Brighton is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Brighton is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
"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."
"We drive to the end of Umber Ave and found two spots perfect for camping. We chose the one nestled next to the corn field. Perfect dispersed camp site with no road noise or visitors."
$35 - $50 / night
"Convenient location a lot of amenities and activities"
$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."
"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."
LegendThe camp is walking only, with few tables and fire rings. Firewood available t main cg all ng with water and showers there too. Sites are spread along a waterway within bottom land woodlands with water access for fishing, paddling etc. Parking is within 100 yards so must pack in/out, use Leave No Trace ethics.
RangerCampground Review:
Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area is 675 acres, nestled between rolling fields of corn, dairy farms, native prairie, and the Cedar River. Located in Muscatine County in southeast Iowa, this rec area offers well-maintained campgrounds, hiking trails, fishing, kayaking/canoeing and seasonal hunting.
There are three separate campgrounds. The main campground has electrical hookups, picnic benches, fire rings, modern restroom facilities including showers, a dump station, playground, and firewood for purchase. There are 24 sites, and they run $20 per night.
The primitive campground area sits along Chicken Creek and offers four, tent-only sites, and is just off the main campground. The sites are well spaced and surrounded by large trees. These are walk in sites with parking in the main campground. It’s a short hike in from the parking area, and within walking distance of the restrooms and firewood. Primitive sites are $10 per night.
Across the road from these two campgrounds is the main boat access and fishing dock for Chicken Creek. Only non-motorized boats are allowed here. If you don’t have your own, you can rent kayaks and canoes through the Muscatine County Conservation office. There is also a large shelter, which is reservable along with day use picnic areas, playgrounds, a sand volleyball court, and vault toilets. There’s large, open expanses of grassy fields and oak shade trees; perfect for relaxing on a hot summer day.
The river campground sits right along the Cedar River and allows easy access to fishing along with a boat ramp. This campground is a short hike to the old Saulsbury Bridge and Lodge. The bridge has a small gazebo-like structure and bench which provides a nice view of the river. There are vault toilets in this campground, but the modern restrooms are within walking distance as well. There are 10 sites in this campground and run $17 per night.
All campsites are self-registration and are on a first come, first served basis. There is a campground host on duty in the main campground and the park officer lives on site. Dogs are allowed, but must be on leash in the campgrounds and on trails. However, they are allowed to run in the designated hunting areas. These areas are marked with signs. If you plan to hike during hunting season, it’s a good idea to wear bright colors/blaze orange so you are visible to hunters and not mistaken for a deer or other wildlife.
This park also has prairie/natural habitat restoration areas that, in spring and summer, attract Monarch butterflies, and an abundance of birds including indigo bunting, red headed woodpecker, and goldfinch. In the colder months you can spot bald eagles flying along the river. There are also deer, wild turkey, and pheasants. While there, we walked around the campground areas that were open and over to the day use area along Chicken Creek to roast marshmallows. We hiked the short distance out to the Saulsbury Bridge to watch the Cedar River flow by and caught a beautiful sunset.
The one downfall to this park is the possibility for flooding. When the Cedar River is high, it pushes Chicken Creek out of its banks which can mean potential closure of campgrounds.
A call ahead to the conservation office to check on closures is a good idea. We had hoped to camp at a primitive site, but learned the trail leading into the campground was under water, which also meant the river campground was closed as well. Though there was some water over the road in the main campground, it was minimal and we were able to choose an electrical site. We opted to car camp as we were only staying one night. Only about a third of the campground was filled and we had no one on either side of us which meant for a more quiet camping experience.
This is one of my favorite local areas to hike and camp that’s close to home. It offers a full picture of Iowa’s varied landscapes and outdoor activity opportunities.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. On this camping trip, I tried out VivoBarefoot Primus Trail SG Womens sneakers. VivoBarefoot’s goal is to provide an environment that allows the feet to remain in their natural state while providing a protective shoe. https://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/womens/off-road/primus-trail-sg-womens?colour=Olive
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!
LegendLittle Bear Campground is located right off I-80 at the West Liberty exit. It is right next to a trailer park. There are a few tent sites ($22/ night)and Rv sites($33/night). We pulled in late to stay the night. It had full hook ups with a fire ring and picnic table. The spot was good sized and clean. There is an office/ gift shop and a convent store within walking distance. There is 2 cute little cabins which run $49 a night. There is a pool(closed for season), and a playground for kids. I was surprised that the interstate noise was much quieter than I thought it would be. All and all it was a pleasant place to stop over.
LegendStayed at the primitive section of the campground. Site C was level for our camper van. Large, spacious site. Wooded. Fire ring. No table st this site, but other sites in this area has tables. Vault toilets a short walk away. Campground host was very helpful. Inexpensive firewood. Enjoyed our stay here. Paid $10 for site.
RangerSnively Access Campground is located off of County Road X61 in Wapello, IA. The access road is a steep, well-maintained, gravel drive that takes you directly to Lake Odessa and the campsites. Note: the entrance sign to the campground is a little difficult to see from the road, and the campground does sometimes close due to high water. Gates will be shut with a High Water sign on them if that's the case. It's best to call ahead to Louisa County Conservation if you're planning to camp in the spring/summer when flood season tends to be most prevalent in this area.
There are two separate campgrounds, all are electrical sites, (no dump station) except for one tent-only site which is situated up on a hill by itself with a round about road off to the right as you drive down the main access road. The second campground is to the left, with no bathrooms, and also butts up to a community of seasonal/year round cabins. This means it may be a bit more noisy during the warmer months. We chose the second campground and only one other site was in use. All was quiet by 10:00pm. We did wake up once or twice to the sound of barred owls calling back and forth in the night which only added to the ambiance of tent camping. This area is known as a hub for migratory birds, so if you're a bird person, it's a prime location. We saw red-headed woodpecker, yellow warblers, and a handful of other birds. About 5 minutes north of the campground is Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge which offers an interpretive center, modern restroom facilities, hiking trails and bird watching.
Each campsite has a graveled drive, picnic bench, fire ring and garbage can with lid. There is a public parking area and dock to put in boats on the lake and fish. All campsites have a lake view, and several are in shaded spots along the timber line. This is a dog-friendly campground and dogs must be leashed at all times. These sites are first-come-first serve and are $12/night. You are required to self-register within 30 minutes of your arrival time. There is a registration kiosk to the right, at the bottom of the main access road.
This was a nice, smaller campground with a water front view that felt secluded and slightly more primitive.
Tent camping near Brighton, Iowa offers a serene escape into nature, with various options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to pitch a tent and enjoy the great outdoors.
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