Dundee, Iowa camping areas sit amid rolling hills and limestone bluffs of northeast Iowa, with elevation ranging from 800-1200 feet above sea level. The region's natural springs and trout streams create unique camping opportunities throughout Delaware County. Most campgrounds remain open from April through October, with a few offering year-round availability.
What to do
River recreation: Bailey's Ford Park offers excellent water activities with a local camper noting, "Great place to go tubing and kayaking" and mentioning their direct access to trout streams: "Access to the trout stream directly from our site!"
Fishing opportunities: Fountain Springs County Park provides free primitive camping with excellent angling. One visitor described it as a "Secluded campsite with excellent trout fishing" while another shared, "The stream offers good trout fishing. It is stocked regularly with rainbow trout."
Outdoor games: Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres features numerous recreational options. A camper detailed the amenities: "Great owners, loads of stuff for kids (putt putt, paddle boats, horseshoes, basketball, Gaga, trampoline, playground)."
Hiking trails: The region offers multiple walking paths, particularly at Backbone State Park where one visitor shared, "We hiked on the famous Backbone trail - a really fun hike that isn't too incredibly long."
What campers like
Natural water features: Bailey's Ford Park receives praise for its water access, with a camper noting, "The park has the river on one end and cold water springs all around the other side."
Quiet atmosphere: Fountain Springs provides peaceful camping experiences. A visitor mentioned, "The several times I have camped, there have been at most a few other sites with people camping. Often, I have been alone in the campground, which is perfect for those seeking solitude."
Camping variety: Backbone State Park offers multiple accommodation options. A reviewer highlighted, "You can rent cabins, shelters, tent and RV camp, hike the trails especially the 'Backbone', explore the cave, fish trout streams, visit fish hatchery, swim at the beach, canoe, kayak or just have a picnic."
Affordable rates: Skip-A-Way Resort provides economical camping near Dundee, Iowa with one camper mentioning, "Nice camp ground" with "mini golf but you have to pay 8 dollars for that" and "river rafting, a playground for little kids, and a mini horse for petting."
What you should know
Facility conditions: Rustic Barn Campground RV Park maintains clean facilities according to reviews: "Shower house was immaculate with large hard stalled showers/changing room" and another mentioning "the cleanest bath/shower houses you'll find anywhere."
Site characteristics: Campsite leveling varies across rv sites near Dundee, Iowa. At Rustic Barn, a camper noted, "All sites had gravel driveways and looked level" while also mentioning "unfortunately our site 26 seemed to be the most in level, which was our only negative."
Seasonal closures: Most campgrounds operate from spring to fall. Skip-A-Way Resort offers services with one visitor noting, "Office had strange hours limiting the use of some of the amenities (tubing, kayak and paddle boat rentals)."
Noise considerations: Several campgrounds have highway proximity. One camper at Beyonder Getaway mentioned it's "near the highway so it has truck noise," while at Rustic Barn a visitor noted, "There is road noise from the highway which is a few blocks away but after the first night we didn't notice it as much."
Tips for camping with families
Water play options: Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres has numerous child-friendly features. A visitor detailed, "This place had so much! They had a little train ride, miniature golf course, catch and release fishing in their pond, splash pad, lots of cool things hand built structures to see as well."
Accessibility features: Some campgrounds offer accessibility accommodations. One camper at Beyonder Getaway noted, "My daughter is in a wheelchair so we requested the accessible site. It's right next to the showers with an adapted pic-nic table and raised fire pit!"
Multiple playgrounds: Bailey's Ford caters to families with diverse recreation options. A visitor shared, "Plenty of things for kids to do volleyball ball court, softball field, and several playgrounds!"
Clean facilities: Keeping children comfortable matters to parents. A Bailey's Ford camper noted, "The facilities were clean even for a vault toilet (regular toilets and showers available at the main building which were extremely clean)."
Tips from RVers
Site features: Skip-A-Way Resort offers various rv sites near Dundee, Iowa. A camper shared their experience: "We stayed here 4 nights. They have a beach for swimming. Boats for renting but they were out of order for repairs when we were here."
Hookup variations: RV campsites around Dundee provide different utility options. At Rustic Barn, a visitor noted sites have "various amenities. Some are long pull-throughs, some are back-in, some have 30 amp with or without a patio, and some have 50-amp electric with or without a patio."
Seasonal availability: RV parks have different operating schedules. Rustic Barn operates "April 13 to October 31" according to their listing, providing full hookup options during camping season.
Size considerations: Beyonder Getaway accommodates larger vehicles, with a camper mentioning, "Huge grass pull through lots everywhere. The biggest I have been in and actual real, full grass."
