1 campground with availability this weekend
Chimney Rock Canoe and Campground has a selection of glamping accommodations set along the Upper Iowa River near Calmar, surrounded by 80-foot limestone bluffs. The campground features canvas tents and cabin-style glamping units with comfortable furnishings, electrical hookups, and access to shared shower facilities. Located 20 minutes from Calmar, the property includes spacious sites with picnic tables and fire rings, with many glamping spots positioned for scenic river views. Amenities include a campground store for essentials, clean shower houses, and firewood available on-site. One guest shared, "This part of Iowa is a treasure. Deb and her crew are always helpful and accommodating. There are cabins, electric sites, showers and a dump station."
Activities center on the Upper Iowa River with kayaking, canoeing, and tubing being primary attractions, with the campground providing rental equipment and shuttle services to facilitate these water adventures. Hiking trails wind through the surrounding bluffs, offering panoramic views of the river valley and abundant wildlife viewing opportunities including eagles nesting in the area. Bluffton Resort, another glamping destination in the region, complements the experience with its bar and store providing refreshments after outdoor activities. Lake Meyer County Park, situated on a hill above its namesake lake, rounds out the glamping options with additional trails and water recreation. A recent visitor mentioned, "The scenery is amazing. I had the most peaceful stay which was exactly what I was wanting. We enjoyed one day of kayaking and another day of cycling on the trout run trail. Both days were SO serene!"
"As someone who bicycle tours I appreciated fire wood being on site and close to where the tent area is. The bathrooms aren’t the best but they worked."
"Lake Meyer sits atop a hill above the Lake. Beautiful trails with lots of wild life. Even an eagles nest. There are hook ups and water."
"Excellent staff. One of the best kept campgrounds I've been to. Between the campground and the nearby towns, there is easily two weeks of activities to do. More depending on the time of year you go."
"Every time I visit I have a wonderful time enjoying the scenic Upper Iowa River. This part of Iowa is a treasure. Deb and her crew are always helpful and accommodating."
"The camping sites also have large tall trees where a camper should be parked which causes you to park way to close to the fire pit."
"Gorgeous bluffs and river to camp right next to! Can’t wait to go back!"
from $25 / night
"Includes electric and water and showers and firewood. Best value I have found yet. They have a bunch o pavilions and facilities. Pool, tennis, lake."
"Free firewood, free wifi, water and electric at each campsite. Found a nice shady site for tent camping."
"Water electric at each site. Dump station on site. Nice swimming beach and many fishing jetties."
"Bathrooms were clean. Good cell phone signal. Small lake for fishing and swimming working walking distance"
"There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails."
"It can be a little confusing because the camping and mystery caves are a distance apart. I highly recommend going to the caves."
Available this weekend
from $25 - $90 / night
"Located on the Root River. Cliff View has very clean bath houses. Lots of sites to choose from. 50 amp service, sewer hook up and of course water. If your close enough to the office wifi available."
"Situated right along the Root River next to the bike trail. They offer kayak, canoe and tube rentals and shuttles. They also have bike rentals. This facility is clean and very well kept."
from $30 - $46 / night
"Our site was very large, which was nice as it gave us more than enough room to set up our tent, leaving space between us and the neighboring sites."
"It was located right on the Root River Trail System which we liked for biking and running."
from $25 - $100 / night
RangerThis campground has large private sites, most are shady or partially shaded. Bathrooms are large and well maintained. There’s lots of good hiking trails and the historic town of Forestville was interesting to explore. Absolutely no cell coverage for T-Mobile or AT&T but luckily our site had a good opening in the trees for our Starlink. Would definitely recommend.
TravelerWe tent camped one night, midweek late August. Our site was private, close enough to the shower house but far enough away that we didn't hear any noise from the exhaust fans. Was a lovely quiet night. On a tight schedule so we weren't able to sample any of the hikes. Would stay here again. #33 also looked like a prime tent camp spot.
GuideThis park is very nice. It has long gravel FHU sites. Bathrooms/shower house is fairly new, but they must have high iron levels b/c the toilets and walls already have brown stains. Kid friendly. walking path. Downfalls: Not much shade yet. You have to register online and some older folks don't like that.
GuideVery nice campground with full hookups. Many sites are reservable and inexpensive.
TravelerStayed in site 71 for 3 nights. Good level campsite and in walking around all the ones in the electric loop looked pretty level.
The shower house is the newer style - individual shower rooms and then a separate mens/women/handicapped bathroom. Showers were clean.
Lots of hiking - down to historic village and back is about 4.5 miles round trip.
If you get the chance, go do the the 1 hour walking tour of Mystery Cave - well worth the entry fee. if you go on weekend probably need to make reservations.
and finally need to check out Wykoff - and see Ed's Museum. Usually open on weekends. We went over during the week and wasn't open but you can get view inside from the street.
TV was able to pick up about 15 stations - but there is NO CELL SERVICE in the campground - no Verizon, ATT or T-Mobile. Wifi down at the ranger office.
Scoutfriendly host, lots of place for my tent
GuideBeautiful large sites along the river so you can fish as well as has a pond that you can swim in with three beach entry areas. Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites. Nice walking trails on the east and south side of the park. Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate. It appeared that some of the campsites were seasonal but couldn’t confirm that.
ScoutIf you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
ScoutIf you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
Visitors to Calmar, Iowa discover rugged limestone landscapes with elevations ranging from 1,100-1,300 feet above sea level. The Upper Iowa River watershed carves dramatic valleys with exposed rock faces and heavily forested ridges. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, while spring and fall camping seasons feature 40-60°F temperature swings between day and night.
River fishing expeditions: Access prime trout waters at Lake Meyer County Park Campground, located 20 minutes northeast of Calmar. "Lake Meyer sits atop a hill above the Lake. Beautiful trails with lots of wild life. Even an eagles nest. There are hook ups and water," shares camper Lourene M.
Mountain biking day trips: The Trout Run Trail near Bluffton Resort provides 11 miles of paved trails connecting to longer regional routes. "We enjoyed one day of kayaking and another day of cycling on the trout run trail. Both days were SO serene!" notes visitor Reah E.
Cave exploration tours: Drive 45 minutes to Forestville Mystery Cave State Park Campground for guided underground adventures. "I came here to explore the caves and it blew me away. I think the cave was around 12-13 miles long and there was water and different formations. The floor was really wet so bring shoes you won't slip in," advises Kevin T.
Free firewood access: Waukon City Park campground, 30 minutes east of Calmar, provides complimentary firewood with each site rental. "Free firewood, free wifi, water and electric at each campsite. Found a nice shady site for tent camping," reports Brian M.
Spacious campsites: The Airport Lake Park Campground offers generous site dimensions with concrete fire ring pads. "Camper spots were huge with plenty of space between sites. Fire ring was on a cement slab. Bathrooms were clean. Good cell phone signal. Small lake for fishing and swimming working walking distance," says Paul W.
Privacy between sites: Chimney Rock Canoe and Campground provides secluded camping areas in the upper campground section. "We stayed in the upper C campground, every spot is spread far apart for privacy," notes Laura P., adding "We rented canoes and went on a four hour trip but next time we will Deff go on a longer canoe trip and leave earlier."
Early booking requirements: Glamping near Calmar, Iowa requires reservations 3-4 months in advance for summer weekends, especially for premium river sites.
Limited cellular service: Many campgrounds in the Calmar area have weak or non-existent cell signals. Be prepared to disconnect, particularly at river valley locations.
Seasonal campground operations: Most glamping operations near Calmar close from mid-October through mid-April. The Old Barn Resort offers the longest season, running April 1 through October 31.
Shuttle service logistics: Many campgrounds provide river trip shuttles, but require advance booking. "The shuttle service is nice but I felt a little mislead after our phone conversation compared to what happened. We'll go back," notes Tyson B. at Bluffton Resort.
Group camping circles: The Old Barn Resort features specially designed group sites arranged in circles. "We camped with family in the group circle site. The circle group site has a nice big area for the kids to play. The playground and lake was also fun for the kids too," shares Dustin B.
Child-friendly swimming spots: Several glamping options near Calmar feature dedicated swimming areas with gradual entry points. "There's also a nice covered pool, but we didn't use it because the most shallow point was 4'6", which is great for bigger kids, but with little ones, it's a bit more difficult," notes Joe W. about The Old Barn Resort.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Lake Meyer Park offers excellent wildlife spotting for young naturalists. "Beautiful trails with lots of wild life. Even an eagles nest," says Lourene M. The park's elevated position provides sweeping views for spotting various bird species.
Level site availability: Most glamping facilities near Calmar offer level sites suitable for larger RVs. "Good level campsite and in walking around all the ones in the electric loop looked pretty level," reports Jim C. about Forestville Mystery Cave State Park.
Fresh water access points: Access to clean drinking water is available at most campgrounds. "Water electric at each site. Dump station on site," notes Kris E. about Airport Lake Park Campground's amenities.
Extended stay considerations: For longer stays while glamping near Calmar, select sites with full hookups. Dan K. recommends Chimney Rock: "50 amp service, sewer hook up and of course water. If you're close enough to the office wifi available. Some sites are tight for large motor homes, 5th wheelers and travel trailer."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Calmar, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Calmar, IA is Lake Meyer County Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Calmar, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 glamping camping locations near Calmar, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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