Best Tent Camping near Clinton, IA

Several tent campgrounds operate within a 25-mile radius of Clinton, Iowa, offering varied experiences for primitive campers along waterways and wooded areas. The Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area provides hike-in tent sites along the Maquoketa River, while Joinerville County Park offers a small wooded tent camping area requiring permit applications at least one month in advance. Castle Rock State Park features unique boat-in tent camping accessible only by canoe or kayak along the Rock River, approximately 50 miles southwest of Clinton.

Most tent campsites in the region provide basic amenities with varying levels of facilities. Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area includes vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings, but requires campers to pack in their own water. Sites typically feature natural surfaces ranging from grassy clearings to forest floor settings. Many locations operate on a first-come, first-served basis, though some county parks require advance permits. Primitive tent campers should prepare for limited cell service, especially at remote locations. Access methods vary significantly, with Buzzard Ridge offering both hiking trails and river access points for reaching campsites.

The tent camping experience near Clinton emphasizes natural settings and waterway proximity. Most sites provide fire rings and some offer picnic tables, though tent campers should bring their own firewood or collect downed wood where permitted. The Wapsi River Environmental Education Center area offers hiking trails and river access, though tent camping requires special authorization. River-based tent campsites provide unique perspectives on local ecosystems. At boat-in locations like Castle Rock State Park, campers can experience exceptional seclusion from road noise and crowds. A camper at Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area described it as a "unique hike or paddle primitive site" with "native forbs and wildlife surrounding the area."

Best Tent Sites Near Clinton, Iowa (15)

    1. Lock and Dam 13

    1 Review
    Fulton, IL
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 259-3628

    "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."

    2. Wapsi River Environmental Ed. Ctr.

    6 Reviews
    Wheatland, IA
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 328-3286

    $70 - $80 / night

    "Charcoal grill, fire ring with wood supplied, picnic table, covered porch, trail head right next to cabin. After hours offers quite park, dark skies, and trails with wildlife."

    "Cabin offers modern amenities: stove, oven,micro, dishwasher, refrigerator, coffee pot, toaster, ADA access, shower. AC/heat, covered porch, firewood, picnic table, Charcoal grill, trails."

    3. Joinerville County Park

    1 Review
    Baldwin, IA
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 652-3783

    4. Cedar River Campground

    11 Reviews
    West Liberty, IA
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 946-2431

    $35 - $50 / night

    "Convenient location a lot of amenities and activities"

    5. Castle Rock State Park Campground

    7 Reviews
    Oregon, IL
    45 miles
    Website

    $6 / night

    "Located about 100 miles West of Chicago, Castle Rock State Park features one of the ONLY campgrounds that I've visited this close to the city in which I was completely alone."

    "Site selection is first come, first serve and the registration and payment is done on the honor system, and they do have rangers that monitor."

    6. Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area

    1 Review
    Monmouth, IA
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 652-3783

    "Unique hike or paddle primitive site. Native forbs and wildlife surrounding the area. Two parking sites to hike in or access by river. Site is along river, has table, fire ring, latrine."

    7. Indian Meadows Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve

    2 Reviews
    Illinois City, IL
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (309) 795-1294

    $14 - $32 / night

    "Shower/RR nearby, trails including horse and bike . Main park has firewood, boat rentals, etc."

    "Lake George is beautiful, perfect for kayaking."

    8. #JTRidge Sites/Clothing Optional

    1 Review
    Wyoming, IA
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 350-3881

    $20 - $45 / night

    "Jungletown Ridge is perfect for those looking to get some space from others and enjoy some quiet nights int he woods. Check them out and share some pics from your stay!"

    9. Hennepin Canal Lock 21 Campground

    3 Reviews
    Sheffield, IL
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 782-6302

    $8 / night

    "Located literally just a few stone’s throw due west of the tiny town of Wyanet, which is just a few miles west of better-known Princeton, you will access this little spec of undisturbed primitive camping"

    "No hook-ups, just grass with a fire pit and table. Water available a couple of places along the canal. No reservations. We only saw two other campers, so lots of spaces. Pit toilets along the canal."

    10. Silva Campground

    1 Review
    Illinois City, IL
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (309) 795-1040
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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Clinton, IA

4 Photos of 15 Clinton Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Clinton, IA

593 Reviews of 15 Clinton Campgrounds


  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 16, 2022

    Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area

    Unique County wildlife site along Maquoketa River

    Unique hike or paddle primitive site. Native forbs and wildlife surrounding the area. Two parking sites to hike in or access by river. Site is along river, has table, fire ring, latrine. Pack in, pack out and Leave No Trace.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 7, 2025

    Bald Eagle Campground and Cabins

    Barren RV-Riddled Campground Outpost

    One of the 6 campgrounds that you will have to choose from here at Scott County Park, Bald Eagle CG & Cabins is one that is more geared for the RV driving and trailer toting tribes as each site has FHUs with electric, water & sewage, fire rings and picnic tables; however, if you wanted to pitch a tent here, you could, although I would recommend nearby Incahias as an alternative. Unlike some of the other campgrounds here, Bald Eagle kind of lives up to its name as there’s not much in the way of tree cover or brush, so the land is somewhat BALD. The land is incredibly flat, back-in slots are spacious, hard and very level grounds are incredibly well-organized and the bathroom / shower facilities with great HOT running water and are about as impeccably clean as can be.

    Near by Bald Eagle is Pride Lake, which makes this pet-friendly CG your top pick if you’re an angler or looking to get some decent oaring with your kayak or canoe. Sitting in front of Pride Lake are 2 very large shelters – Whispering Pines and Hickory Hills – as well as a playground for the kiddos and a restroom facility that is also spartan-clean. Surrounding Bald Eagle is also no shortage of hiking / biking / horse trails. We found the CG itself to be fairly quiet, although lacking in privacy without the benefit of any real brush or trees to blot out our next-door neighbors, but that said, everyone was incredibly friendly with full displays of Midwestern hospitality that this area is known for. There is also a single large cabin available for rent that has capacity for 10 people.

    We loved Scott County Park so much because there is a lot that this gem offers up, from fresh water catch & release lakes, a combination of topographies (from woodlands, wetlands and prairie grasslands), a beautiful 18-hole championship golf course, outdoor exercise areas, club house and concessions, stand-alone cabins for rent, designated dump stations and trash receptacles, numerous picnic areas, a massive heated swimming pool complete with a snake-like water slide, volleyball court, ranger stations, seasonal on-site hosts, firewood available for purchase at entry stations, Walnut Grove Pioneer Village and St. Anne’s church at the park’s NW perimeter, 7 community shelters, designated picnic areas, a memorial park, equestrian area and an incredibly well-paved network of roads that allows you to easily access just about every corner of this park.

    Happy Camping!

  • Stacie H.
    May. 29, 2022

    White Pines Forest State Park Campground

    Lovely natural scenery; campground leaves something to be desired

    Let's start with the good stuff:

    • The park is beautiful. Lovely trees, lots of shade, the hiking trails are nice, well marked, and they even have an accessible trail for those with disabilities!
    • There is a restaurant and gift shop on site. Gift shop sells wood if you run low or forget.
    • The bathrooms and shower house are relatively clean and well kept.

    Now for the not so great stuff:

    • Many of the campsites are sloped and some are sloped A LOT. This isn't obvious from the booking page.

    • The campground is absolutely jammed with camp sites- it's ridiculous. I've never been to a campground where the sites were so on top of one another.

    • We stayed in the Sunny Crest loop and the drinking water well was broken so we had to travel to other parts of the campground for water. When carrying a 10 gallon jug full of water back, that really sucked.

    • The sites that are marked as "hike in" aren't secluded and away from other sites at all, as one might expect. They are jammed in with all the others but there just isn't any parking nearby.

    • It had rained the day before was went and so the road to the campgrounds was blocked off (presumably because the creek was running too high), but there was NO SIGNAGE telling us how to get there another way. There was no one in the park office or in the camping registration station to ask. We finally figured out that we had to take an emergency road/auxiliary road to get to the campground, but that was after about 30 minutes of confusion.

    • The breakfast buffet at the restaurant is mid but very pricey- $50 for 2 of us.

    • The quiet hours and no alcohol policy are not enforced at all. While we were there, there was a very loud group playing beer pong into the wee hours of the morning.

    • About half of the fire rings don't have grill grates so bring your own or bring a camp stove (See pic). Also, when you book your site, there is no way to know if your fire ring will have a grill grate or note.

  • Amy W.
    Apr. 2, 2022

    Morrison-Rockwood State Park

    Family friendly; great first timers

    first timers/ young kids- yes. Primitive campers- no. My husband had never been camping. I grew up with very primitive camping- no electricity, only pit toilets, sometimes fresh water, and no showers (milk jug showers!) Little by little, I’m warming him up to camping. This is a great place for new campers, families of young kids, or just looking for an easier trip. There’s a shower house with flush toilets, warm showers, and surprisingly CLEAN! The site was medium size. Enough room to spread out. Ground was flat so finding a tent site was no problem. Electric hookup worked. Picnic table was good. Check your site before booking! One section of sites is like an open field? No trees and full view of others. But these surround a playground- also very nice. Glamping with young kids? These sites would be a perfect. AT&T and Verizon cell service worked fine

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 5, 2021

    Swiss Valley County Park

    Great County park, preserve, campground

    Campground is well maintained, restrooms, showers, recycling station, fire wood available, campground host onsite, resident park ranger, standard RV sites, some electric tent sites otherwise primitive with fire rings and tables. Trout stream (Catfish Creek) runs through campground and park and is stocked by Iowa DNR, has Swiss Valley Nature center with trails.

  • Becca Z.
    Aug. 30, 2020

    Lowden State Park Campground

    Great camping spot!

    We were so happy with the size of the tent camping sites. They were mostly all flat, plenty of space and gave privacy from the neighbors. We were at site 28 which had both sun and shade. Right across from the pit toilets which I wouldn’t pick next time. There was no shower house or running water in the loop we were at. Across the street were the electric rv sites and a few tent sites. Only compliant is even from the middle of the campground we could hear the road noise. Otherwise great!

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2024

    Sherman Co Park

    Scenic County park along Wapsipinicon River

    The campground offers to camp areas: one better suited for RVs, and the other area is better suited for primitive tent, camping. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings, our recites include electric. There is a campground host, shower house, shelter and playground area there too. The tent sites are prone to flooding occasionally from the gun river. There is a boat ramp with access to the river for fishing and paddling.

  • John W.
    Jul. 4, 2020

    Apple River Canyon

    Great first camping experience

    We tent camped at site 37. This site has a nice mix of shade and sun and the back had a water faucet. There is a trail that works it’s way through the back of the sites. The sites are a bit close together and separation is sometimes sparse. Restrooms are pits and well maintained stocked with TP. No showers on site. One loop of the tent sites are able to be reserved and the other loop is first come, first served. There are short trails with some steep climbs, not wide paths so bring bug spray and tick tools! The river that cuts through is small but picturesque. Picnic areas are plentiful near the water. Caught two tiny bass and a trout. No firewood on site, but multiple homes on the drive in had $5 self serve bundles for sale. This site is a dark skies site, so if it’s not overcast or full moon there is some good stargazing. AT&T cell service is mostly nonexistent in camp, but kicks in as you head out, so plan your research ahead of time. Attached are some shots of some sites from the road

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 10, 2024

    Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground

    Eco-Locate This Blissful Hidden Campground Gem

    This Iowa SP campground is simply AMAZING and if you are a bat cave spelunker, you are going to be absolutely excited by this place, if you don’t know it already. For the rest of us outdoor enthusiasts who are simply looking for a great campground, then you’ve also struck the campground lottery, but if you are interested in staying here, I would STRONGLY encourage you to mind your dates taking note of when bat hibernation ends and begins – for what it’s worth, my brother and I drove all the way here only to find out that hibernation began the day of our arrival. That said, we could still hike all of the amazing trails, but couldn’t access the bat caves.

    The campground that resides here, is less than a quarter mile away from the access point to the bat caves, creating huge upside for selecting this campground in the first place. A heavily wooded area encompasses every single site (there’s 28 in total w/ 24 offering 20 / 30 / 50 amp electric) providing a substantial amount of shade, will also allowing decent sunlight as well along a slowly winding lone lane that leads one into this shrouded camping haven. While the spots (#12-#16) towards the end of the lane are more earmarked for mi tent pitchin’ bredren, whereas the rest of the sites (#1-#11; #17-#28) are set-up for the RV and 5th Wheel toting crowd (although you could easily set up a tent on any one of these sites should you choose to).

    A couple of points to keep in mind– the entrance to the campground is the busiest, so if this is of concern, steer clear of #1-#3 or #27-#28. Second, if you have kids and want to be planted near the playground, you might want to target sites #26-#28, where the spacious kids playground sets right behind these sites. In the event that being nearest the built-in amenities (restroom, shower, water source, community library, trash, firewood) are important to you, then look at sites #5-7 and #23-26. With this in mind, as you meander further down the lone campground loop lane, the quieter and more sheltered the place gets, so from #6-#24 should be a prime target for you if peace & solitude are important to you. Despite all of the advice I’ve just given, I don’t think you can really go wrong with any site here.

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re looking for a primitive tent camping experience, then you’re going to want to book sites #12 and #13, which set a bit further back for the cul-de-sac end of the lane offering up more privacy and less noise from the rest of the camping commune; (2) All sites designated for RV’s are back-in and range in driveway length between 31 and 68 feet; (3) The campground itself is closed between December 1 thru February 28 each year; (4) This SP offers up more than 370 acres with 6 miles of hiking trails with 13 distinct bat caves to explore, so bring good hiking shoes, headlamps, proper long sleeve shirts and pants to keep the bugs and ticks away, which abound here aplenty; and (5) There’s plenty of picnic tables, most under shelters as well as scattered stand-up and in-ground BBQ grills all offered up on a first-come, first-served basis.

    Happy Camping!


Guide to Clinton

Tent camping near Clinton, Iowa offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from serene riverside sites to well-equipped campgrounds, there's something for everyone.

Tips for tent camping near Clinton

  • Lock and Dam 13 provides a peaceful atmosphere with great fishing opportunities along the spillway, making it a hidden gem for those seeking solitude.
  • Wapsi River Environmental Ed. Ctr. features a cabin and tent sites, along with amenities like drinking water and firewood, perfect for a comfortable camping experience.
  • Joinerville County Park allows primitive camping by permit, offering a rustic experience along the Maquoketa River with beautiful wooded surroundings.

Some prices for tent camping range from $10 to $30

  • Wildcat Den State Park Campground offers affordable primitive sites with picnic tables and fire rings, ideal for budget-conscious campers.
  • Indian Meadows Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve features private sites surrounded by nature, providing a tranquil setting for a reasonable price.
  • Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area is a free option for those looking to camp in a unique wildlife setting along the Maquoketa River, perfect for adventurous spirits.

Tent campers should check out Wapsi River Environmental Ed. Ctr.

  • Wapsi River Environmental Ed. Ctr. not only has tent sites but also offers educational programs and access to trails for hiking and paddling.
  • Chief Keokuk Campground is well-reviewed for its beautiful trails and proximity to local restaurants, making it a great base for exploring the area.
  • Silva Campground provides access to Lake George, where campers can enjoy fishing and boating, enhancing the outdoor experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Clinton, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Clinton, IA is Lock and Dam 13 with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Clinton, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Clinton, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.