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$11 - $16 / night
Clear Lake State Park offers diverse activities on one of Iowa’s most popular lakes. The 3,000-acre lake is a draw for boating, fishing and windsurfing. The park features 50 acres of open spaces and mature oak trees along with a highly popular campground. Several acres of picnic grounds with tables and grilles are available for day-use. The nearby town of Clear Lake is a summer tourist destination with numerous stores and restaurants. Camp in one of the most popular campgrounds in Iowa’s state park system. The campground contains two modern restrooms, shower facilities and two dump stations. A quarter of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and advanced reservations can be made online through the online reservation system for Clear Lake State Park.
Legend
We tend to stay at campgrounds during the off or shoulder season for a quieter experience so it was with some apprehension that we reserved this campground for a summer weekend so that we could meet friends for Paddlefest. We were happy to discover that despite being a full campground, it was quiet at almost all hours of the day and night. It was, however, an entirely different story on the lake itself, where boats gathered all day to party!
There is little separation between the sites but there are trees located throughout, some of which provide shade to the site. The camper pads were a mix of dirt and gravel and mostly level. We were lucky to snag Site 34 (reserved about three months in advance) – it was on the end, making it a much larger site than the interior sites (all end sites in our section were larger) and we had plenty of shade trees, a welcome relief on a very hot weekend.
The paved roads leading to the sites are very narrow and would appear to be one-way but are not designated as such, resulting in some confusion. The site numbers are only listed on one side, even though most of the sites appeared to be pull-through.
The restrooms and showers were clean and had soap and (dated) air dryers.
Overall, we had a very pleasant two-night stay even though we were prepared for a different experience.
Guide
I only drove through here I did not camp. It was quiet and the sites were shaded. I saw water, electricity and a picnic table at every site. The pads are gravel and very level.
You can easily bike into town.
There is a dump station.
I had 3 bars of Verizon 4G which provided 70 down and 12 up.
On T-mobile I had 5 bars of 5G and 100 down and 7 up.
GuideNice campground with grassy pull thru sites. But very close together. If full, you would have no privacy. Fortunately, it was 1/4 full, so no problem. Bathrooms clean, nice warm showers! Nice beach, lots to do. Would be a fun place if you don’t mind camping next to neighbors!
Guide
Beautiful 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.
Scout
Easy in and out late fall camping. I got a great tent spot next to the river. This is a fine campground that I much prefer during the off season (it gets too busy during the warm season for my liking). The connection to hiking trails throughout the park is fantastic.
GuideThis is our second time camping at the Clear Lake State Park. The park is clean, the shower house is nice. It’s hard to control the temperature in the showers, too hot for little kids to stand directly in the water. The playground was fun for the kids, nice beach access! Limited full hook up sites. I wish there were more full hook ups that you could reserve. Paved roads are great for bike riding. Great shaded spots. DNR cruises the park daily which is nice to see.
ScoutOverall nice place to stay. We stay each year with family so there are about 4 of our campers all there together.distance between sites can be wide or narrow depending on which site you’re on.
Pros: Clean/well maintained, easy short path through the trees to get to the beach, sturdy picnic tables all around, long “driveway” for campsite
Cons: pads are gravel and not very level, pads are very narrow, beyond the trees on one side of the campground is a major road so you’ll hear cars passing by, not a lot of restroom/bathhouses
GuideWe spent 4 days here and the park is a busy place! Very clean!!!!! Dump station was easy access! We were right by the shower houses. Check in and out was simple. We made our reservations online. The park had paved roads, great for bike riding, playground was a hit! The sunset was gorgeous in the evenings at the beach! We will be back!
Scout40 site Totally renovated 2 years ago nestled along the little Cedar river above the dam. New Shower house/bathrooms. Natural themed kids play area including a huge tree house. City water and sewer with 50 and 30 amp to each site. Man made swimming pond with a lighted waterfall. Volleyball and walking trails with primitive camping across the road. Cabin with air conditioning and fully furnished further up the river on 200 acres of county land. Fishing above and below the dam. Picnic table and fire ring at every site.
GuideBe sure to go to Diner 63 for lunch or dinner while you’re there. Outstanding food great value
ScoutWe love coming to Clear Lake! The campgrounds are always very well kept, bathrooms very clean! Easy access to the lake, and the town has so much to do during the summer months!
ScoutThis is a great little park if you need a place to stop for the night. It was very inexpensive for tents ($10 I think) and the tent camping area was very nice with 3 giant pine trees and some picnic tables and fire rings. 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. Overall its a safe, clean, welcoming campground for both tents and RV’s.
Legend
Not a big campground. Sites arranged in a circle around a clean shower house. Potable water. Only 2 non-electric sites. Most sites level. Sites are close to each other, not offering much in the way of privacy. Camped here on the off season, so it wasn't crowded. Short walk to nice lake & marsh. Walking trails. Camped here during waterfowl hunting season, so there were several gunshots nearby at around sunrise. 3 bars T-Mobile. About 5 miles west of I-35; good place to stop for one night. Electric sites,: $18; non-electric $14. Would stay here again.
Guide
We camped here to try a new place (we try to pick one new place each year). We were a little underwhelemed when we first pulled in but that changed pretty quick. There weren't many other spots occupied, those that were looked fairly permanent. We had the RV and used the electric hookup. We found that it was quite a peaceful campground when we went. There was a giant wood pile where you could grab wood for a donation in the box and a wheelbarrow was provided to use which was quite convenient. The trails and hiking was the best part though. We went for hours with our dogs and had so much fun. They were easy. Some right along the river, some grassy and along fields, others ran though the woods. There were shelters and restrooms (I did not check them out having the RV) some play equipment as well as a chapel area which was interesting. It turned out to be a nice little campground.
GuidePerhaps 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.
ScoutClear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous. It is clean and close to the beach. Down town and other shopping is a short drive away. Lots of families camp here. Spots are nice.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
You will love this park. There are about 20 self-serve sites with electric and water. Self serve firewood. Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails. Sitting right on the Cedar River, it’s a great location to kayak and tube. Cheap at $20 a night. We showed up at 8:00 on a Fryevening and spots were available!
Guidethis park has hiking(on path or off), fishing in multiple lakes and the cedar river, and a beach!!! maxx rentals will rent you from float mats to double kayaks. i suggest if you like well kept campgrounds try a weekend here
GuideNice, quiet campground. Very low cost ($15/night with water & electric). Not a far drive off of I-35. Has a pool if you’re into that kind of thing.
GuideNice campground with some non-electric sites on bank of Cedar River, clean shower house and flush toilets. On Cedar Valley bike trail (100+miles of interconnecting bike trial. major Hwy on two sides of park, sleeping in a tenet it was very noisy at night. and a train track close by (again at night)
GuideLoved this state park. Sites not too level, but spacious. Camped in mid April and park was not very busy which was nice. Full hook up sites and W/E only sites. Close to town and lots to do.
ScoutIf 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.
GuideWe can't wait to go back. Our camp was so private & we were happy because we had a new puppy that was from a hoarding situation & not real social. We didn't want to bother any neighbors if she was loud. She did very well with our other two. They all enjoyed walking on the trails with us😁 The bathrooms & showers were awesome & the park guy was very nice & informative (I feel bad I didn't get his name.) It will definitely be a place we will go back to!
TravelerCamper 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
ScoutWe like this campground a lot, very nice shade, playground area, as well as nice trails. Clean restrooms and shower stall
TravelerIt 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Clarksville, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Clarksville, IA is George Wyth State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 13 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 11 glamping camping locations near Clarksville, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
