Are you planning a trip to Elma with your RV? We've got you covered. Find the best sites near Elma where you can park your RV with a scenic view. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Iowa RV camping excursion.
$30 / night
Located on beautiful Lake Oelwein in northeast Iowa. We are a child/family friendly campground, privately owned, where our passion is to serve our camping guests with a high level of commitment and excellence. Fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sand beach & swim area, and much more. You will find it restful, relaxing, and peaceful...the way camping should be!
$35 / night
$35 / night
Formerly Randy's Bluffton Store and Campground - under new ownership
$25 / night
Guide
There are only 6 full hook up sites and the care taker made sure we got one. The rest of the sites are beautiful with electric hook up. Nice clean bathroom and hot shower!
Traveler
Wilder Park is a beautiful city park. Very much a gem, quiet and peaceful . 50 + sites with about half of them full hook up. Costs for a full hook up in 2022 was under $25 a night. The park has two fishing areas, a dog park,pickle ball, volleyball mini golf, basketball and two playgrounds. A beautiful walking and bike path connects the parks to the neighboring cities. A free dump is also available. We highly recommend this park. 1
GuideLoved this state park. Sites not too level, but spacious. Camped in mid April and park was not very busy which was nice. Full hook up sites and W/E only sites. Close to town and lots to do.
GuideThis is our second time camping at the Clear Lake State Park. The park is clean, the shower house is nice. It’s hard to control the temperature in the showers, too hot for little kids to stand directly in the water. The playground was fun for the kids, nice beach access! Limited full hook up sites. I wish there were more full hook ups that you could reserve. Paved roads are great for bike riding. Great shaded spots. DNR cruises the park daily which is nice to see.
ScoutWas a quick stop. Surprised when we pulled up it was only $19 a night for only electric & $28 for full hook ups. We came in the end of June & it is not too busy. Still plenty of parking. There is a community pool right beside the camp.
Guide
Ray is a great guy ! He let us come in for a weekend , and let us pick our site on arrival. We had full hook up, but the sewer connection was at the front of the site and was up hill kind of . Nice concrete Pads at the site with fire rings. Mostly seasonal sites and month to month workers in here but would definitely come back if there was an open site
Guide
Beautiful large sites along the river so you can fish as well as has a pond that you can swim in with three beach entry areas. Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites. Nice walking trails on the east and south side of the park. Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate. It appeared that some of the campsites were seasonal but couldn’t confirm that.
Ranger
This campground was really good. It was located right on the Root River Trail System which we liked for biking and running. It has an indoor/outdoor heated pool, a big barn with a restaurant and bar, and clean restroom and shower facilities. The sites weren't huge but they had full hook-ups. The campground is near Lanesboro which is a really cute little town. Beautiful part of Minnesota.
RangerWe went in looking for the non-electrical side of the park. Drove around and around until we finally realized that part was closed. (It was after hours so there was no one to ask.) We had no option but to take a RV site. We are self contained in a van. The next day we explained we didn't use the electricity. The water was frozen and unusable even if we did want that. No picnic table to use. Paid $44 for their "deluxe" site. There was nothing deluxe about it; the premium price in spite of it supposedly being a Good Sam place. We went here because it was on the Good Sam recommendation. No discounts given because, we were told, they are not "Good Sam." Confirmed they got the rating but then don't have to sign up to give the discounts. I blame Good Sam for allowing this. Might have been ok except that the staff the next day was not friendly or helpful at all. We requested the manager call us. It took her three days to call back and left a message, " I don't know why I'm calling" and hung up. And their WiFI was horribly slow.
TravelerNice RV park on a man made lake there are 2 levels, the upper being a bit more wooded with a few sites overlooking the lake the facilities were clean if not a bit DIY feeling. Nearby Riceville has a convenience store with fresh donuts.
Traveler
Great campground for our overnight, would be a wonderful extended stay as well. Friendly owners came right up when we pulled in, $35 a night, no cards but check or cash were fine. No Good Sam discount. Easy access off I-35. Guided right into the site, easy hookups. Water had a chlorine taste is the only drawback, but probably no worse than city water. Nice and quiet, many families around. Had a great overnight and a lazy morning before a 2 PM checkout. Would stay again when we're back this way.
TravelerNice rv park with flexible departure times for Mayo Clinic appointments. The only down fall in the park is they don't allow campfires at the sites. There is a community campfire that can be used. The restrooms and showers are licked on the weekends
ScoutAs far as RV parks go, this one is young and the lack of shade is only evidence of that. Sites are well planned out though, giving each camper plenty of space. Several buddy set ups, allowing two campers to set up with main doors facing each other. The lake is small, no wake lake - but great for using your SUP or kayaks.
Guide
Gravel parking spots, fairly level, most without shade unless you get on the "back loop" where you can find 4 with good shade. All manner of amenities (electric only, water & electric, and a few with full hookups). Bathrooms are clean and well stocked. 4 private showers available...clean. Weekends are typically busier than weekdays.
Legend
Mystery Cave State Park is surrounded in in a lush green forest with huge oak and maple trees that hang over the road like a huge living canopy. My new word while we stayed there was “Forresty” due to feeling like we had entered a different world. There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails. (Word to the wise, some of the trails are hiking/equestrian so watch your step😂) We didn’t do our homework, but if we would have known, we would have brought our fishing rods as the rivers were full of trout!!
We arrived at 2:00pm on Saturday, after a long 5 hour drive from northern Minnesota. It was amazing to watch the landscape change from iron ore mining pits to countless acres of corn and potatoes!! Check in time is 4:00pm, but our spot was empty when we arrived, so the park rangers let us set up early (Friendly and most helpful!!) We grabbed a bundle of wood for $6.00 for a campfire while we were at the park office. (that is pretty normal rates as you can’t bring in your own wood at State Parks in Minnesota) There are 3 different loops, an additional equestrian loop, and 5 cabins. We stayed in loop “C” with has bigger sites for RV’s and offers electricity. Loops “A” and “B” have smaller sites (still big!!) and both of those loops are non-electric. None of the sites are “full” hook up, but there is a dump station & fresh water fill right off the park office. The restrooms and showers are just off of the “C” loop, as was the amphitheater, and there are garbage/recycling bins every 4-5th site. The park was very noisy, but that all changed when most of the folks left Sunday. It was very peaceful the rest of the week.
There are so many things outside the park to do too!! We were not aware, but the Mystery Cave is a short drive from the state park. We took the scenic tour, and our guide Kip was fantastic!!! Hey let everyone ask all the questions they wanted to, and didn’t rush us at all!! The rate is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids 5-12, and kids under 5 go for free. The pictures just don’t do it justice!! The next day we drove to Masonic Park in Spring Valley and we were amazed by the sheer size of the rock face!! There is no charge to picnic or visit there and there is one spot for camping, but you need to get permission from the city before doing so. We also toured Niagra Cave which is a longer drive, but well worth it!! The underground waterfall was super cool!! They charge $16.00 per adult, kids 4-12 are $10.00, and children under 4 are free.
All in all this was a great get away for our family, and I highly recommend staying at the park:)
TravelerI’m probably a little biased. My parents started coming to this park to ride horses in the 70s. We spent at least 3wks every year here when I was a kid trail riding, hiking, even tubing down the Root River (there’s no commercial tubing available and you have to get up and walk through rocky shallow spots, so it isn’t ideal for this, but tell my 10yr old self that).
I stayed here recently in the “people campground.” I hiked 12mi in one day and had a great time. The campsite itself was great—privacy and no loud neighbors. I always make sure to stay in spots without electric if possible to escape the culture and noise that accompanies RV camping. Site #4 isn’t very level, but it backs up to the river and the access trail out of the campground. Forestville never disappoints me—I even randomly ran into my own uncle while hiking!
Guide
Really nice campground. Well maintained and level sites. Had a river to walk along and playground and animals for kids to enjoy. Staff were really nice and helpful. They had (free) loaner electric cords and water hoses for the sites that had a longer distance to go to the box/spigot. The state park was just down the road with great hiking.
Traveler
Overall great experience! Located on the Root River. Cliff View has very clean bath houses. Lots of sites to choose from. 50 amp service, sewer hook up and of course water. If your close enough to the office wifi available. Some sites are tight for large motor homes, 5th wheelers and tavel trailer. If your a bicyclist, campgrounds on great paved trail. They like their grass, no rugs or carpet on the grass. I take this as a positive. Dogs n cats are welcome. Lots of seasonal sites. Camping during the week is quite!
ScoutNice park with a bike path around the lake. A few nature trails, but nothing I would call hiking. Two vault toilets placed on the bike path. One modern bathroom with showers in the campground. A few cabins with air conditioning and one large one. Rest of the sites are on gravel and meant for RVs, but I've seen a few tents dotted in the grass next to them. Two ramps for boats and two spots for kayaks or canoes. Nice paddling and usually pretty easy going. One beach, but I've never seen anyone really swimming. Just mostly small kids splashing around.
Guide
Clean and well maintained campground about a quarter mile past owner’s farm buildings. Signs for registration are easy to follow, stop at the Office (garage) to check in. Cash or check only, no cards. Campground was very nice with mature trees. Bathroom and shower available. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Some sites suitable for hammock camping. If you need a level site for a rooftop tent be sure to ask, my site was easily switched after I did. Overall very nice experience.
Traveler
The RV sites have electricity, water, and sewer, and they are level– we were only staying one night and didn’t even need to unhook our pickup. There is also an RV dump behind the bathrooms. The sites are very close together, but there is room in the grass behind the sites to hang out. The campground is on the Root River bike trail which is beautiful, shaded, and paved. Note that depending on the site and how far you back in, the electric hookup may be a distance. We stayed on a Friday in July, and the RV sites were about half full.
Guide
Went here after the spring floods with the RV. Sites are decent size. They have a a shelter and small playground. There is a spigot to fill your tanks and electric hook ups. The river is off a smaller dam and has great fishing. Kids had a great time playing in the water, our site was about 20 ft from the waters edge.
Scout
Friendly owners. Level cement pads with hookups. Short walk to the lake and playgrounds. Bar and grill 1/4 mile away.
GuideSmall local park with grass camping spots. Most spots have water and electric hookups. Dump station with nonpotable water is easily accessible. Very shady camping right along the river. $12 per night. Worth the money. Not busy and no limit on stay duration.
Guide
We camped here to try a new place (we try to pick one new place each year). We were a little underwhelemed when we first pulled in but that changed pretty quick. There weren't many other spots occupied, those that were looked fairly permanent. We had the RV and used the electric hookup. We found that it was quite a peaceful campground when we went. There was a giant wood pile where you could grab wood for a donation in the box and a wheelbarrow was provided to use which was quite convenient. The trails and hiking was the best part though. We went for hours with our dogs and had so much fun. They were easy. Some right along the river, some grassy and along fields, others ran though the woods. There were shelters and restrooms (I did not check them out having the RV) some play equipment as well as a chapel area which was interesting. It turned out to be a nice little campground.
Travelergreat camp ground! nice and quiet! although, we checked in on Sunday! so that is likely not a normal review.
lots of trees and grass’s!
don’t speed (5 mph limit!) and they are serious !
water electric hook up small general store dump station even loaned us an extension cord!
Traveler
Excellent staff. One of the best kept campgrounds I've been to. Between the campground and the nearby towns, there is easily two weeks of activities to do. More depending on the time of year you go. They offer canoeing, kayaking, tubing, sand volleyball court, shower facilities, water and electrical hookups, cabins, picnic shelter, and firewood on site. Go to http://www.chimneyrocks.com for more information
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