Denison is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Denison is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Denison, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
"I wanted a weekend away from the craziness so chose to go "home" for my first solo trip in quite awhile."
"Has a descent size lake good for kayaking and fishing."
"Nice bath houses. Clean area. Good for the family."
"I was only tent camper in the electric only sites. If there was a tent only location, I didn't see it. Those in campers that need water and electricity are regulated to gravel 'parking lot' sites."
"Great trail all the way around the lake, we took a bike ride around it was about 3 ish miles. Camp host was a gem. Bathrooms were very clean! Great view of the lake."
$15 - $50 / night
"Well kept & family friendly camping in Iowa!"
"Access to water close by. Large playground for kids. Campground host had firewood. Picnic table & firepit with grill rack in good condition. Nearby boat ramp to load kayak onto Blue Lake."
$10 - $50 / night
"Bathroom was clean, lit, and stocked - even had hand sanitizer! RV loops had flush toilets and showers, but we didn’t stay long enough to make the trek worth it."
"Best campground shower I've ever had in my life, both in water pressure, heat and cleanliness of facilities. Be aware that it's first come first served."
$15 - $33 / night
"Park is right next to the lake. Beautiful lake. Pretty busy with lots of campers. Nice walking path around the lake."
"Beautiful view of the lake! Multiple options of camping sites. Clean RR and showers. Nice area!"
$16 - $50 / night
"Utility location did require us to use a longer hose and extension cord to reach from our site. Nice town and trails for biking nearby. "
"Just a few mins off I-80 but no noise or signs of heavytraffic. Cute, quaint little town. All pull through spots and all sites are level."
"Electric, water and sewer available. Bathroom and shower were clean. But old style, so small and well worn."
"It’s right by a small truck stop, but the noise was not bothersome at all. There is a small dog park for the pups. Bathrooms and showers are clean."
"Great location. Very nice campground. Large spacious pull thru sites. Extremely clean bathrooms and showers. We stayed twice, westbound and eastbound. Very friendly, nice people."
$25 / night
"I really think that thanks to my initiative, many students were able to step out of academic trouble and get back to focusing on their studies."
" Enjoy drifting& driving awesome cars. Explore beautiful maps, find your favourite drift locations. Do experiments with car tuning."
TravelerWell kept & family friendly camping in Iowa! We were able to reserve an electric unit (#30) right off the lake and across the road from the large playground (~5 setups for different age groups). We could watch the kids play while getting food ready or preparing a line to throw in the water. Short walk to the very clean restrooms with flush toilets & showers. Will come back!
GuideWe tent camped in the modern loop. Bathroom was clean, lit, and stocked - even had hand sanitizer! RV loops had flush toilets and showers, but we didn’t stay long enough to make the trek worth it. The walk down to the tent sites was annoying at worst, but plenty doable. Campsites were level enough, and there were a few sites with pads. Lots of ticks to look out for. There’s an airfield nearby so plane noise was regular but not frequent. Wifi didn’t quite reach the tent campsites; nor did Verizon service, but T-Mobile was good. All around a fine campground.
RangerThis state park camp site close to Carroll, Iowa was nice, but we were the only tent campers there, it seemed more like a permanent RV home site. The bathrooms while nice had no working showers, they had showers but no way to turn on the water. There was a cute frisbee golf on property, a beautiful lake, and a nice paved walking path.
GuideIf half of a star was an option, I’d probably lean towards 3.5 stars.
I’d classify this as an above average county run park/campground. All sites are first come first serve. We arrived on a Saturday evening around 5:30pm and found a site no problem. There are two loops. One has electric only sites and the second has electric/water sites. One concrete pad ADA site.
Small beach area for swimming. Two playgrounds. Very nice field of wild comb flowers blooming near the shower house.
The shower house was less than than stellar. IMO it’s cleanliness kept this review from being considered near 4 stars. Usable bathrooms and shower stalls…yes, but definitely lacked attention.
ScoutWe travel full-time with a 40′ fifth wheel and have stayed at many KOAs— but this was by far the worst experience we’ve had. Upon arrival, we were placed in Site 29, which was muddy on both sides, narrow, and clearly not suitable for a rig of our size. We asked for another option and were moved to Site 27, which wasn’t much better. The sites here are shockingly narrow— barely enough width to safely open your slides, let alone enjoy the space. When my husband asked why no gravel had been put down, the staff responded that it had been raining a lot. He said,“Don’t make excuses for someone else. That pisses me off.” He didn’t yell, threaten, or use foul language— just expressed his frustration after a long day on the road. The employee left without issue. Minutes later, the manager came to our site angry, accused my husband of cursing at her staff, and demanded we pack up and leave immediately, despite us having already set up. When I tried to clarify what had actually been said, she refused to listen and insisted she believed her employee. She even told us she“couldn’t help that people didn’t know how to drive,” which I guess was her explanation for the mud— an inappropriate and dismissive response. Meanwhile, we took photos of visible cracks in the soil— clearly it hadn’t been as wet as claimed. To make things worse:• There’s almost no signage for this KOA until you’re practically on top of it— very difficult to find without GPS.• Another campground nearby welcomed us without issue and told us we weren’t the first to show up after leaving this KOA due to similar poor treatment. We’ll be sharing this experience on our blog and social media platforms— and we’ve heard this manager has a habit of calling guests liars when she receives bad reviews. So let me be clear: we stayed there, we have the photos, the receipt, and the conversation details. This was an unacceptable experience, and we strongly recommend avoiding this KOA.
GuideGreat campground! Best campground shower I've ever had in my life, both in water pressure, heat and cleanliness of facilities. Be aware that it's first come first served. Sadly did not make it to the interactive nature center, but heard that its super cool. Lower RV spots are on a hill, be prepared to level out farther than usual. Staff was amazing and very helpful. We def camped next to a butterfly/moth garden. They were everywhere!
TravelerNice campground. Very few tent only - mostly RVs/trailers. Washrooms basic but clean. Large site under trees with mix of sun & shade. Grassy area for tent. Access to water close by. Large playground for kids. Campground host had firewood. Picnic table & firepit with grill rack in good condition. Nearby boat ramp to load kayak onto Blue Lake. Many water lilies but sheltered at one end so good for kayak. Everyone seemed friendly though some folk stayed up pretty late on Friday!
GuideWe camp all the time at different locations, and I 100% recommend this campground! The hosts are so polite and helpful and they keep the place immaculate. Even the pit toilets were spotless and didn’t smell. The hosts went around several times a day collecting trash and even mopping the pit bathrooms. Camping here also gives you access to the playground and nature trails into some beautiful countryside. The only downside is bring several bottles of bugspray, the mosquitos are terrible!
LegendVibe: Relaxed summer lake fun.
Cleanliness: Average
Facilities: Slightly dated but adequate
General spots: Good size, good spacing, not private. Large cottonwood trees offer good shade on lake side spots.
Our site: 10. Close to the swimming area. Not far from bathrooms.
Noise: Friendly chatter. Mostly quiet. Some music from the summer camp across the lake(see below).
Cell signal: Good (Verizon)
Other: The lake isn’t huge, but the water was not murky and you could wade out pretty far and still be shallow enough to stand. A summer camp is across the lake and they played some evening music and morning music starts at 7:30.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Denison, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Denison, IA is Nelson Park Crawford County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Denison, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 glamping camping locations near Denison, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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