The lakes and parks surrounding Corning, Iowa offer camping options for both quiet retreats and active outdoor adventures. Situated in the rolling hills of southwest Iowa, this area experiences significant wind patterns across open farmland with afternoon gusts frequently reaching 15-20 mph. Several county and state-managed campgrounds near Corning remain open from April through December, with most facilities providing electric hookups for summer comfort.
What to do
Swimming options: Lake of Three Fires State Park features a beach area with daily grooming. "The beach sandy and clean for a refreshing dip on a hot afternoon," notes one visitor. The park also has volleyball courts near the swimming area.
Biking trails: Paved paths circle several lakes in the region. At Lake Anita State Park, campers appreciate the "four-mile paved recreation trail that goes around the entire 171-acre lake. Good for walking, running, or biking."
Fishing opportunities: Electric-motor-only policies at Lake Binder create peaceful fishing conditions. The 76-acre lake is just 1 mile from Corning and is stocked regularly. According to a camper, "We have seen people catching bass. Boats allowed with Electric motors only."
Frisbee golf: Several parks include disc golf courses for casual play. Lake of Three Fires provides "a great frisbee golf course that my boys loved playing," according to one family who visited.
What campers like
Clean facilities: The regular maintenance of bathroom facilities receives consistent praise. At Lake Icaria County Park, visitors note "They had people cleaning the bathrooms constantly (my mom kept pointing out, in awe, that it was 'practically hourly')."
Affordability: Camping rates remain reasonable throughout the area. Viking Lake State Park offers basic sites at $8, electric sites at $12, and full hookups for $18 nightly. One camper reported, "Very nice and cheap. 8 for camping, 12 with electric and 18 full hookups."
Space between sites: Viking Lake State Park Campground offers more generous spacing than some nearby options. A camper mentioned, "Camp sites are spread apart giving u room to do things on ur camp site."
Wildlife viewing: Bird houses installed around several parks create opportunities for birdwatching. Deer are commonly spotted, with one camper noting, "There are lots of deer in the area at all hours of the day, so keep an eye out for them when traveling to and from town."
What you should know
Seasonal limitations: Most campgrounds in the area operate from April 1 through December 31, with limited winter camping options. Lake Anita, Green Valley, and Viking Lake State Parks all follow this schedule.
Cell service variability: Connectivity varies significantly between parks. At Mormon Trail County Park, "AT&T has absolutely no service there, but US cellular does."
Site reservation systems: Reservation policies differ between parks. One camper at Wilson Lake Park noted there's "No way to make day before reservations so we gambled and drove in."
Road conditions: Some campgrounds require travel on gravel roads. At Wilson Lake, a camper reported their "Van and bikes covered in fine white dust from road" after arrival.
Shower availability: Not all parks offer shower facilities. Mormon Trail has "No showers/clean bathrooms, just 2 waterless restrooms," according to a visitor who stayed there.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Green Valley State Park Campground features two separate playground areas for children. The campground layout places most sites within walking distance of play areas.
Movie nights: Lake Anita State Park hosts special activities during summer months. One camper shared, "On Saturdays during the summer they do Disney movies and free popcorn."
Beach conditions: Water quality can vary seasonally at swimming areas. One camper at Lake Anita reported, "Swimming beach was under watch for Blue Algae" during their visit.
Tent location: Choose tent sites carefully for shade protection. At Lake of Three Fires, a camper noted, "A lot of the sites are sloped, so even ground can be hard to find."
Tips from RVers
Hookup availability: Lake Binder County Park offers affordable electric sites with reasonable seasonal rates. A visitor reported, "Electric sites are $20 a night or $800 for the season. There's a dump station and several water spigots."
Site spacing concerns: Some parks have tight RV spacing. At Lake Anita, one RVer noted the park "definitely needs to be updated to accommodate the bigger and wider campers. If you like to be on top of each other, this is your campground!"
Access roads: Most campgrounds have paved access to main areas, but some have restrictions. At Mormon Trail, "Big RV's/campers might have a difficult time getting there as the road turns into a one lane, curvy gravel road."
Dump station locations: Not all parks provide on-site dumping facilities. Wilson Lake has no sanitary dump station, requiring RVers to plan for waste disposal elsewhere.
