Best Glamping near Carter Lake, IA

Tents, cabins and RV camping. Toilets, showers, fire rings. There is a small lake with paddle boats and kayaks for rent. They have a pool and dining hall for rent. Tons od trails and many of them a taylored to mountain biking. There are 2 types of cabins, basic that has a bed amd refrigerator. Then there are luxury glamping cabins.

It appears not many people camp in Iowa in February. We had the campground to ourselves. We missed the crazy cold and snow by a day but it was 20 degree with the wind when I hiked the prairie. Lovely little state park, clean and the trail system was pretty neat. Wasn't perfectly flat and had some overlooks. Very much enjoyed!

Close (but not too close) to I-80, we stayed here as a way point cruising across Wyoming/Nebraska/Iowa. Clean facilities, quiet vibe, it was just what we needed after a long day of driving.

Been coming to this lake for years. It's a beautiful setting, right in the middle Loess Hills in sw Iowa. The fishing has always been good here. But this camp area is not much at all. The spaces are really small, and not really one view of the lake. There is a new visitor center right by the entrance of the camping area. There also a really small pond by the entrance as well. This place would probably work for a over night stay, but not a destination. But I still love the areas wildlife, and the lake. Or maybe it's just the nostalgia for me.

Waubonsie State Park near Hamburg, Iowa is under construction. That is the road was when we visited. The workers were not the most helpful either. That being said the park employees were very informative, if you could find one.

We visited enroute through the area and enjoyed the trails most of all. Though my map skills are questionable I had a more then usual difficult time navigating by the map supplied. The signage was close to non-existent. I fell back on the tried and true , always go left. Which worked well enough for the ridge line we hiked. Some awesome views.

I often have the problem of comparing places I’ve been. You can’t do this state to state I’ve learned because they all run, staff and take care of their natural resources in different ways. I do my best to base my opinion on face value and impressions of my visit to that park. Waubonsie SP is my first Iowa Park , I was not impressed. BUT it was in the style I like, sparsely used, I saw few campers or employees. Of course school was in and harvest going on and I know that makes a huge difference in certain states. Mostly just blue-hairs camping right now, soon to snowbird to the south :) I aspire to that life someday.

Other then the roadwork the park looked to be somewhat maintained. The cabins I saw need some updating but were functional. The campground was basic, grill, fire ring , picnic table, electric on designated sites. Needed some clean up and graveling on the pads. The facilities were not ancient and were maintained okay. The visitors center looked brand new but was closed so no souvenirs goodies.

I would not consider this a destination campground, but the view is worth an overnight enroute somewhere else.

This lake is one of the very few in Omaha that offers camping. And definitely of all types rv, and tent. But let me give you a disclaimer of why this is a 3 star. First the park is closed due to them draining it because of zebra mussels. Also I still feel weird about camping in a city, but that's my hang up. This place has always been well maintained, and offered a lot of amenities. They also offered rental boats for the lake, a really nice walking trail, and fishing. But for now we will have to wait to see what the improvements are going to be and how the lake turns out. More information to come later.

Lake Cunningham is a fun destination for getting outside if you only have an afternoon to escape! The lake itself is great for kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing! People do swim near the beach area but it is technically not allowed. I like the beach for letting my dog swim! If you want to adventure but don’t have your own gear there is a cute little paddle board shop that rents boards and kayaks by the hour. They also offer classes!

Hitchcock Nature Center features 10 miles of trails in varying difficulties for all skill levels. Great training site with some fantastic campsites and excellent views. Nature Center offers a unique lodge and educational space with a "fire tower" regularly used for bird studies. Backcountry campsites are the main attraction but there are also RV sites and an archery range. The park even offers a small section of ADA boardwalk. It's a great place!

The road up gets a little narrow and windy, but nothing an experienced traveler can’t handle. It’s worth driving a little further off the road for this campsite. MAKE SURE YOU BRING CASH. It’s $25 per night and there’s a pay station as you enter the campsite.

When I think of “nature center” I think of a stuffy little cabin with taxidermy. This site is far far more than that, with hiking trails, educational programs, a museum, event halls, and of course camping. Local friends told us about it, otherwise we would have never found it. Make sure to look at their events calendar, they have exceptional programs for all ages (and especially kids). I learned about this park from Pheasants Forever, a nonprofit.

Yay: well tended and updated campground. You can camp all year (but I think they turn the water off?)

Nay: no reservations (but supposedly they don’t fill up completely?)

Surprise: make sure you talk to the rangers!

If you are in the Omaha metro you should head across the river and checkout Hitchcock Nature Center just North of Council Bluffs. This is one of my favorite places to camp. All of the campsites are considered "back country" but don't worry, I think the furthest campsite is about three miles.

My preference is getting one of the campsites on the western edge of the park on top of the ridge. At night you can see the Omaha skyline lit up and the breeze running through there is wonderful.

Hitchcock is smack dab in the loess hills which is one of only two places in the world with the hill formations. The other place is in China.

The trail system isn't huge because of the size of the park, but it has a lot of up and down and is a great place to practice backpacking or test new gear before you leave the plains and head to the rocky mountains for a new adventure.

When your done with your hiking, climb up to the top of the towering platform and bring your binoculars to checkout the visiting hawks and occasional eagle. Don't pass up Hitchcock Nature Center.