Best Tent Camping near Cantril, IA

We tent camped here a few weeks ago and it was pretty nice. You self check in and cost is only $10/night for primitive. They don’t have electric or water hookups for tent camping which was ok for us. It was easy to find and quiet. The only downside is the lake was filled with algae. So if you’re wanting to fish or swim, this isn’t the place for you! There’s a gun range, horse farm, playground, bathrooms, and even a place to use a few telescopes to see the stars!

The Lake has been recently drained and refilled. The new trails around the lake are so wonderful. Electric and tent sites. Brand new five season cabins. Great all year round!

I stayed one night for an activity at the state park the following day. The shower houses had individual, private, large, and very clean facilities. It was not crowded at all. Campground #2 was the smaller of the two campgrounds. The spots seemed more fitting for RV’s vs tent but there were a couple of tents. I slept in my van so it wasn’t an issue for me. I may reconsider visiting this park for tent camping.

Lacey-Keosaqua State Park is a gem located in Southeast Iowa in Van Buren County. It is off the beaten path but it is one of oldest Iowa State Parks. The Park and campground are well maintained and clean. We visited over Labor Day weekend and the park was only two-thirds full. It was a variety of Tent campers and RV's. The camp sites are spaced really well so you don't feel like you are on top of one another. They have electric and non-electric sites and the shower is very clean. There are almost 80 sites in the campground.

Don't miss the hiking trails and the Beach House and swimming lake. Don't miss lake Sugema, the Indian Mounds or the Ely Ford Mormon Trail crossing.

Campground Review: Honey Creek State Park is on Rathbun Lake, a very popular place to boat, fish and camp in Southern Iowa. We camped in the Group Campground with out Boy Scout Troop. We pulled into camp after dark and between the headlights of our vehicles and our lanterns (My Goal Zero Light House 250) we set up camp in the dark.

We explored the campground, there were some nice trails and nice spots to camp. The bathrooms were clean but they were a little bit of a walk from the Group Site. The weather was great and the bugs weren't bad. I would recommend Honey Creek State Park.

Ranger Review: The Goal Zero Light House 250 is a nice lantern. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The light settings are perfect. You can use half of the lantern or the full lamp power. You can adjust the lighting power by turning the knob on the front. It can be charged with a wall charger, a solar panel, or the green hand crank on top of the lantern.

We used it when setting our tent up in the dark and it did a good job. At 250 lumens it is just the right amount of light to let you see what you need with out blinding you in the dark. We did not start a campfire that night, instead we placed the Goal Zero Light House 250 on the ground and we surrounded the lantern with our camp chairs as if it was a camp fire. We were up for three hours talking and never did the lantern light weaken.

I like this light. It is too heavy and bulky for backpacking but it is great for car camping. There is a smaller model but I don't know if it will work for backpacking.

Nice little campground in Iowa. We stayed for three nights, there's vault toilets, and the fire rings are tiered and really nice. It's wooded and tucked away. There's a lot of nice little trails and a couple lakes. There's a $10 a night fee on the honor system so I would not consider it free. We would come back.

Campsite is directly next to the river. Most sites have power but there are a few tent sits as well (those are right on the river). We'll maintained vault toilets. Site has a shared spicket.

Wildcat is a very nice campground operated by the City of Hamilton, Illinois. Campground has only 17 RV slots of various sizes. We had room to put our 32 foot fifth wheel and room to park our truck alongside. Ours was one of a couple of sites large enough to handle our size.

Their website says the nightly fee is $15 for tents and $25 fir RV. When we arrived we were informed that it had gone up to $20 fir tent and $30 for RV.

Service excludes electricity of 30 and 50 amp. Water is also available at each site. A dump station is on site.

Also on site is a very nice public pool and interesting Disc Golf course.

Very quite and peaceful surroundings. Just a half mile off of the Mississippi River.

We will definitely return here when we get back to the area.

We stayed on the primative group side of the lake.  There is a small pond that we were able to let some of our scouts get started in kayaks and canoes before getting into the main lake.  Great fishing and walking paths.  Iowa has done a great job fixing up this area.  The cabins are small but clean.

Thousand Hills SP was great. Huge swim beach, lots of trails, pavilions, playground equipment and beautiful views. Park has a full service marina where you can rent kayaks or fill your boat with gas. It also has a restaurant. Restaurant was not a little more upscale. I wouldn’t show up in flip flops and swim trunks. If you don’t have a RV or tent there are cabins to rent as well.

Buck Creek is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers and is one of several campgrounds on Lake Rathbun. There are a lot of campsites with plenty of views of the lake. The campground is clean but needs to be updated.

If you have an RV, or camper, or you prefer to sleep in a tent, there are plenty of sites that would accommodate you. This is a nice campground.

Nice calm lake great for swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and small motored boats. There are several trails, picnic areas, and play areas for kids. Campground 2 is small and quite with clean shower/bathrooms. Camground 2 Site 58 is a joined drive with no tent space, however you get an isolated area, and has an uneven pad for camper. It has a large patio and picnic table. Campground 1 is much larger with several great sites.

I’ve camped here in a tent as well as a travel trailer and it’s great either way! Nice camping spots, generally a very quiet campground. The campsites are a bit of a hike from the lake but there is lots to do when you get there. Paddle boats, a beach, several playgrounds for kids, fishing, a marina and a great restaurant. There are several different trails you can hike or bike.
A great and affordable place to stay in north Missouri.

Lake Rathbun is a destination for boaters and campers in the State of Iowa. The Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains several facilities around the lake. Prairie Ridge campground is one of those facilities.

The campsites are good. They have a fire pit, a place to hang food to keep away from raccoons, electricity, and a nice gravel pad for your vehicle or camper. It has modern toilets and some of the campsites have a nice overlook of the lake.

What stands out at this campground is the prairie grass and all of the wild flowers. It is a nice weekend getaway.

Rathbun Lake is a destination for boaters and campers in the State of Iowa. The Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains several facilities around the lake. Island View campground has some really nice views of the lake.

Island View campground is clean. The sites are pretty open, there are trees but there is also a lot of open space. The park has a nice play set for kids and there are baseball fields nearby.

This is a great place to go if you like to boat. There are three different boat ramps in the park.

Honey Creek resort has everything. Golf, nice dining, camping, boating, and lots of fun. This resort has RV camping and beautiful cabins. It is a State owned facility but don't confuse it with Honey Creek State Park (which is also a nice park, you can read my review on thedyrt.com).

If you are looking for a place to pitch your tent and hike go to Honey Creek State Park. If you want luxury camping with cabins and 9 holes of golf, Honey Creek Resort is for you. It is not cheap but it is a nice place to plan a short vacation of relaxing fun.

Honey Creek State Park is located on the north side of Rathbun Lake in southern Iowa. Boat ramp at the park is large (6 lanes) with several docks to assist loading and unloading. Location is about 10 minute drive from Honey Creek Resort which provides a nice 18 hole golf course, water park, and restaurant.

Shower house / bathroom was very clean. Camping site contained a few trees so we were able to string up a tarp to provide shade and protect firewood and furniture from rain. We were there the week before the 4th of July and during the week, there were only about 6 other campers there. The weekend was a bit busier but still sites to be had. Be careful driving around the park as I don't think there was a day we didn't see at least 8 deer wandering around the campsite or near roads.

Nice park - would definitely stay there again.

I tried to camp here, but it was closed temporarily due to high water on the Mississippi River. In fact, part of the the campground road was under water. However, I was able to check it out and talk with a city worker who was mowing the empty campground. This is a primarily RV campground next to the Mighty Mississippi, with all spots having nice gravel parking pads, hookups, and great views of the river. The worker told me that tents are welcome, but not what they usually have show up. There is no dump station. Bathrooms were porta-potties (it wasn’t clear if this was the permanent bathroom situation because of the river flood potential or temporary), and there were no showers. There was a nice playground in the middle of the campground. Just up the road a short walk is the lock and dam that you can visit with interpretive signs and nice benches to sit on while you watch the barges go through the locks.