Cabin camping is an amazing way to experience Des Moines, while still enjoying a little rustic luxury. The Dyrt is the ultimate place to find cabins for your next outdoor adventure near Des Moines. Each cabin rental offers quick access to one or more of Des Moines's most popular destinations.
$20 - $25 / night
Millions of years before the plains of Iowa were inhabited by the Sauk, Fox and Sioux peoples, much of the American Midwest was covered by a shallow inland sea. It was at this time that the area’s sandstone deposits began forming. Fast-forward to just 13,000 years ago, with the inland sea now long gone, Ice Age glacial meltwater raced across the dry plains, carving and scouring channels and canyons into the sandstone terrain. One of these canyons can be found in Iowa’s Ledges State Park. This 1,000-acre nature preserve and recreation area is located on a wide bend on the Des Moines River, and is just 40 miles north of the city of Des Moines. The park is subject to frequent flooding when the river breaches its banks, but is otherwise a popular year-round outdoor recreation destination. Visitors to Ledges can enjoy a variety of hiking, fishing and paddling opportunities, as well as explore a prehistoric river canyon that showcases nature’s ability to sculpt the landscape.
The campground at Ledges State Park features 94 tent and RV sites situated among deciduous woods not far from the Des Moines River. Campers can choose from full-hookup, partial-hookup, or primitive tent sites. Most sites are back-in; only a few are pull-through for larger vehicles. Tent sites are located in both in the main camp area, and in a secluded walk-in area. There is also a youth group site. All sites are equipped with picnic tables, fire pits and cooking grills, and all have access to water faucets, flush restrooms, showers, and trash receptacles; a dump station is located near the campground entrance. The campground also features a kids’ playground, outdoor amphitheater, and is within walking distance of trails and picnic areas. Some roads and/or facilities may not be open or available in the winter. Reservations are accepted, however the park saves about half of the sites for first-come, first-served campers; sites are $11–$19/night.
$12 - $18 / night
We are very excited to provide you and your family a memorable Iowa camping experience at the best rated Des Moines RV Park & Campground. If it's been years since you've camped at Des Moines West KOA, make it a point to stop back in to see all the new and exciting improvements, including 2 Dog Parks, Huge Jumping Pillow, Jump Shot (Trampoline Basketball), Water Wars, Paddle Boats, Organized Weekend Activities, Ladder Ball, Horseshoes, & Hunt Brother's Pizza & Wings. We promise you'll be pleasantly surprised. The park is nestled 1.5 miles north of I-80, off exit 106, amongst beautiful Iowa farm fields, in a peaceful rural setting, where the only thing you'll hear are the songbirds singing!
Timberline Campground is nestled on the outskirts of Waukee, Iowa, which is located just a few miles west of West Des Moines. It is conveniently situated one and a half miles away from Interstate 80, but your ears won’t be able to tell.
From the shady campsites to the immaculate facilities, Timberline Campground continues to delight its guests time and time again. Let your hosts show you how Timberline Campground provides country camping with city convenience!
Timberline is private property, not public property, and shall not be used as public property. Check in at the office and register all guests and planned activities.
$35 - $80 / night
$15 - $22 / night
Enjoy our relaxing cabin on an 8-acre pond just a couple of miles outside of the city. Highway access to a secluded spot in this 266-acre property. The cabin is “off the grid” so it can be run by a generator or wood burning stove, lamps, etc. There is a waterfront deck, firepits, tree swing, dock, and many other ways to enjoy the peaceful scenery. A generator will be supplied for a “not so off grid” experience if preferred. UTV rentals are an option when available ($250/day) if you want to explore the property and have some fun.
$200 - $300 / night
Located ½ mile northeast of Dawson, Sportsman Park has 40 acres of oak and hickory timber adjacent to the North Raccoon River. Enjoy hiking on the nature trails, picnicking, camping, and nearby access to the Raccoon River Valley Trail and Dawson Boat Ramp.
Camping-5 primitive and 10 electrical hook-up sites, available year-round Two all-season cabins that sleep up to 5 each Seasonal, modern restrooms and shower house The seasonal on-site camp host Sportsman Lodge-an enclosed, reservable shelter, available year-round for groups up to 120 Nature trail Picnic shelter house Handicap accessible playground Nearby access to Raccoon River Valley Trail and Dawson Depot Nearby access to Dawson Boat Ramp
$18 / night
Guide
Very quite and nice campground, we camped on top of the hill in tents it was awesome view and potable drinking water next to camp, bathrooms and shower facilities was clean and nice
Scout
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Ranger
Nice city park campground close to lots of covered bridges and other things to see. The sites are pretty well spaced with lots of grass and some trees in between. It was a good value for full hookup sites. The bathroom was decent, and phone service was adequate. We just spent one night here on our way home from Colorado, but will be returning in the fall to explore more and see some colors.
Ranger
Large modern KOA with sites to accommodate all sizes of rigs and also tent campers. Gravel sites require some leveling. Not much privacy between sites nor shade. Bathhouses were clean and private. Laundry available. Off leash dog area available. Convenient to John Wayne’s birthplace and covered bridges of Madison County. Bulk propane tanks were on site for winter campers. Camper cabins available. Small store with Hunt Brothers pizza to order. Gathering room on site and pedal car racetrack. Verizon cell signal was good. Garbage dumpster and dump station on site.
Scout
went out here with family and had a amtime azing
Scoutwe love it here people are great price is Right Showers are hot every time it a WOnderfull place •to be .
Legend
Literally a single stone’s throw from I80, one of the busiest thoroughfares you’ll find yourself on here in the great ‘Hawkeye State,’ this is one campground that very much deserves your attention, despite being a KOA. In fact, this campground outpost is so close to the highway that you’ll be hard pressed not to see or hear it during your entire stay. While this KOA does sit down a bit from the hustle & bustle that comes with a major interstate highway, a good number of the available RV sites sit on a sloping hill that is the same elevation as the highway itself, so if you do have the choice, opt for the lower sites (more on that later).
Sitting just 30 minutes east of Des Moines, Newton KOA offers up about 100 sites for RVs and 5th wheelers offering up all the standard hook-ups (water, sewage and 30 / 50 amp- but be careful because some sites only offer 30 or 50, while some do offer both, so be sure to ask when making your reservation). For mi tent pitching bredren, there’s about a dozen or so sites to choose from and all are fairly intermingled with the RV sites, although each site does sit on a plush patch of grass, so this KOA does a nice job on that front of integration. Oh, and if you don’t have an RV, 5th wheeler or a tent, on worries, this KOA will rent you one of its three cabins.
As this is a KOA you can expect a ton of amenities and this place does not disappoint with: catch & release fishing pond w/ fish cleaning station (that is oddly placed about as far away from the fishing pond as you can get), disc golf course, K9 camp for the puppies, cable TV, WiFi, in-ground pool (available 5/25 until 9/3) with ADA pool lift, horseshoes, meeting rooms, firewood for sale, LP gas refueling station, pool table, shuffleboard, social lounge, two kids playground, laundr-O-mat, basketball court, restroom & shower facilities, mini-market with basic groceries, ping pong, jump pad, game room, gaga pit, designated dumpster and dump station and of course the scattered fire pits and picnic tables. Just to go above and beyond, this KOA serves up free breakfast of flapjacks on Saturdays. Yahoo!
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Whether you are pitching a tent or pulling up in your RV, the best sites IMHO are those in the lower valley, but located right in front of the main office, where there are 6 RV slots numbered #45 – 50 and 6 tent sites numbered T1 – T6; (2) Should you get hungry and might want to try some local fare, check out Taco John’s and La Cabaña Mexican Restaurant, which I guess stand for ‘local’ around here, although there is Newton Family Restaurant. If you are looking for something really different and amazing, I would suggest heading on over to Dan’s Sandwich Shop, which feels like real Americana from a bygone era, complete with a diner-esque vibe and matching elbow counter to warm up to over a nice piece of apple pie, scoop of ice cream washed down with a hot mug of coffee; (3) While this KOA has a mini-market, you will find a bigger selection with better prices just down the road at the local Walmart, where just due west of this, you’ll find a Hy-Vee Grocery store with a wine & spirits shop positioned there as well. Further down the road, you have excellent fresh cut meat from Fareway Grocery, but check out the local hotspot, Newton Market as well; and (4) While what you will discover from an outdoor standpoint at Newton KOA is interesting, if you want something more substantial, head to Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens for 6 acres of family-friendly landscape to explore with more displays and demonstrations that you can shake a stick at! Seriously, there’s a butterfly garden, peony border and nearly 200 individual species of trees here to check out.
Happy Camping!
Traveler
Came in late, even though there were several empty spaces turns out they were reserved. Very nice camp host told us we could have a non-electric site, none of them were reserved. Bathroom/showers were clean.
ScoutSpent 2 nights tent camping here. We stayed at site 4, glad I read reviews on here. I personally would not want to be in a site beyond number 7 as it gets too close to the dump station and subsequent “sewage lagoon”
Shower house was clean, pretty quiet, and only 5 miles off the highway
GuideHave stayed here several times, one of our grandkids favorite KOA's. Staff is one of the nicest and most helpful we've ever encountered.
ScoutGreat camping sites! Can’t beat the price. Showers and toilets that were clean. Very peaceful. Best place we camped from Michigan to Washington!
ScoutOur stay here was fine. Check-in was easy and courteous. We were escorted to our site. All of the staff that we interacted with was great. It seems like this park has an original section and then expansion sections tired up a hillside. The original section is the only section with any mature shade trees. Our site, and it looked like the others in the tiered hillside section, were in full sun all day. We selected an upgraded patio site. It was spacious and the patio area was made from pavers. It was equiped the same as the other sites though, just a fire pit and a picnic table (that was in rough shape). Our experience at other KOAs is that the patio sites have some better patio furniture. The fire pit wasn't functional for cooking. The cooking grate was rusted and set about 1" off the bottom of the fire pit leaving no room for charcoal. Pool looked nice but we didn't use it. The bathrooms and showers were clean but the showers could use a place to set your dry clothes.
GuideStayed here for five nights attending a family reunion. First time staying at a koa and it was awesome. From the site service firewood and food delivery, to the location and people who stopped here in their travels. I will definitely stay at a KOA again!
ScoutQUIETEST KOA IN AMERICA. no hiway no traintracks or airport! Well kept.. bathrooms are a little scarce and WET.. but very nice little campground and VERY friendly staff.
Traveler
Timberline is among my favorite campgrounds, always has great people, nice shade trees, fun pool, and quality facilities.
ScoutWonderful setting and quiet place to stay. Beautiful views with quick access to Bridges of Madison County. Great hook ups and utilities!
ScoutMarta and crew were so friendly and helpful! Clean bathrooms, beautiful property. Close to hwy but far enough away. We called ahead to arrive after hours and had to get back on the road in the morning. Wish we could’ve stayed longer!
TravelerFull hookups and easy to park, small spots but not too small. Shower and bath houses are clean.
Guide
We love to return here every year!
Recently updated two-way fresh-fill/santiary dump station. There is Ice Cube Consessions and the skating rink from Memorial Day through Labor Day every year. Great long-term hosts really make this park feel like going home.
Guide
Great vibes. Camp's pretty far from the bones of the park, but the hike's relatively plesant. Cell coverage is terrible out here, and there is no WIFI to help keep people connected.
Scout
This is a beautiful spot. Was an absolute blast staying at this place. We loved Corey and his buddies!
GuideYou could literally throw a rock from the entrance and hit a passing semi. Would be a possible extended stay for construction folks. Not for any peace and quite camping. Have never stayed at the campground, only scouted. So can't comment on operators, or residents.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! I had a chance to learn a little about this awesome cabin, they offer the opportunity to get off-grid and hangout on the porch overlooking a pond. Check them out and leave a review on The Dyrt!
TravelerVery courteous staff and clean campground. Pizza on site is excellent snd you can order it ahead for your arrival.
GuideCanyon road and limestone cliffs are awesome. Secluded spots in the trees. If you have Verizon and rely on data this may not be the campground for you.
GuideWe called ahead to see if they had sites available that night. Arrived just before the office closed at 7pm. They were ready for us and escorted us to our pull-through full-hookups site near the front of the campground. This is a huge property but laid out in different sections that each have their own flavor. The pull-throughs near the front are level, gravel pads with grass all around. Other areas are forested and some are hilly. Full-hookups worked fine. We stayed in site 121, which faces an open grassy area backed by a little forest that echoed with beautiful wildlife sounds in the evening. There are no campground lights except at the restrooms, so it’s great for stargazing! The restrooms were good.
Guide
Spacious sites along a gorgeous lake..quiet..wish every campground was this nice!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Des Moines, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Des Moines, IA is Jester County Park with a 4.4-star rating from 27 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Des Moines, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 cabin camping locations near Des Moines, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
