp ground activities. I love cuttys and been thinking about buying a membership myself."
"Thomas Mitchell park is located outside of Altoona Iowa on 197 acres. There are electric and non electric sites available."
"Came in late, even though there were several empty spaces turns out they were reserved. Very nice camp host told us we could have a non-electric site, none of them were reserved."
"One of my favorite locations to camp in Iowa as a Boy Scout growing up was Ledges State Park. Since I hadn't been back in years, I decided to check it out and spend a night camping there."
"One of the more beautiful places to camp in Iowa. Awesome hiking trails and really well-shaded campsites."
Available this weekend
from $12 - $25 / night
"I had a chance to learn a little about this awesome cabin, they offer the opportunity to get off-grid and hangout on the porch overlooking a pond. Check them out and leave a review on The Dyrt!"
from $200 - $300 / night
"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."
Legend9-14-26 Timberline East RV Campground, I do not think this is a KOA anymore. Tent site T1 & 2 was level and on grass with table and fire ring. checked in at 7pm, overcast, Molly was great at the check in, offered a 10% Veteran discount. $34 for the night. We only stayed one night. Showers and bathrooms were decent. T-Mobile was 5G 4 bars. Rained all night, you can hear the noise from the highway but you drown it out.
ScoutWe camp here lots during the summer. No issues to speak of. Although it would be nice if they didn’t dig their fire pits deep. Mine. Is below ground level by 6 inches or so. Can barely see the fire. Today it rained and now it’s 6pm and my pit is full of water. It’s done raining. Kind of hard to have a fire now.!!!!
ScoutGreat stop, perfect for kids - trampoline, jumping pillow, and a playground. Spots are close together (as with most KOAs) but easy off I-80 and a great pit stop for a night or two with family.
ScoutGreat little spot with lots of hiking trails. Bathrooms are clean and guests are quiet. Don’t miss grave from 1869 at top of hill on trail. Beautiful place. Wish I lived closer.
RangerThis is a sweet well-maintained campground just south of Mitchellville, Iowa off of 80. Not many sites and only a handful were occupied mid week in July. There is a little stream running along the edge of the campground. There is one bathroom building with 6 separate rooms - each with a toilet, sink and shower with warm water. Plenty of drinking water at centralized locations. There is shade at most sites when you first enter the campground and in the loop. Along the edges (inc the stream) shade is more variable. The only issue we had was a bright light that was on all night near the end of the loop. We were in site 5 and had to move our truck so it didn’t shine in all night.
GuideLevel sites and very quiet. Great hiking location and photo opportunities.
RangerThere’s not a lot going on in the vicinity of this state park, which is on the smaller side, and you will hear some cows, but all in all the campground exceeded my expectations for the two nights I stayed. This was partially because my site, 65, offered ample room away from the neighboring sites and backed up to a small green area with the road further back (minimal noise, aside from the random loud dirt bike). It also had a good mix of shade and sun if you’re hoping for a bit of solar charging, though no shore power or water. The site was long and mostly level with just the smallest tilt, but not enough to be a bother even without leveling blocks. The dumpster is nearby, but it’s a tiny one and was well maintained (aka not smelly). The brand new shower house was within easy walking distance as well. I had enough service (Verizon) to send texts and watch a bit of YouTube (buffering times were a smidge slow), but you likely wouldn’t have a strong enough signal for much more.
TravelerQuiet and clean campground. Bike/walk trail surrounding the lake. Lots of amenities for fishing and sightseeing on the lake
ScoutGreat spot in the woods. Lots of trails. They have a bison and elk sanctuary. Also a nature center. A playground. They have several RV spots. Most are pre book but they have a section for first come first serve. Also lots of tent camping. A few group camping areas. Showers are ok. I believe the non shower house bathrooms are all vault toilets. Overall a great place to stay!
Cabin accommodations near West Des Moines feature a mix of seasonal and year-round options situated along the central Iowa corridor. The campgrounds with cabin rentals typically sit at elevations between 850-950 feet above sea level in the gently rolling terrain. Seasonal availability varies significantly, with most cabin facilities operating from April through October when temperatures average 45-85°F.
Explore nearby trail systems: Thomas Mitchell County Park offers multiple hiking paths with creek access. "Thomas Mitchell park is located outside of Altoona Iowa on 197 acres. There are electric and non electric sites available. The outer loop has a creek that flows behind the sites with large stairs to get down to it. Kids were having a blast in the water," notes Shannon G.
Visit historical attractions: When staying at Winterset City Park, explore the Bridges of Madison County within walking distance. "If you love John Wayne you will love Winterset City Park... You probably didn't know that Winterset, Iowa is the birthplace of John Wayne. You may have seen the Clint Eastwood movie the 'Bridges of Madison County,' but you probably didn't know that the bridges are real and the movie was filmed in Winterset," explains a visitor.
Seasonal activities: Timberline Campground in Waukee provides seasonal recreation options. "This place is wonderful. The staff are all extremely friendly and accommodating. Facilities are all very clean and well taken care of. The pool is a great bonus!" reports Bradley N.
Close proximity to attractions: Adventureland Campground offers convenience to major entertainment venues. "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," mentions Willy W.
Quiet atmosphere: Many cabin locations provide peaceful settings despite highway proximity. A Shady Brook Camping visitor noted, "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."
Well-maintained facilities: Jester County Park receives high marks for cleanliness. "Beautiful campground! Lots of trees and peaceful area. Our spot was pretty level and well maintained," shares Andrea H. Another camper adds, "Iowa county parks are amazing. They pour money into them and it really shows. Clean, I mean immaculate."
Reservation policies: Most cabin rentals require advance booking, particularly during peak season. At Des Moines West KOA Holiday, "Office is open until 7pm which was very helpful as we arrived a little later than expected. Don't pay attention to the highway signs that says they're only open until October, they're working on updating them," advises Iris A.
Cabin types and setup: Expect significant variation in cabin layouts. At Adventureland Campground, a visitor reports, "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."
Noise considerations: Some properties have external noise factors. At Timberline Campground, Roxanna L. shares, "We didn't realize there must be a shooting range close by as all afternoon all we heard were gun shots. Not relaxing for us or our fur babies."
Water features for kids: Select cabins with water access for summer visits. At Thomas Mitchell County Park, "The main hiking trails are wide with smaller ones shooting off the sides. There is also a group site that you can hike to on the Devote trail. The camp hosts are helpful and offer firewood, which they bring to your site, on Wednesday-Sunday."
Entertainment options: Choose cabins at properties with built-in activities. Winterset City Park offers diverse recreation: "It has a edge maze that is unique. The John Wayne museum and downtown are a 20 minute walk away. This is our second visit there and I would go back again."
Budget-friendly options: Ledges State Park Campground provides economical cabin camping with natural attractions. "The campground has a good picnic area, restrooms, and an excellent trail. It's also inexpensive. What I enjoy most about this park compared to others in Iowa are the sandstone ledges and the slopes on the trail."
Site selection: For camping cabins near West Des Moines, Iowa with nearby RV facilities, location matters. At Thomas Mitchell County Park, a visitor recommends: "We stayed at site 4, glad I read reviews on here. I personally would not want to be in a site beyond number 7 as it gets too close to the dump station and subsequent 'sewage lagoon'."
Extended stays: Some properties accommodate longer cabin rentals. At Timberline Campground, Paul C. shares: "Great, safe, and quiet campground. Beautiful site on a pond, clean bath houses, cool weekend amenities, and since we came in October, pretty empty after Labor Day during the week. Owners very easy to work with, propane refill was easy, and payment schedule was convenient."
Check-in procedures: Properties have varying arrival protocols. At Timberline, Tessa M. notes: "Very pretty and clean. We got in pretty late, staff was awesome even showed us to our spot. The park looked nice, only thing some spots looked really close together. Our spot was big right by the park area."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near West Des Moines, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near West Des Moines, IA is Timberline Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 13 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 24 cabin camping locations near West Des Moines, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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