The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Clear Lake. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Iowa camping has to offer. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Iowa camping adventure.
$12 - $20 / night
"We 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!"
"Clear 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."
$10 - $18 / night
"Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."
"Very clean bathhouse and bathrooms, park. Family friendly and quiet place to camp."
$10 - $60 / night
"I prefer Clear Lake State park, but this was ok. We had lots of rain, and the sites got a bit muddy. The beach area was closed due to e-coli. Restrooms were clean, and always stocked."
"Beautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside."
"We had an electric site. Very level and clean. Nice fire pit and located right next to the lake. Only downside was the site was electric only."
"We arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available."
"Had a small swimming beach, nice bathrooms and showers dump station. Saw many people swimming off their boat/pontoons as the bottom is sandy and the current is very very slow."
"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."
"Large, open spaces equipped with a fire pit and picnic table. Electric hookups and water also available. Reasonable rates (I think we paid $15) for one night."
"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."
"Bathroom and shower available. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Some sites suitable for hammock camping."
"This sites are spread out enough that you have a little privacy and each site has a fire pit and picnic table. This area is actually part of the owners farm.
Bonus, it’s dog friendly."
"Check in was quick, spots were easy to pull into, the bathrooms were really clean, and it was surprisingly quiet despite the proximity to the highway. "
"We stopped for the night driving between Black Hills and Chicago and the service was awesome. The hosts called to tell us about construction and give us alternative directions."
"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."
"Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites."
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.
GuideGot to this campground late in the evening. Check in was a breeze and easy to find and pull into the site. We had an electric site. Very level and clean. Nice fire pit and located right next to the lake. Only downside was the site was electric only. No option for full hookup but water was located between the sites. Dump station was clean and modern and located close by.
LegendGeneral: A mixture of tent (non-electric) and electric sites, mostly arranged in several rows.
Site Quality: Mixed. Not all sites are level, and most do not have delineated parking pads (there is a small pavement indent to show where to access the site). A fire pit and picnic table complete the site. Most of the sites are too close together for our liking, however, when we were there (a Monday at the end of August, the day before school started), we were only one of three sites occupied so for our stay it didn’t matter.
Bathhouse: Basic but clean. My biggest complaint is there were no hooks or shelves for toiletries by the sinks. The showers looked nice but we did not use them.
Activities: Horseback riding (there are trails for this), hiking, fishing. Although we did see several trailheads, I did not have a map so didn’t explore them. There is an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads; I didn’t try to find hiking trails to get there).
Misc: A shout-out to the great host, Pam, who greeted us as we arrived. The observation tower, entrance gates, and picnic shelter were all constructed by the CCC and were beautiful. It almost seemed like the campground was an afterthought as it is outside the entrance gates and nowhere near the tower. The layout of the campground would be challenging if all sites were occupied.
TravelerI prefer Clear Lake State park, but this was ok. We had lots of rain, and the sites got a bit muddy. The beach area was closed due to e-coli. Restrooms were clean, and always stocked.
GuideWe arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available.
$34/night plus Minnesota State Park pass @ $8/day.😩
Not super spacious but very comfortable distance between spaces. Well maintained dirt road in campground. Grassy and mowed. Nice big trees! Water spigots. Very nice individual, clean rooms for showers.
Two separate campground loops in the White Fox area and another couple loops half mile down the road
The lake is gorgeous but just a few places to get to the water. Saw a sign on the park door saying kayaks and canoes available to rent.
Six miles of paved, but badly in need of care, is a bike path that meanders through thick forest and open grassy fields. Follows the lake and heads close to the town of Albert Lea.
We saw a guy setting out electric scooters that were available to rent which looked like fun!
Birds and deer abound.
Walmart 2 miles away!
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!
TravelerBeautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside. Walk to small town/restaurants.Clean bathroom facilities in area. Short hikes. Fishing nearby.
GuideI've been using this as a night over stop before going on to the Black Hills or on my way back home. The first time I stayed the night over there it was a nightmare just because of this family or group of people showed up late and didn't comprehend quiet hours. So needless to say I had little to no sleep.
The other times I've stayed there it was quiet and not too many people around. Kind of buggy but that's expected with the water and all the shade.
LegendRoomy gravel sites. A mix of electric and non-electric sites. Commercial fire rings. Electrical needs refreshing. We had an issue with the 30A breaker not resetting on site 46E; eventually relocated to 47E. Park employee Noah was very accommodating and pleasant to deal with. He came out to the site to discuss options with us and eventually made some site reservation changes to resolve the situation. Close to town, nice historic district.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Clear Lake, IA is Clear Lake State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 12 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 10 glamping camping locations near Clear Lake, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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