Best Glamping near Des Moines, IA

One of my favorite locations to camp in Iowa as a Boy Scout growing up was Ledges State Park. Since I hadn't been back in years, I decided to check it out and spend a night camping there. It's close to how I remember it.

The campground has a good picnic area, restrooms, and an excellent trail. It's also inexpensive.

What I enjoy most about this park compared to others in Iowa are the sandstone ledges and the slopes on the trail. There are some excellent views, so make sure your phone has enough battery to take photos (unlike me). I also spent a lot of time off the trail. It isn't too hard to get around. I'm not one who enjoys staying at a park that is mostly flat, so this is definitely a good place in Iowa for me to camp.

If you are looking for a cool place to camp within an hour of Des Moines, you should seriously consider this park.

If you’re traveling through Des Moines, Iowa area; this is the place you will want to camp at! Outstanding facilities, beautiful and tranquil location, friendly and helpful staff, and a place you will always remember as a sweet spot.

Camped by tent, basic amenities on-site-fire ring, table, etc. Went kayaking on lake and then on Des Moines River (close by). Nice wildlife areas, hiking, fishing, etc. Pleasant staff.

I camped here a lot growing up and many times since then. We visit the park often. Nice quiet campground with the Des Moines river close by for fishing or kayaking. Most of the spots are shaded and well maintained. The backpacking area is very nice as well.

We had a great time camping here with several family members. The trails were very nice and scenic for the little amount of work to hike them. The Des Moines river passes right through here and I’d love to make a float trip out of it some day.

I stayed at Ledges in June and hiked the trails again in February. The campground is well kept but busy in the summer months with it being a popular hiking destination for Des Moines locals. With most of the surrounding areas having little to no elevation changes there are a few nice hikes along some rocky hills beside the river both in summer and winter.

We stayed at the West Des Moines KOA for the Nationals Softball Tournament for my daughter in July. There were 6 families that stayed there with us. It was so much fun because we were able to all be either on buddy sites together and one had a patio site. The pool was refreshing for the girls and all of the activities kept them busy and having fun! All while being close to the city but the beauty of the country!!!

Stayed at this campground for 3 nights while visiting Des Moines.  We stayed in Loop 1- site 138 because we wanted electrical.  The electrical box has 2 standard household plugs which is nice.  This loop was mostly RVs due to the electrical hook ups.  There aren't really trees between the sites, but it is in a wooded area which is nice and there is some space between the sites so you don't feel like you are right on top of the other people.  Generally, people were pretty quiet, especially once it got dark.  Each site as a gravel drive and then open gravel area with a picnic table and fire pit with grill grate.  Plenty of room for camp chairs and other furniture you may want to set up.  There is a grassy area all around the gravel with plenty of room for multiple tents.  2 bath/shower houses within a short walk from the site- they were both clean and solid to use.  There are some short trails within the park which are generally well marked, but just 1 trail is longer than about 1/2 a mile.  Didn't check it out, but there is also a large lake.  Lots of picnic areas throughout the park.  There's also a volleyball court and free lending library near one of the bathhouses.  Overall, I'd recommend this campground as long as you don't mind seeing your neighbors.  Quick drive into Des Moines too.

So with covid I couldn’t primitive camp but this place is huge and has lots to offer.

It’s got access to trails and to the Des Moines river. It’s a great little escape. There is a fishing pond that’s got plenty of bluegill and largemouth bass. There is a couple of docks and boat ramps. The boat ramp to the river though didn’t look in great shape. But if you kayak it’s probably fine.

It has lots of electrical sites as well. Baseball fields, lots of bathrooms (not open during covid) and some really nice group sites. For this review I’m just going to post stuff for the primitive camping.

Nice little county park just east of Des Moines with fairly easy access to I-80. Several other campers in the tent area, but very courteous and quiet. And no music! We arrived late and found a spot. LOTS of bugs and very loud peepers at dusk in the frog pond near the entrance, but they quieted down, and our bug screens worked like a charm (we sleep in our Outback on quick turnaround nights). In the morning light we did notice that we were right next to the “sewage lagoon” by the RV dump spot. We were upwind , so it wasn’t too bad. Would recommend avoiding sites 18 and 19. Overall a nice place for a quick overnight. Clean and well groomed.

We have hiked here and it was really busy when we did. We decided to come back and camp a few months later. The campground was large but the DNR was helpful when finding our spot along with nice signs everywhere. We didn’t have any problems, people seemed friendly. Didn’t use the bathrooms but the outsides looked nice. We traveled to Des Moines when we stayed but there is lots to do near by. I would suggest the “high tressel trail” for bike riders, lots of cute bars to stop in along the way. Madrid has a bakery and some other cute places. Boone has a scenic train ride if that’s your thing. And the town of Luther, about 4 miles from the campground has a BBQ place that a lot of people travel to.

It was a fun place for kids. They had plenty to do between the pool and all of the fun activities. We went during Father’s Day weekend so they had face painting, movies, and hungry hungry daddy (a version of hungry hungry hippos). Over all I think it would be a fun maybe 1 time a year place while kids are young. I like the outdoors so I wished the camper spaces were MUCH bigger! You are on top of your neighbors. They didn’t have grates for our grill and when we called they tried to get a make shift one which was at least something for us to use to cook off of (we could have just ordered pizza from their kitchen lol). So it’s definitely a camper only friendly place, tent spaces are almost nonexistent. Overall extremely clean, staff was great, they pick up your trash.. it’s glamping at it finest.

Road improvement 2021 is nice, cutting down the shade trees, not nice.

This is a regular stop on my campground rotation.  Camp host's are the best ever.  Clean facilities.  Has both shaded and open spots, yurts, trails.  There are lots of activities, kids can swim below the ford, canoe starting on one side of the park and loop I'd guess about 3 miles on the middle river to the other side of the park.  In and out are about 500 yards from each other thru the tunnel.  If your rig is over 12ft, have to come in the back way.  Winterset has lots to offer, great town square, farmers market on Saturdays, great car club fills the square every month, Madison county fair, Clark Tower, John Wayne Birthplace and museum, Covered Bridges.   My only complaint would be all sites can be reserved, so if you don't reserve a site at beginning of the year, you are out of luck.  Be nice if there were some first come/first serve.

The views around the park are some of the very best in Iowa. Hiking trails often found you coming face to face with deer who look at you inquisitively. Fun for family as the waters over the roadways are a splash for adults and children alike. It's a hidden gem, just outside Boone Iowa.

Nice small park settle nicely in the iowa country side!

This RV park is right off the interstate but far enough you won’t hear the noise. I can’t tell you if they are actually Iowa’s best burger because this is the only burger I’ve had in Iowa.

Nice people, everything is clean. Spots are pull thru. No issues at all.

It’s a one night because unless you’re in the area for something there isn’t much to see if do

Would stay here again

This is the best park in the state of Iowa, so much fun going thru the low water crossings!

Not something you see a lot of in Iowa. It is well worth a trip to see and explore.

We will definitely return, we loved this park. The bridges of Madisin County, Clarke Tower, cute local ice cream shop, John Wayne Museum! So much fun in a cute Iowa community!

Simple campground behind a Philips 66 gas station that totes they have Iowa’s best burger. They have recently updated shower building along with a laundry building

Wallashuck in Pella, iowa is one of my favorite places to camp. It’s mostly quiet and peaceful. Plus town is close and has plenty to entertain or fill up supplies