SUMMER SALE 50% off The Dyrt PRO — just $2.49/moGet now
SALE: PRO just $2.49/mo
The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Dog-Friendly Camping near Cedar Falls, IA

87 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.

Search destinations
    Add dates
    SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

    George Wyth State Park Campground accommodates pets at all sites with electric hookups and riverside camping options. Black Hawk County Park, Big Woods Lake, and Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA maintain pet-friendly environments throughout their grounds. Most campgrounds require pets to remain leashed at all times, though dedicated pet exercise areas exist at several locations. Tent campers, RV owners, and cabin seekers all find pet accommodation options, with Big Woods Lake and Hickory Hills Park offering pet-friendly cabin rentals. The campground shower houses remain clean and well-maintained, though mosquitoes can be abundant during summer months, especially near stagnant water areas at George Wyth. Campground data and reviews near Cedar Falls, Iowa is regularly updated on The Dyrt.

    Extensive paved trails throughout George Wyth State Park provide excellent dog walking opportunities connecting to over 100 miles of Cedar Valley bike paths. Multiple lakes and the Cedar River offer water access points for dogs that enjoy swimming, with fishing docks scattered throughout the park system. Deerwood Park features a lake very close to the camping area popular with pet owners. Wildlife encounters require keeping dogs properly restrained, particularly during early morning and evening hours. During summer months, the heat can affect pets quickly, so morning or evening exercise proves most comfortable. The park hosts maintain friendly attitudes toward responsible pet owners, though barking restrictions apply during quiet hours. Overnight temperatures can drop significantly even during summer camping seasons, requiring appropriate shelter for pets. Dog-friendly campgrounds near Cedar Falls cover a wide range of site types, making it straightforward to find pet-friendly camping whether you prefer waterfront access, wooded sites, or full hookups.

    Connectivity Maps

    Presented byT-MobileT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
    Map showing cell service coverage and campground pins
    Try Connectivity Maps

    Best Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Cedar Falls (87)

    Filters    Tent onlyRVDispersedCabinGlampingPetsEquestrian

      1. George Wyth State Park Campground

      3.9(15)3mi from Cedar Falls70 sitesRVs, Tents, Glamping

      "** Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.)"

      "Off a main highway, but you feel like you are a long ways from no where. If you are a biker there is a wonderful bike path."

      from $16 - $24 / night

      Check Availability

      2. Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

      4.5(10)9mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "The fenced dog park was fantastic for those of us with dogs. A lake with beach area and an area for fishing founded it out! Would recommend!"

      "Just stayed one night passing through Iowa. Very pretty Campground with colorful Kabin’s and a lake for swimming or paddle boats. Level sites but not much shade."

      Check Availability

      3. Big Woods Lake

      4.7(3)3mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "Nice park with a bike path around the lake. A few nature trails, but nothing I would call hiking. Two vault toilets placed on the bike path. One modern bathroom with showers in the campground."

      "The lake is small, no wake lake - but great for using your SUP or kayaks."

      4. Black Hawk County Park

      4.3(3)3mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents

      "Right on the bike trail.. Hot showers.. Good place to camp..."

      Check Availability

      5. Deerwood Park

      2.8(4)9mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents

      "Nice lake very close to the campground."

      Check Availability

      6. Grundy County Lake and Campground

      4.0(3)10mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents

      "Surprisingly with it's location in relation to Hwy 20, it's actually pretty quiet. There is a paved trail that'll take you over to the lake so it's not a bad walk."

      from $15 / night

      Check Availability

      7. Siggelkov County Park

      4.3(4)18mi from Cedar Falls

      "Sigglekow Campground in Black Hawk County Iowa is one of a kind! Quite and secluded, if that's what you're looking for. To get out and decompress it's a great spot."

      "Would be nice if it had gravel parking but that's a small inconvience.. also good kyack location."

      Check Availability

      8. Hickory Hills Park

      4.8(4)19mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "Some sites have great views of the lake. Nice walking trails. Wild life to watch. If you are camped under a hickory tree you will need to brush off the Hickory nuts off your slide outs."

      Check Availability

      9. Bremer County Park Cedar Bend Park

      4.5(2)16mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents, Glamping

      "The trails and hiking was the best part though. We went for hours with our dogs and had so much fun. They were easy."

      "We like this campground a lot, very nice shade, playground area, as well as nice trails. Clean restrooms and shower stall"

      Check Availability

      10. Cedar Bend Park

      4.5(2)17mi from Cedar FallsRVs, Tents

      "great trails, older playgrounds, nice bathroom, good price"

      Check Availability
    View all 87 campgrounds

    2026 Explorer Giveaway

    Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

    Enter to Win

    Cedar Falls Contest

    Enter to Win

    Drive Time

    Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Cedar Falls, IA

    8 Photos of 87 Cedar Falls Campgrounds

    Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Cedar Falls, IA

    243 Reviews of 87 Cedar Falls Campgrounds

    • Mary S.
      Aug. 31, 2018

      George Wyth State Park Campground

      Another bargain at an Iowa State Park

      Why Should You Camp Here?

      • Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.) There is no separate park entry fee (unlike some states).

      • You can rent kayaks, canoes or pedal boats near the campground at Wyth Lake. And there are 3 other nearby lakes.

      • There's a small beach at Wyth Lake.

      • The Cedar River is on the edge of the campground.

      • You're so close to Cedar Falls and Waterloo which means there are craft breweries!

      • We were only there for a night but I saw this on reserveamerica.com: "The Lake-to-State Park Bike Route is a 50 mile route connecting Pine Lake and George Wyth State Park. The route primarily utilizes county highways and established bike routes and paths once inside Cedar Falls/Waterloo." 

      • We didn't do everything we could do there, because we were just passing through. Check this out: https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/george-wyth-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IA&parkId=610125

      Amenities

      • The usual fire ring and picnic table

      • Dump station and potable water

      • Flush toilets and running water in bathrooms along with push button showers. Ok, push button showers are not ideal. Just keep pushing that button and hopefully you'll be okay with the temperature that you can't control!

    • SThe Dyrt PRO User
      Sep. 19, 2021

      George Wyth State Park Campground

      Mosquito Ranch

      Perhaps it is just a season, but there were tremendous amount of mosquitoes at the campground during our visit. Lots of stagnant water, lake, etc. Reasonably priced, however, and close to Cedar Falls. The bathroom were a little sketchy and the noise from the highway was quite loud. OK stay for a night.

    • Kerry M.
      Aug. 25, 2021

      Riverview Park Campground

      Urban campground is near a busy highway

      This campground has many sites to choose from - RV with hookups as well as some non-electric tent sites. There are quite a few activities in Marshalltown, and it is within the Marshalltown city limits.

      The downside is proximity. It is right next to the highway. When I was there in a tent, the hog trucks would drive by all night (loud and smelly). The RV sites are closest to the road, so maybe it is not so bad in an RV, but it is not particularly enjoyable in a tent.

      Pros:

      + Marshalltown has quite a few places to eat

      + Nice bike trails (and a great bicycle store downtown)

      + It is near the Iowa River

      + Nice park in general with activities like a dog park

      + Camp host on-site

      + Decent sized campsites

      + Playground for the kids

      Cons:

      + It can get busy on a summer weekend

      + Noisy - right by the highway

      + Mosquitos are really bad here

    • Stephanie J.
      May. 29, 2018

      George Wyth State Park Campground

      Great place for biking

      This has so much to do. Fishing, kayaking, boating, swimming and camping. Great park in campground and two more parks in area. Off a main highway, but you feel like you are a long ways from no where. If you are a biker there is a wonderful bike path. It will take you all the way through Cedar Falls and Waterloo you could bike all day long. Nice little cozy places to enjoy lunch along the bike trail.

    • Max K.
      Aug. 3, 2020

      George Wyth State Park Campground

      Good Base Camp to Explore Cedar Falls

      It was kind of loud, but it was busy. The lake for swimming was a little gross but we did it anyway. The bike trails are excellent and same for hiking. Bathrooms were a little old but clean when we were there, but there were massive hornets all over the bathroom area. It's also pretty bright here at night because it's right in the city. But overall, a decent, cheap place to tent camp if you want to explore Cedar Falls.

    • L
      Aug. 22, 2020

      Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

      Something for everyone

      Great RV park. Lots of room and cabin rentals for folks that don’t have an RV. The fenced dog park was fantastic for those of us with dogs. A lake with beach area and an area for fishing founded it out! Would recommend!

    • StillRVWanderer ..The Dyrt PRO User
      Sep. 22, 2024

      Oelwein City Park

      This is a beautiful city park campground

      I enjoyed my 5 night stay at Oelwein City Park Campground. It's located on the south end of town, there is only one business within walking distance. It's a great restaurant (Oelwein Family Restaurant) and it's about a 15 minute walk.

      There is one shower house, and several vault toilets throughout the park. The shower house is old and a little run down but was very clean. I had no problems using it.

      The city park is adjacent to the campground and has picnic shelters, a playground, and a dog park.

      There are electric and water hookups at most sites, and there is a dump station. The park was pretty full on the weekend as you would expect, but very quiet during the week.

      I had great Verizon and T-mobile service here.

    • m
      Oct. 5, 2022

      Wilder City Park

      Beautiful city park

      Wilder Park is a beautiful city park. Very much a gem, quiet and peaceful . 50 + sites with about half of them full hook up. Costs for a full hook up in 2022 was under $25 a night. The park has two fishing areas, a dog park,pickle ball, volleyball mini golf, basketball and two playgrounds. A beautiful walking and bike path connects the parks to the neighboring cities. A free dump is also available. We highly recommend this park. 1

    • S
      Dec. 25, 2020

      George Wyth State Park Campground

      Great campground with lots of activities.

      If you're looking for a wooded campground that offers you both quiet sites to relax but also offers a variety of activities for all ages, this is the place for you to setup your tent, or RV. For little ones, there is a large sand playground area with slides and swings. There is a sand beach to swim, where they also rent kayaks & canoes. The campground is located along the Cedar river, for those who want to boat and fish on a river, as well as multiple lakes to fish and a lake to ski. There are numerous soft bike trails throughout the park. And a hard trail that is part of 150 miles of bike trails in the Waterloo & Cedar Falls area.

      The campground's shower house is handicap accessible. All sites have 50 amp service and the water provided is from the city of Waterloo. There is an onsite dump station.

    Guide to Cedar Falls

    Cedar Falls, Iowa, offers a variety of pet-friendly camping options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to enjoy nature with their furry companions.

    Tips for camping with dogs near Cedar Falls

    Dog owners appreciate the amenities

    • Many campgrounds, such as Hickory Hills Park, provide electric hookups and drinking water, making it easier to accommodate your pet's needs.
    • Facilities like showers and toilets are available at Cedar Bend Park, ensuring a comfortable stay for both you and your dog.
    • Campgrounds such as Wilder City Park feature picnic tables and trash disposal, helping to keep the area clean and enjoyable for all visitors.

    Dog-friendly activities while camping near Cedar Falls

    • Enjoy hiking trails that are perfect for exploring with your dog at Black Hawk County Park, where you can both take in the scenery.
    • Fishing opportunities abound at Grundy County Lake and Campground, allowing you to spend quality time outdoors with your pet.
    • Engage in fun activities like swimming or playing fetch at the beach area of Big Woods Lake, ensuring your dog has a great time while you relax.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Cedar Falls, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Cedar Falls, IA is George Wyth State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 15 reviews.

    What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Cedar Falls, IA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 87 dog-friendly camping locations near Cedar Falls, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

    Keep Exploring