117 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Skip-A-Way Resort near Clermont provides 30/50-amp electric hookups, water, and sewer connections for RVs on sites that accommodate big rigs. Rustic Barn Campground RV Park in Kieler, Wisconsin offers pull-through sites with 30/50-amp service, operating from April through October. Elkader City Park has electric hookups at most sites with water faucets distributed throughout the grounds, though the dump station is described as "just a hole in a manhole cover" across the street. Backbone State Park features both primitive and modern campgrounds with the South Lake area offering 30-amp and 50-amp electric sites. "All 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."
Seasonal availability varies significantly across the region's RV parks. Most campgrounds near Elkader operate from spring through fall, with limited winter options. Cell service can be inconsistent—one reviewer reported excellent Verizon coverage at Elkader City Park (70 down, 20 up) but no T-mobile signal. Lil' Bit of Country RV Park provides amenities including laundry facilities alongside standard hookups. According to a visitor at Rustic Barn, "Beautiful setting nice wide pull throughs. Very friendly and helpful. Good place for overnight or extended stay." Many parks require advance reservations during peak summer months, particularly for weekend stays. Pet policies are generally accommodating, with most parks allowing dogs with standard leash requirements.
"Sewer, water and electric."
"This was a nice campground next to a small town- nice quiet sites. Sites were kind of close together. Mostly seasonal spots here."
"General: 58 sites with 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."
"Beautiful setting nice wide pull throughs. Very friendly and helpful. Good place for overnight or extended stay."
"The staff was really nice, showers were clean and they had laundry too! It backs up to a corn field, right off the Interstate but the noise was barely there. Huge grass pull through lots everywhere."
"Well run campground with full hookups available for$35/ night. Bathrooms are clean and lots of warm water for showers. Great place for a night or two. Near the highway but road noise is minimal."
from $35 - $50 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $30 / night
Check Availability"The camp ground that we stayed at was family friendly. Hammocks were ok to put up. The only not so great experience was that 2 out of the 3 showers on the women's side were out of order."
"Backbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa. There are two campgrounds."
from $16 - $25 / night
Check Availability"There are a handful of picnic tables and fire pits scattered around, and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to sites, although there is a pay station with “sites” noted."
"The train tracks are extremely close to slot of sites. Very loud. K ly bsd thing. Cave tour was great but at extra cost. Lake/swimming/fishing was great. Cabin was clean and nice."
GuideFYI When we made reservations this site required a two- night minimum stay. Don't know if that is for all seasons. Nice pull-through, large enough for our 36' 5th Wheel and pickup tow vehicle, needed more leveling than some. Some sites have power and water, ours only power. There's a water pipe and dump station on the way out. Nice hiking trails, including to a beautiful river overlook.
LegendGeneral: 58 sites with 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. Tents are NOT allowed. We were greeted immediately upon arrival and asked to sign a waiver and given a welcome packet. The rules are extensive, but most are common sense/courtesy and not at all unreasonable.
Site Quality: All had gravel driveways and looked level. Decent separation between sites although they are close together, as would be expected in an RV park. Our site had a patio and decent-sized picnic table but it was chilly when we were there so we ate inside.
Bathhouse: Very clean as were the showers.
Activities/Amenities: There are many activities offered, including a dog park, basketball, horseshoes, games (cornhole, large checkerboard, and others), a barn with a television, a book library, puzzles, and a pool table. Coffee is available after 9 am. There is also a small chapel available 24/7 and a laundry room. WiFi is also available. There is a camp store with ice, ice cream, some camping supplies, clothing, crafts, and more. We were told several restaurants will deliver to the campground.
We don’t typically prefer to stay in RV-style campgrounds, but it was conveniently located with easy access off Route 151 just over the Wisconsin border from Iowa, we were warmly welcomed, and enjoyed our short stay passing through. Pride of ownership was evident throughout.
ScoutStayed in The Plains area. Water and electric hookups, dump station near by. Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table.
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.
RangerThere are about 30 electric site big enough for RVs, and about 35 non electric site. All are very nice sites with fairly level gravel pads. There are lots of trees for shade making the sites really beautiful if not spacious. We had a tight fit with our travel trailer on site 33e, but once we squeezed in it was excellent. Two bathrooms one with showers, and well kept. The best thing about this park are the wonderful hiking trails. Some are ADA accessible near the camp store, but most are a good climb with lots of ups and downs. Town of McGregor has a few cute restaurants and bars, but enjoy the park and the amazing views of the Mississippi and the Wisconsin rivers. Several big rig RVs were there, but call ahead if you’ve got a big RV to make sure you’ll fit.
There are some fantastic cycling routes near the river, with stops in all the little towns along the way. A wonderful place to spend a weekend, with apple orchards nearby.
GuideBeautiful setting nice wide pull throughs. Very friendly and helpful. Good place for overnight or extended stay.
LegendI enjoyed my 5 night stay at Oelwein City Park Campground. It's located on the south end of town, there is only one business within walking distance. It's a great restaurant (Oelwein Family Restaurant) and it's about a 15 minute walk.
There is one shower house, and several vault toilets throughout the park. The shower house is old and a little run down but was very clean. I had no problems using it.
The city park is adjacent to the campground and has picnic shelters, a playground, and a dog park.
There are electric and water hookups at most sites, and there is a dump station. The park was pretty full on the weekend as you would expect, but very quiet during the week.
I had great Verizon and T-mobile service here.
Traveler37 full-hookup sites, some tent sites, all right on edge of town. Adjacent to Kitty Creek, joins Maquoketa River. Some concrete pads, most are gravel, fairly level. Pretty tight layout, average of only 30-40' between sites. New fire rings, picnic tables in good condition. Bakery and other facilities are closed due to COVID. Previous campers at our site left lots of trash on ground...always disappointing. Electrical and water were good. Sewer connections a bit high.
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!
Camping areas near Elkader, Iowa range from full-service RV parks to primitive sites within the Mississippi River valley. The region features limestone bluffs, spring-fed streams, and hardwood forests typical of the Driftless Area, which escaped glaciation during the last ice age. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F, while spring and fall camping seasons see cooler 50-70°F days with significant temperature drops at night.
Canoeing and tubing activities: Skip-A-Way Resort offers river recreation from April through October. "Some weekly activities include canoeing, tubing down the Turkey River, swimming, fishing and paddle boats in the Lake, a splash pad for kids and occasionally a dumping tank for free, also miniture golf," reports Lourene M.
Beach swimming options: Family-friendly water activities are available at several Skip-A-Way Resort locations. "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. You can rent kayaks, bikes," notes jeremiah B.
Hiking trail exploration: The rugged terrain offers challenging trails at Backbone State Park. "We loved waking up in the morning and going for a walk along the many trails, seeing deer on the trail, and the lake," says Larissa C. who visited during October for peak foliage viewing.
Variety of family activities: The campgrounds feature numerous recreational options beyond standard sites. "This campground has a lot of fun activities from April 15 thru Oct 15. They have permanent sites and rentals. There is tent sites and rental campers also," explains a Skip-A-Way Resort visitor.
Clean facilities: Wyalusing State Park maintains high standards for bathrooms and showers. "Let me wax poetic about the new bathroom/shower block. While I didn't take photos (should have) this is one of the nicest public bathrooms I've ever been in. Not just in a state park, ever," writes Josh F.
Privacy between sites: Many campers appreciate the spacing at Nelson Dewey State Park. "Most campsites have privacy and are quiet due to being a smaller park. Bathrooms and showers are modern and clean," notes Renee W., highlighting the benefit of choosing a less crowded destination.
Train noise considerations: Some campgrounds have nearby railroad tracks that can disrupt sleep. "HUGE caveat - this site sits on a ridge above a county highway and freight train tracks. There are also train tracks on the other side of the river. When trains are blowing their horns miles away, the sound carries," warns Steph P. about Nelson Dewey State Park.
Site accessibility challenges: Walk-in sites require planning at certain parks. "The wheelbarrows provided are a lifesaver, the trail to the site is manageable until the last 50 feet, which is steep and rocky," mentions a Nelson Dewey visitor about Site C.
Shower facilities vary: Rustic Barn Campground RV Park offers superior shower facilities. "Shower house was immaculate with large hard stalled showers/changing room," says Chris S., an important consideration for longer stays in rv campgrounds near Elkader, Iowa.
Recreation amenities for kids: Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres provides multiple kid-friendly activities. "Great owners, loads of stuff for kids (putt putt, paddle boats, horseshoes, basketball, Gaga, trampoline, playground)," reports David W.
Fishing opportunities: Several campgrounds offer fishing without leaving the property. "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," writes a Beyonder Getaway visitor.
Accessibility considerations: Some sites accommodate special needs. "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!" notes a camper who stayed at Beyonder Getaway for four nights.
Site levelness varies: RV campgrounds Elkader, Iowa and surrounding areas have different site preparations. "All sites had gravel driveways and looked level. Decent separation between sites although they are close together, as would be expected in an RV park," notes Lee D. about Rustic Barn.
Recreation room amenities: Some parks provide indoor entertainment options. "Nice rec room with TV, games, books, soft seating, pinball, ping pong, and pool table. Outdoor games set-up on the grass like Cornhole, croquet, etc," explains a camper at Rustic Barn Campground.
Seasonal availability: Lakeshore RV Resort and Campground operates from May through October like many area campgrounds. Reservation policies can be strict, with one visitor noting, "When we arrived we called the phone number listed on the closed gate. The owner, Joyce came out and said we would need an appointment to drive thru."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Elkader, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Elkader, IA is Skip-A-Way Resort with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
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