20 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
State parks and county-managed lands surrounding Edgewood, Iowa offer diverse tent camping opportunities in the rolling hills of northeastern Iowa. Yellow River State Forest, located about 40 miles northeast, provides backcountry tent camping at Camp Glen Wendel with primitive hike-in sites. Closer options include Holbert Park with basic tent sites, while Echo Valley State Park, approximately 25 miles northwest, features tent-only camping along a trout stream. Joy Springs County Park near Strawberry Point and Wakpicada Natural Area in Central City round out the tent camping options within a 30-mile radius.
Most tent campsites in the region feature basic amenities with varying levels of development. Echo Valley's sites are non-electric and self-pay, with pit toilets available at the upper sites. Campers should bring their own water at most locations, as drinking water is limited to headquarters areas or completely unavailable at primitive sites. Fire rings are common at established sites, though firewood availability varies by location. Wakpicada Natural Area offers year-round tent camping with fire rings and picnic tables, while the more primitive Yellow River sites require hikers to carry in all supplies. Sites typically have gravel or natural dirt surfaces with minimal grading.
In early summer, tent campers often find ample space and privacy at these locations. According to reviews, Echo Valley State Park provides exceptional separation between sites, with one camper noting they were "a quarter mile from the nearest site." The campground is specifically suited for tent camping, with terrain that discourages larger RVs. At Yellow River State Forest, visitors appreciate the well-spaced primitive sites surrounded by dense forest. One backpacker reported that the park "caters to backpackers" with dedicated trails and beautiful sanctioned campsites. Wakpicada Natural Area receives praise for its pond-side tent sites with good tree cover, making it comfortable even during hot weather. Most locations offer access to hiking trails, fishing opportunities, and wildlife viewing from tent-based campsites.
"People driving around the pond didn't even know we were there! The camping spot was beautiful (although you have to watch out for nettles). Great fishing while we were there too."
"My friend and I were eager to test out some new backpacking gear for the first time in advance of a larger trip this summer."
"Yellow River has great backpacking sites. Park near ranger station and hike in or grab a map and find a smaller parking location near the trail you want to explore. Great scenery."
from $12 / night
Check Availability"There are pit toilets at the upper sites, near the pavilion."
"The hiking trail was perfect for a morning stroll with my dog and coffee and there certainly is a petting zoo (my German Shepard was a little uncertain about the goats)"
from $5 / night
Check Availability"Primitive and private. Pond for recreation, fishing, and swimming. Kids be sure to try the rope swing. "
"The farm was cute and a wonderful place to get outside and be in nature. The hosts were very accommodating and professional! We will definitely be returning, 10 stars!"
from $24 - $45 / night
from $20 / night
"Campsites right next to the pond and good tree cover made the experience fun anyway. Good bass and panfish fishing with quiet campgrounds that aren’t right next to each other."
LegendUnique hike or paddle primitive site. Native forbs and wildlife surrounding the area. Two parking sites to hike in or access by river. Site is along river, has table, fire ring, latrine. Pack in, pack out and Leave No Trace.
ScoutNice quiet little primitive campground next to the Wapsipinicon River. Unfortunately, when I was there the last weekend of May, the gnats were bad, and the mosquitoes were just starting to gear up. HOWEVER, take bug spray and enjoy the rustic peacefulness of this "best kept secret" for primitive and inexpensive camping sites. Beautiful location, ranger close by, wood for sale just across the bridge, fire pits and picnic tables at every site. Good for RV, trailer or tent camping… level ground and lots of shade. Primitive bathrooms, no showers or running water.
LegendHiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects. Leave No Trace ethics include: minimizes fire impacts by gathering only dead, down, wood. Sounded by nature atop of hill hike near Fire tower ( only fire tower in Iowa), cell reception is found up here.
GuideThe pros: $10 fee ($15 electric), campground seems well maintained (grass is mown, security light works, tables in good repair, gravel access road in good shape, etc); no one here but us, the sound of the running Creek is soothing, vault toilet is probably the cleanest I've seen; ATT cell service was 3bars 5G The unusual: no specific site, no specific place to pull into, no site numbers or designation except on the electric pedestals. It's all grass. Pull onto the grass near the table or electric pedestal you want. The cons: highway traffic noise is easily heard and doesn't seem to stop for more than a few seconds (though the crickets/bug sounds and the creek sound is sometimes louder so you hear that instead), dust from vehicles passing on nearby dirt road filters thru the trees (due to dry weather?), and, well, it is, after all, a vault toilet-not my fav,
LegendGeneral: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad.
Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring.
Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there.
Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station.
We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!
LegendThis review is for Yellow River State Forest's Big Paint Campground which consists of sites 35 through 61. Big Paint is a couple miles from Little Paint, a larger campground with 70+ sites. There are two equestrian campgrounds (Creekside and Little Frontier with sites numbered 1 through 34) as well as hike in campgrounds for backpackers. A photo of an area map is included.
Why did we choose Big Paint instead of Little Paint?
It's smaller and that's just our personal preference. There were only 4 sites occupied early Friday afternoon and a few more were reserved. We liked site 35, the first site on the left as you enter. This site is like being in a garden with trees and flowers surrounding the site. It had rained and more rain was coming, so the gravel parking pad on #35 was appealing. Most of the sites are completely on the grass.
Activities
Stocked trout streams are an attraction for fishermen; see photo of stocking calendar. We enjoyed hiking despite the mosquitoes and humidity in August and were able to make a 5+ mile loop leaving from the campground. You can also hike from Little Paint, and there are equestrian trails. This would also be a good area for X-country skiing and snowmobiling. A photo of the trail map is included. Caution: hunting is allowed in the non-campground area of the state forest.
Amenities
Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Other than that, you can dispose of your trash and use a vault toilet. There's water at the information center (and a camp host site) outside the campground about 100 yards to the left.
Cost
You're not getting much (and that's not a bad thing) so the $9 fee seems fair. Pay up front at the entrance station, or make a reservation online at last 2 days ahead of time (and pay a reservation fee). There are 7 non-reservable sites at Big Paint. I doubt that Big Paint fills up; just check the reservation site to see if they get crowded.
https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/yellow-river-state-forest/r/campsiteSearch.do?search=site&page=siteresult&contractCode=IA&parkId=610130
LegendCampground is well maintained, restrooms, showers, recycling station, fire wood available, campground host onsite, resident park ranger, standard RV sites, some electric tent sites otherwise primitive with fire rings and tables. Trout stream (Catfish Creek) runs through campground and park and is stocked by Iowa DNR, has Swiss Valley Nature center with trails.
LegendThis campground also goes by the name of Holbert. Small campground but free with a handful of picnic tables and campfires. The vault toilets were cleanish, thou older. This campground is next to a pretty little creek that you can play and fish in. The campground is really just a series of campsites strung out along the creek and road. It was pretty quiet while I was there, not many campers at all. There are no hookups for RV’s/campers so it is primarily tent camping or dry camping. There is an interesting story about how this camping area has come to be: the land was donated by Ella Ellis in memory of her husband William Ellis. They apparently loved the land and wanted to make sure it was never developed and could be enjoyed by all. A lovely story.
RangerMud Lake is a wonderful county park near Dubuque. Beautiful views of the Mississippi River. We stayed one night on our way to Minnesota. The sites are mostly sunny. The park streets are gravel with gravel sites. The park is quiet except for the occasional train from the nearby tracks. Great value for $21. Electric and water hookups. Marina and boathouse next door.
Stayed in campsite #35 which has no shade. It was a gravel site which shares a pull-through with site 36. There was more than enough parking for my TT and truck and grass on either side. The site included: picnic table and fire ring. Utilities were located in the rear. 20A/50A electric and water. Site was level. Neighbors were nearby.
AT&T had 2 bars of LTE and Verizon 2 bars of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 47 Mbps down, 1.3 Mbps up. Verizon data VERY SLOW. No WiFi.
Would stay here again. We camped at Mud Lake Park in a Travel Trailer.
Tent campsites near Edgewood, Iowa offer basic but scenic overnight options amid the northeastern Iowa countryside. Most sites sit at elevations between 900-1,200 feet, providing campers with cooler summer temperatures compared to southern Iowa. The region's tent camping typically reaches peak capacity during holiday weekends, with limited rainfall averaging 3-4 inches monthly during summer camping season.
Trout fishing access: Echo Valley State Park Campground features a quality trout stream right next to several primitive sites. According to one camper, "There is a nice trout stream, with a few sites right by the stream. It is most suitable for tent, truck, or teardrop camping."
Backpacking trails: Camp Glen Wendel Primitive Backcountry offers extensive hiking with challenging terrain. "Yellow River has great backpacking sites. Park near ranger station and hike in or grab a map and find a smaller parking location near the trail you want to explore," notes reviewer J.T. Another visitor adds, "I've done this loop several times, and have never been disappointed. Lots of quiet, and many more great views on the upper trails."
Pond recreation: Gardner Family Farm and Iowa Hemp Farm Stay provides water activities beyond basic camping. "Pond for recreation, fishing, and swimming. Kids be sure to try the rope swing," shares a reviewer. The farm's setting offers activities not found at standard public campgrounds.
Privacy between sites: Echo Valley campers appreciate the significant separation between tent sites. One visitor noted, "Certainly a tent oriented campground, RVs would have a difficult time. The hiking trail was perfect for a morning stroll with my dog and coffee."
Night sky viewing: Gardner Family Farm and Iowa Hemp Farm Stay receives praise for its dark skies. "Evenings at this farm are memorable. Dark skies with billions of stars. Enjoy a campfire, that's a must. Primitive and private," reports one camper.
Budget-friendly options: Yellow River State Forest offers exceptional value. According to a camper, "This site fills up really fast because of the cheap price of only 9 dollars. This is the cheapest but one of the best campsites I've been to."
Limited amenities: Most tent sites near Edgewood have minimal facilities. At Yellow River, a camper notes, "No showers or dump station. But it was great." Prepare accordingly by bringing necessary supplies.
Reservation systems: Many campgrounds operate on first-come, first-served basis. Echo Valley Campground is described as "non-electric, self-pay, non-reservable, and has only a few sites," making advance planning critical.
Wildlife encounters: Wakpicada Natural Area offers good wildlife viewing opportunities alongside fishing. "Good bass and panfish fishing with quiet campgrounds that aren't right next to each other. I consider it a little hidden gem," notes a camper who visited during extreme heat.
Weather considerations: Summer temperatures can be challenging. A Wakpicada visitor mentioned camping "when it was 110 degrees with humidity. Campsites right next to the pond and good tree cover made the experience fun anyway."
Wildlife watching: Yellow River State Forest provides excellent family nature experiences. A visitor shared, "Amazing place to explore for all ages. Who knew that Iowa has hills like this?! We did the backcountry camping (less than 0.5 miles walking)."
Child-friendly activities: Worthington Sportsman's Club offers sheltered camping with pond access. "The camping spot was beautiful (although you have to watch out for nettles). Great fishing while we were there too," reports one family.
Safety awareness: Parents should note hunting seasons at Yellow River. One camper advises, "There is hunting open to the public so enjoy and/or be careful!" Check forest regulations before planning family camping trips.
Site limitations: Most camping areas near Edgewood are primarily designed for tents. A Gateway Park visitor described, "There's a new children's play area and a very nice American wars memorial. The driveways are gravel and pretty level. 3 drive through sites and 4 back in spots with a few nice trees."
Access challenges: Larger vehicles may struggle at many locations. Echo Valley specifically notes that "large RVs would not do well" on their access roads and camping areas, restricting RV camping primarily to smaller units.
Frequently Asked Questions
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