126 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping options along the Mississippi River corridor near Clinton, Iowa provide access to both developed campgrounds and waterfront sites. Riverview City Park in Clinton offers full hookups for RVs with riverside views, while Bulger's Hollow Recreation Area provides more secluded tent and RV camping along the Mississippi. Several campgrounds across the river in Illinois, such as Thomson Causeway and Lock and Dam 13, offer additional options with river access. The area includes established campgrounds that accommodate various camping styles including tent sites, RV facilities with electric hookups, and a few locations with cabin rentals. Clinton's riverside campsites are particularly popular during summer months when visitors can enjoy fishing, boating and paddling directly from their campgrounds.
Road conditions throughout the area are generally good with most campgrounds accessible via paved roads. Seasonal considerations affect camping experiences, with many campgrounds open from April through October. Spring flooding can impact riverside camping areas, and summer brings increased insect activity. "There were hundreds of thousands of insects, we couldn't enjoy our stay. The camp workers were scraping them with shovels," noted one visitor to Thomson Causeway. Train noise affects several campgrounds in the region, particularly at Riverview City Park where trains pass regularly. Most campgrounds provide electric hookups, though water and sewer connections vary by location. Cell coverage is generally adequate throughout the area but may be spotty in more remote locations.
Mississippi River views represent a significant draw for campers in this region. Thomson Causeway receives praise for its waterfront sites with concrete pads and scenic river vistas. According to one visitor, "We enjoyed our weekend at Thomson Causeway. Not a lot of privacy, but being right on the water was great." Water-based recreation opportunities include fishing, boating, and paddling, with several campgrounds providing boat ramps and marina access. Rock Creek Marina and Campground features an environmental center with wildlife exhibits that appeals to families. While some campgrounds like Riverview City Park lack shade and privacy, others such as Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground offer more wooded surroundings. Proximity to bike trails, particularly along the river corridor, enhances recreational opportunities for campers exploring the Clinton area.
"Bathrooms are a short walk from this site and were clean. Water pump was also a short walk. We enjoyed bike riding around the campsite. There is a longer bike path that will take you to Clinton. "
"This is a beautiful spot on the outskirts of a small town. The train museum is open for a few hours on weekends. Other towns are nearby with more things to do."
from $14 - $26 / night
Check Availability"Hidden gem near the iowa/illinois border. Secluded and beautiful."
"It has trails for walking and lots of concrete for riding bikes. We did both. The park is close to the River and has plenty of places to put your boat in across the highway."
"Enjoyed almost 2 weeks at West Lake Park, part of the Scott County, IA park system. Helpful staff, park rangers make daily patrols, nice spots, many with shade trees & decent room."
"Although theres a small "lake" here, Ive never had great luck catching much. Pool is nice and updated. Park rangers are always frequently present and patrolling."
from $17 - $36 / night
Check Availability"Sites include fire rings, tables, gravel backing pads, electric with some right near water edge."
"Turn at quarry off Great River Road/Highway 67."
from $14 - $18 / night
Check Availability"Site 13 seemed to be one of the best situated. We stayed in Site 12 which had a beautiful, unobstructed view of the river."
"As with all the campgrounds along the Northern Illinois Great River Trail, it is along side Rt. 84, and railroad tracks."
from $14 - $26 / night
Check Availability"It is right next to the river and the Clinton Riverfront Park and even fast food restaurants are within walking distance. There is also a walking path next to the river."
"This campground is a great location along the river in Clinton. There is a Thomas Dambo troll within walking distance."
from $15 - $22 / night
Check Availability"We saw an article about "Dutch Days" in nearby Fulton on www.OnlyInYourState.com, (first weekend in May) and thought it looked like fun."
"We enjoyed the beautiful lake and cute restaurant/gift shop. We liked the different loops of campsites with pit toilets every where and a nice modern bathroom/shower house also."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"Usually a pretty quiet area although its next to a train track so expect a train or two to wake you up. Tucked away next to the Mississippi. There is a boat ramp and parking."
from $14 / night
"You have to park off a gravel road on the iowa side and its about a mile walk and a half mile off the tracks. Very beautiful and peaceful place. Great fishing, especially along the spillway."
"Pine Grove Campground is situated in Scott County Park."
"Another upside to Pine Grove is that it has a single hiking trail heading west that will connect you with a wider network of hiking & biking trails."
from $15 - $23 / night
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ScoutLovely spot right on Mississippi. Pleasant hosts and grounds are well maintained. Lots of mature trees with great shade. Had a major storm early this AM. 60 mph winds and lots of branches down but no trees fell. Within 30 min of storm passing host were driving through the camp and came to check on us and make sure we wer okay. Incrediblely prompt and kind response.
LegendIf sleeping on the ground has begun losing some of its charm, Summit Cabin 2 at West Lake Park offers a pretty compelling alternative. Perched atop a rolling prairie hillside overlooking Railroad Lake, this modern 1.2K sq ft cabin combines the serenity of camping with enough creature comforts that you might briefly forget you're supposed to be 'roughing it'. Managed by the Scott County Conservation Board, the cabin is ADA-accessible, sleeps up to eight and sits within a 620-acre county park encompassing 4 lakes, giving you plenty of nature outside the door without surrendering air conditioning, indoor plumbing or a proper mattress at the end of the day.
Inside, this place is impressively equipped with two bedrooms - one with a queen bed plus twin bunks and a second room with a queen - a queen sleeper sofa, full kitchen with stove/oven, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher, dining table for eight, modern bathroom with shower, Wi-Fi, gas fireplace, heat and air conditioning. Outside you'll find a covered porch overlooking the lake, picnic table, fire ring and gas grill, with parking for 2 vehicles. The kitchen even includes dishes, cookware and utensils, although you'll need to bring your own bedding, pillows, bath towels and toiletries. Pets aren't permitted, which is worth remembering before Fido hops into the truck expecting a weekend at the lake.
The real advantage, though, is everything waiting beyond the front porch. West Lake Park offers four lakes for fishing and recreation, a seasonal swimming beach, boat dock, accessible fishing dock, paddleboat rentals, playgrounds, trails, disc golf and seasonal concessions. For forgotten groceries or something worthy of tossing onto that gas grill, nearby Hy-Vee Grocery Store on West Locust Street is a convenient Davenport resupply option; you're also close enough to the Quad Cities that civilization never feels particularly far away.
Insider's tips? Here's a handful: (1) Bring a couple of lawn chairs because that covered porch overlooking Railroad Lake begs for morning coffee and an evening sundowner, but it's in the shade - if you want to grab some proper dawn or dusk light, you'll need to bring your own seat; (2) pack all bedding and bath linens, because those aren't provided; (3) bring fishing rods and take advantage of the park's four lakes, or make a day of the swimming beach and paddling opportunities during warmer months; (4) Firewood is available for purchase inside the park, saving you from hauling your own; (5) Remember that only two vehicles may park at the cabin, although overflow parking is nearby (like literally 20 yards from the VIP parking you'll find here at the cabin); and (5) Don't arrive expecting to pitch an extra tent beside the cabin as tents and campers aren't permitted within the cabin area.
Happy Camping!
TravelerStayed one night as passing thru, has lots of pull thru sites, FHU, and 30/50 amp. Great bathrooms, some shaded sites. Kinda crazy, pulled into gate 5 to check if had available site, was told, had to go into gate 1, pick an open site, and then go back to gate 5 to pay!!! Thankful the ranger, who we followed into campground, set up, and were able to pay ranger, thus did not need to disconnect our tow car! Can book in advance online which would be easier, but we were winging the one night stay.
ScoutWe had the place virtually to ourselves. Camped Monday through Wednesday. Great bike riding throughout the park. There are a lot of hiking trails to choose from. Our site wasn’t very shaded but it had a great view of the sky for our Skylink. There are great shaded sites throughout the park.
GuideNice level concrete pads with electric. Water scattered around the sites. Clean bathhouse. Pavilion on the water with fire ring.
GuideA nice Little campground close to Elizabeth Illinois. The bathrooms are well capped, but the showers require quarters!
RangerThe campground is very nice but most of the sites are not level. I’m not talking about just put down the leveling blocks, they’re like backing into a ditch. Thankfully I’m staying when it’s not busy but I had to circle the campground three times to find a site I could make work and call reservation.gov to change my reservation. It’s a shame because it is a very scenic location and the camp hosts have been superb.
Traveler30 for full hook up. Need a a longer water house as double spigots are every few sites. Firewood at the office. Good location convenient.
ScoutI would give it a zero if I could. Uneven pads for camper, right next to interstate and loud, neighbors so close it is unreal. Do not believe the pictures online posted those are campsites for permanent seasonal campers in the back. I was told the cost was $650 a month then charged $718 on my card. Campers are placed tongue to the back of your neighbor in front of you camper. so if one wants to move out you have to pack up your camper and move yours to a temporary spot for a couple of days so they can get out then pack up your camper again and move it again. They broke the contract doing that with us so instead of signing a new contract on a new spot we went ahead and went to another campground. Owner (which you never see, never picks up phone or has an office you can go to) continually tries to charge my credit card a large sum of money because she is mad. Update three weeks later still trying to charge my credit card various amounts. We didn’t even complete the whole month we paid for and did not ask for a refund for the days not stayed so technically they owe us money. Also you are not allowed to have any mail sent to you if renting monthly' and there was a lot of trash and illicit drug use going on in the campground.
Camping opportunities around Clinton, Iowa provide access to the Mississippi River's backwaters and woodlands. The area sits at approximately 590 feet of elevation with a continental climate featuring humid summers and cold winters. Most campgrounds in this region are situated along the river corridor, creating a unique environment where bottomland forests meet riverine ecosystems.
Paddling the backwaters: Rock Creek Marina and Campground offers direct access to Mississippi River backwaters. "This campground has an assortment of primitive and electrical sites. They also have cabins and canoe/kayak rental, a visitor shop with food/drink and a mini museum of the local wildlife," notes Ryan in a review of Rock Creek County Marina and Campground.
Fishing at multiple river access points: Bulger's Hollow provides secluded fishing spots along the Mississippi. "Have camped here multiple times. Usually a pretty quiet area although its next to a train track so expect a train or two to wake you up. Tucked away next to the Mississippi. There is a boat ramp and parking," says Ryan in a review of Bulger's Hollow Recreation Area.
Biking on the Great River Trail: The trail runs along the river corridor, connecting several campgrounds. "There is a great bike trail to enjoy and the Mississippi Pallisades state park is close by for some excellent views of the river from up on the bluffs," mentions Libby W. from her stay at Thomson Causeway.
Well-spaced sites with privacy: Mississippi Palisades offers camping with natural spacing between sites. "The sites were very well spaced apart. There were many well worn paths that lead to the lake, but it was too wet from previous rain for us to explore those," says Stephanie S. in her review of Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground.
Access to environmental education: The environmental center at Rock Creek provides educational opportunities. "The grounds are on backwaters of the Mississippi so there are boat ramps, docks, and areas to fish. The camp store also offers canoe, kayak, and other boat rentals... They also have an Eco Center with turtles, snakes, and an aquarium that our family really enjoyed," explains Chris F.
Concrete pads for level camping: Many campgrounds feature concrete pads that make setup easier. "We have stayed here often over the years as recently as last night. The sites are all level concrete and just about every one have a great view of the Mississippi. Quiet at night," reports Matt P. about his experience at Thomson Causeway.
Seasonal insect issues: The riverfront location means insects can be problematic at certain times. "Overall Thompson was a very nice park. Our sites were behind the backwaters and we didn't have any flies. Our sites didn't have the spring river flies but there were several sites closer to the Mississippi river that were covering their RVs and tents with these big ugly flies," warns Melissa B.
Train noise impacts many campgrounds: Several campgrounds in the area are located near train tracks. "There's a train but it was infrequent so it did not disrupt our sleep, in fact, all four of us accidentally slept VERY late!" notes Sarah C. from her stay at Fishermans Corner.
Flooding potential in spring: River levels can affect camping experiences, particularly in spring. "Watch river levels for flooding, bugs can be bad since location is bottomland riverine forest," advises James M. about Rock Creek Marina and Campground.
Playground access: Bald Eagle Campground offers dedicated family facilities. "This campground is the largest RV campground in the park. The park offers miles of trails, fishing at Pride Lake, a historical Pioneer Village within the park at the north, equestrian trails, bicycle trails," explains James M. in his review of Bald Eagle Campground and Cabins.
Educational opportunities: Rock Creek's nature center provides interactive learning. "Great educational center with canoe and kayak rentals, with lots of Mississippi backwater to explore. Showers are open until October 14 this year," notes Jeff and Linda L.
Swimming options: Some campgrounds provide swimming facilities during summer months. "The pool was open while we were there but we did not partake. It was really hot out so the pool was packed! It looks really nice from the road, it has 2 water slides and a small child area fashioned similar to a splash park," describes M E. about the facilities at Scott County Park near Bald Eagle Campground.
Electric hookup availability: Most campgrounds offer electric sites, but water and sewer connections vary. "This campground is electric hookup only. On our site we were able to just fit our camper and truck with not a whole lot of extra room but other sites had longer driveways able to accommodate a larger rig," notes M E. about Pine Grove Campground in the Scott County Park system.
Dump station access: Multiple campgrounds provide dump stations for RVers. "CG is spread out along bottomland river forest and includes camping cabins, tent and RV sites, RR/showers, playground, dump and water stations, Eco Tourism store/grill, paddling rentals," reports James M. about Spring Lake Campground.
Site selection for larger rigs: Some campgrounds are better suited for bigger RVs than others. "It wasn't as heavily treed and we liked that. The sites were very well spaced apart. Some sites are massive...as in .25 an acre that you drive over the grass to get too your site bc it is situated away from the road. Other sides are just simple drive through," explains Scott M. about Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Clinton, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Clinton, IA is Thomson Causeway with a 4-star rating from 15 reviews.
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