Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Cantril? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Cantril, Iowa's most popular destinations.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
This recreation area is part of Mississippi River - Pools 11-22
Guide
Level grass tent sites. Shade of trees. Electric outlets at sites. Water accessible. Bath house kept very clean. Plenty of hot water for showers. Picnic table & fire ring at site. Economical. Laundry. Ice bags available. Picnic shelter with sides, 3 picnic tables, small mini fridge, electric lights & outlets, ceiling fan, portable fan, water and deep sink available for campers to use.
ScoutI stayed at the main site that google maps took me to. Three spots but the park is big there might be more sites around it. It is near skunk river I only stayed there for a night but where I was to get to the river you have to hike or bike to it. I’ve heard you can ride horses here. They have fire rings, picnic tables, and a bathroom that’s deep and composting. No sinks or showers. Bugs were wild at night but it is summer. No one disturbed us and it was free the best park of it all. Hoping to make it back there to go through the trails. I believe you can hike and camp too in the area.
Guide
Nice drive in gorgeous country. 23$ site without water 28 w/ water 35 full hookups. Decent showers nice playground for kids lakeside spots as well. The host sells firewood and 2 sizes of ice. Cheap too. Walking trails nearby.
Traveler
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.
Guide
Beautiful river views. Amazing camp hosts. Showers,toilets,30/50/110 power water on sites to share water and dump on property. Mid 1800's town right there and businesses open. There is a blacksmith, a Indian artifact museum and gift shops. Historical walking bridge that is amazing. No wifi.. poor Internet although I did have one bar so could be worse .I have total by Verizon.
Guide
I stayed at the RV section right next to the rodeo arena. Full hookups for only $20 per night with a self-service registration box. I forgot to count but looked like maybe 20 spots max. I was here mid-November in town for work and there was no more than four other campers at any point. Pretty basic surroundings though. There's barrel trash cans, didn't see a dumpster. Didn't see any toilet or shower buildings. Hardly any trees near the sites. Decent playground close by though, and a heavily wooded park with trails beyond that.
Scout
We stayed labor day weekend. Just pulled in and gave them our $12 a night. No electricity or water in our site. Clean bathrooms. Cheap wood for fires. Really nice fire pits with attached grill. There is a lake here too. Lots of boats. We didn't fish. Beach is closed but the water looked pretty gross. We changed our minds and decided to stay an extra night because it was so peaceful!
ScoutNice campground with a decent sized fishing pond. Campground host is super friendly! They ran over when we pulled in and helped guide us into our site. We stayed at site 2 which is a little smaller than we would’ve liked but it is all concrete and has full hook ups. Did not do any fishing so can’t comment on that. Did go to the creamery nearby. If you stay here and don’t visit the creamery, you’re definitely missing out!
Legend
Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're excited to welcome this partner to our platform. Randy is your host, and would love to take you on a tour on his farm. There are 4 sites in total, all with stunning 360 rolling hill views. A shared toilet and shower are available! Check them out and post some pictures here. Happy Camping!
ScoutGreat job and I am glad to be coming back
ScoutStayed for a week in mid November. Although we had a storm at the beginning and end the overall stay was great. Weather ranged from 50s to 70s during the day and 30s to 40s at night. There were only 4 other sites occupied with a few ins and out during the week. I could see the spring and summer months getting busy with lake use. Trails were well maintained and tended even late into the season. My pups and I loved walking the lake loop (2.1miles) every day. Bonus: the deer came out each evening to forage.
Legend
Camped here for a family reunion. Open sites near the Des Moines river and local road meant spots were just for sleeping. Excellent barns, accommodations, well-kept grounds and animals. Nearby locals kind and welcoming. Excellent time spent with family and horses, will return again.
Guide
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.
Traveler
Two firepits, no designated sites, mature shade trees within the gravel drive loop. Pit toilet. Karen and John describes it well.
Ranger
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.
Scouti loved it there they had a weekend that u could stay there for free! it was very nice i was the only onevat the campground at the time! it was very clean and i enjoyed exploring! they have a good swimming area were u can rent canoes and different things which isnt very expensive!!
Guide
There is a boat ramp, hiking trails, showers, and the ohv park is only 30 min away on the other side of the lake
RangerCamp Nauvoo is a nice, church operated, park only 5 minutes from downtown Nauvoo. We stayed one night on our way to Minnesota. The sites are sunny and all are pull-through.but some have shade. The park streets are gravel with concrete pull-through sites. The park is very quiet. Great value for $32. Full hookups.
Stayed in campsite#10 which has no shade. It was a concrete pull-through with more than enough parking for my TT and truck and grass on either side. The site included: picnic table. Utilities were located in different spots. 20A/30A/50A electric in the middle, water near the rear, and sewer near the front. Site was level. No neighbor on passenger/awning side.
AT&T had 3 bars of LTE and Verizon 1 bar of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 56.8 Mbps down, 9.3 Mbps up. Free WiFi available, but I had trouble connecting.
If you are southbound on Illinois Hwy 96, the left turn off the highway is very sharp and steep. Might be easier to continue about a mile south and use the scenic turnout to turnaround. It is a pull-through turnout. Then, turn off the highway on the right.
Would stay here again. We camped at Camp Nauvoo in a Travel Trailer.
Scout
The website clearly states there are both toilets or showers. Was a little disappointed bc the Dyrt app has it wrong. I added the info hopefully they change it. The river front was a great view!
TravelerThe price has jumped from 20 dollars a night to 30. We did not know this until we arrived. Not a big deal but no one said anything about that when we called for reservations. Full hook ups are nice and most of the spot could hold rigs up to at least 40 foot as we are 39 and fit with not problems. The only thing we noticed was for a dead end loop campground there is a bunch of traffic. I think about everyone that lives in this tiny town must make a lap around the campground on their way home. About every 7-10 mins a vehicle drives by. All spots are about 50 feet from the water and about 100 feet from the railroad tracks. Overall we would stay here again and the view of the river is very nice.
GuideNeeded an overnight spot on our way north, off season for camping in this area. Called mid afternoon for availability and spoke with John who promptly told us he would hold a site for us. Large campground that has a few full hookup sites open year around. We were given a site between a couple of traveling workers. Both came out to greet us which was very nice. Site was a bit small but certainly ok for a night's stay. Many larger sites farther back in the closed area. Full hook-ups. Level gravel. Picnic table available. Laundry and restrooms very clean. Playground, pavilion for movies, dog area, frog pond, hiking trails and beautiful woods. A few camping supplies available in the office. This would be a fun getaway for families in the summer months.
GuideI've stayed here every summer great place lots todo with the kids had a lake to fish, kayak, canoe. Has and outdoor skating rink next to the lake very neat
ScoutWe stayed here at Hickory Haven for 4 nights on our way to Alabama it is a very nice quite place. Owner was very nice and works hard to keep it clean. Open all year here which is very important to us!
TravelerFirst of all I have to say the bathrooms and laundry were very clean. The owner, John, was very friendly and helpful. Our spot was very clean and level. The sites are pretty roomy with some shade. Full hookups, hiking wooded trails, nice pond for fishing, playground. Very quiet place, kids can ride their bikes. John provides a good size bundle of wood for 5.00 and brings it to your site. Will be staying there again
Scout
We went out for a fishing day, boat launch was very nice and entire lake was very clean. There were several people out on the water in kayaks and paddle boats, very calm waters. Beautiful little lake with out a ton of traffic, perfect!!
ScoutAwesome and quiet little campground with a fresh camp host. Amazing view of the skunk river and eagles flying nearby.
GuideQuiet night with only three other rigs in the A area. Lots of bugs in the pit toilet, but otherwise clean and well kept
Camping near Cantril, Iowa, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and friendly campgrounds. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping around Cantril, Iowa, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cantril, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cantril, IA is Union Ridge Conservation Area with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Cantril, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Cantril, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
