20 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Tent campgrounds near Colesburg, Iowa range from state forest sites to county parks with minimal amenities. Yellow River State Forest offers multiple backcountry tent camping options including Camp Glen Wendel and Camp John Schultz, both featuring primitive tent sites nestled in dense forest terrain. Echo Valley State Park Campground provides non-electric tent campsites along a trout stream approximately 30 miles northwest of Colesburg.
Most tent-only sites in the region have basic fire rings but limited facilities. Yellow River State Forest's backcountry tent camping areas require hikers to pack in their own water or obtain it from headquarters near the registration kiosk. Sites typically include fire rings and benches, with some offering scenic features like small ponds. Echo Valley's tent campsites are first-come, first-served with pit toilets but no showers. Campers should note that many backcountry tent sites in the area have no cell phone reception, particularly in the valleys and densely wooded sections.
The tent camping experience in this region offers genuine seclusion among lush forest landscapes. Trails at Yellow River State Forest connect various backcountry tent camping areas, making it possible to backpack between sites. Wakpicada Natural Area provides walk-in tent camping with good tree cover and fishing opportunities. The primitive nature of these tent campgrounds means campers often have significant space between sites, enhancing privacy. According to one visitor, "Yellow River has great backpacking sites. Park near ranger station and hike in or grab a map and find a smaller parking location near the trail you want to explore. Great scenery."
"People driving around the pond didn't even know we were there! The camping spot was beautiful (although you have to watch out for nettles). Great fishing while we were there too."
"My friend and I were eager to test out some new backpacking gear for the first time in advance of a larger trip this summer."
"Yellow River has great backpacking sites. Park near ranger station and hike in or grab a map and find a smaller parking location near the trail you want to explore. Great scenery."
from $12 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $20 / night
"Hiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects."
"Awesome campground, if you require electric bring a generator. Water is available but needs to be carried in. we loved the lack of cell phone reception!"
"There are pit toilets at the upper sites, near the pavilion."
"The hiking trail was perfect for a morning stroll with my dog and coffee and there certainly is a petting zoo (my German Shepard was a little uncertain about the goats)"
from $5 / night
Check Availability"Primitive and private. Pond for recreation, fishing, and swimming. Kids be sure to try the rope swing. "
"The farm was cute and a wonderful place to get outside and be in nature. The hosts were very accommodating and professional! We will definitely be returning, 10 stars!"
from $24 - $45 / night
"Campsites right next to the pond and good tree cover made the experience fun anyway. Good bass and panfish fishing with quiet campgrounds that aren’t right next to each other."
LegendUnique 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.
ScoutNice quiet little primitive campground next to the Wapsipinicon River. Unfortunately, when I was there the last weekend of May, the gnats were bad, and the mosquitoes were just starting to gear up. HOWEVER, take bug spray and enjoy the rustic peacefulness of this "best kept secret" for primitive and inexpensive camping sites. Beautiful location, ranger close by, wood for sale just across the bridge, fire pits and picnic tables at every site. Good for RV, trailer or tent camping… level ground and lots of shade. Primitive bathrooms, no showers or running water.
LegendHiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects. Leave No Trace ethics include: minimizes fire impacts by gathering only dead, down, wood. Sounded by nature atop of hill hike near Fire tower ( only fire tower in Iowa), cell reception is found up here.
GuideThe pros: $10 fee ($15 electric), campground seems well maintained (grass is mown, security light works, tables in good repair, gravel access road in good shape, etc); no one here but us, the sound of the running Creek is soothing, vault toilet is probably the cleanest I've seen; ATT cell service was 3bars 5G The unusual: no specific site, no specific place to pull into, no site numbers or designation except on the electric pedestals. It's all grass. Pull onto the grass near the table or electric pedestal you want. The cons: highway traffic noise is easily heard and doesn't seem to stop for more than a few seconds (though the crickets/bug sounds and the creek sound is sometimes louder so you hear that instead), dust from vehicles passing on nearby dirt road filters thru the trees (due to dry weather?), and, well, it is, after all, a vault toilet-not my fav,
LegendGeneral: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad.
Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring.
Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there.
Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station.
We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!
LegendThis review is for Yellow River State Forest's Big Paint Campground which consists of sites 35 through 61. Big Paint is a couple miles from Little Paint, a larger campground with 70+ sites. There are two equestrian campgrounds (Creekside and Little Frontier with sites numbered 1 through 34) as well as hike in campgrounds for backpackers. A photo of an area map is included.
Why did we choose Big Paint instead of Little Paint?
It's smaller and that's just our personal preference. There were only 4 sites occupied early Friday afternoon and a few more were reserved. We liked site 35, the first site on the left as you enter. This site is like being in a garden with trees and flowers surrounding the site. It had rained and more rain was coming, so the gravel parking pad on #35 was appealing. Most of the sites are completely on the grass.
Activities
Stocked trout streams are an attraction for fishermen; see photo of stocking calendar. We enjoyed hiking despite the mosquitoes and humidity in August and were able to make a 5+ mile loop leaving from the campground. You can also hike from Little Paint, and there are equestrian trails. This would also be a good area for X-country skiing and snowmobiling. A photo of the trail map is included. Caution: hunting is allowed in the non-campground area of the state forest.
Amenities
Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Other than that, you can dispose of your trash and use a vault toilet. There's water at the information center (and a camp host site) outside the campground about 100 yards to the left.
Cost
You're not getting much (and that's not a bad thing) so the $9 fee seems fair. Pay up front at the entrance station, or make a reservation online at last 2 days ahead of time (and pay a reservation fee). There are 7 non-reservable sites at Big Paint. I doubt that Big Paint fills up; just check the reservation site to see if they get crowded.
https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/yellow-river-state-forest/r/campsiteSearch.do?search=site&page=siteresult&contractCode=IA&parkId=610130
LegendThis campground also goes by the name of Holbert. Small campground but free with a handful of picnic tables and campfires. The vault toilets were cleanish, thou older. This campground is next to a pretty little creek that you can play and fish in. The campground is really just a series of campsites strung out along the creek and road. It was pretty quiet while I was there, not many campers at all. There are no hookups for RV’s/campers so it is primarily tent camping or dry camping. There is an interesting story about how this camping area has come to be: the land was donated by Ella Ellis in memory of her husband William Ellis. They apparently loved the land and wanted to make sure it was never developed and could be enjoyed by all. A lovely story.
LegendCampground 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.
RangerMud Lake is a wonderful county park near Dubuque. Beautiful views of the Mississippi River. We stayed one night on our way to Minnesota. The sites are mostly sunny. The park streets are gravel with gravel sites. The park is quiet except for the occasional train from the nearby tracks. Great value for $21. Electric and water hookups. Marina and boathouse next door.
Stayed in campsite #35 which has no shade. It was a gravel site which shares a pull-through with site 36. There was more than enough parking for my TT and truck and grass on either side. The site included: picnic table and fire ring. Utilities were located in the rear. 20A/50A electric and water. Site was level. Neighbors were nearby.
AT&T had 2 bars of LTE and Verizon 2 bars of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 47 Mbps down, 1.3 Mbps up. Verizon data VERY SLOW. No WiFi.
Would stay here again. We camped at Mud Lake Park in a Travel Trailer.
Tent campsites near Colesburg, Iowa provide primitive outdoor experiences across northeast Iowa's distinctive Driftless Area topography. This region features unusual limestone bluffs, deep valleys, and cold-water trout streams not typical of Iowa's generally flat landscape. Many sites remain under-developed with seasonal closures during winter months when temperatures regularly drop below freezing, making fall and spring popular camping seasons.
Trout fishing access: Echo Valley State Park Campground offers non-electric sites positioned along a quality trout stream. "This campground is non-electric, self-pay, non-reservable, and has only a few sites. There is a nice trout stream, with a few sites right by the stream," notes Kerry M.
Hiking trail exploration: Camp Glen Wendel Primitive Backcountry features several connecting trails for day hiking or backpacking. According to Kevin C., "I've done this loop several times, and have never been disappointed. Lots of quiet, and many more great views on the upper trails. There are some thin trails down steeper hillsides, so make sure to take it slower if the ground is muddy."
Star observation: The rural setting provides minimal light pollution for astronomy. At Gardner Family Farm and Iowa Hemp Farm Stay, campers experience "Dark skies with billions of stars. Enjoy a campfire, that's a must," according to Alissa G.
Fishing opportunities: Wakpicada Natural Area provides pond access with good tree cover. Parker H. reports, "Went when it was 110 degrees with humidity. Campsites right next to the pond and good tree cover made the experience fun anyway. Good bass and panfish fishing with quiet campgrounds that aren't right next to each other."
Separation between sites: Gateway Park Campground offers varying site configurations. "3 drive through sites and 4 back in spots with a few nice trees. Water electric and sewer connections at each site with a separate dump station," notes Brody.
Proximity to regional attractions: Northeast Iowa camping puts visitors near several unique destinations. Gardner Family Farm mentions they're "Close to Field of Dreams movie site, Backbone State Park, Frank Lloyd's Cedar Rock, and Hazleton Amish community. Just North of Cedar Rapids, tucked into the heartland."
Limited facilities: Most primitive sites require self-sufficiency. At Camp John Schultz, Kimberly W. advises, "If you require electric bring a generator. Water is available but needs to be carried in. We loved the lack of cell phone reception!"
First-come availability: Many local sites don't accept reservations. At Echo Valley, Wilber S. mentions, "Came in late but found a spot, only 6 first come first serve camping sites. I was a quarter mile from the next nearest site."
Terrain challenges: Yellow River State Forest's rugged landscape requires preparation. Brooke M. shares, "Great park with a few longer trails for backpacking. Have used these trails/this park to prepare for longer trips."
Kid-friendly water features: Several campgrounds offer water recreation options. At Gardner Family Farm, "Pond for recreation, fishing, and swimming. Kids be sure to try the rope swing," recommends Alissa G.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Worthington Sportsman's Club provides secluded nature experiences. Becky notes, "The camping is great! So secluded without being in the middle of nowhere. People driving around the pond didn't even know we were there!"
Hiking difficulty assessment: Some trails may challenge younger children. At Camp Glen Wendel, Lynn G. advises, "Amazing place to explore for all ages. Who knew that Iowa has hills like this?! We did the backcountry camping (less than 0.5 miles walking), but did get to see the regular campgrounds."
Site limitations: Most tent campsites near Colesburg have restrictions for larger vehicles. Echo Valley is "Certainly a tent oriented campground, RVs would have a difficult time," according to Wilber S.
Electric considerations: Limited hookups available across most primitive sites. At Gateway Park Campground, larger rigs may struggle with the layout as Brody notes, "The driveways are gravel and pretty level. 3 drive through sites and 4 back in spots with a few nice trees."
Seasonal accessibility: Spring thaws and fall rains can affect road conditions to backcountry sites. Camp John Schultz requires "minimizes fire impacts by gathering only dead, down, wood," according to James M., highlighting the emphasis on Leave No Trace practices relevant to vehicle access.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Colesburg, IA is Worthington Sportsman's Club - Members Only with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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