Best Tent Camping near Emmetsburg, IA

Searching for a tent camping spot near Emmetsburg? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Emmetsburg with tent camping. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Emmetsburg, Iowa's most popular destinations.

Best Tent Sites Near Emmetsburg, Iowa (7)

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Recent Tent Reviews near Emmetsburg, Iowa

125 Reviews of 7 Emmetsburg Campgrounds


  • Roger A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Siems County Park
    Aug. 20, 2020

    Siems County Park

    Beautiful Park and campground

    I stumbled across this Park traveling through and looking for a place to spend the night. I drove in and saw the beautiful lake and the campground so I talked to the camp host, told him I just needed a primitive spots I didn't need electricity or water is it all good just grab a tent site, they are $6 a night and 30 amp electric with water is 15 tonight. And if you rent for 7 days you only pay for 6 and it's a beautiful quiet I'm sure there's fish in the lake you can swim in it's a wonderful place I'm so happy I stumbled across this Jewel

  • M
    Camper-submitted photo from Gull Point State Park Campground
    Jul. 9, 2019

    Gull Point State Park Campground

    Not a great spot for RVs

    This park is a CCC built park. Lots of twists and turns for an RV to get to their spot. We have a longer TT, and it was tight and nerve wracking to navigate. We had reserved a spot that was supposed to be long enough for our trailer, but was not. They were luckily not full but the spot we found was on a slope and uneven. I thought about driving 4 hours back home rather than continue to try to get the RV level. Someone across the way took pitty and helped us. I think the best RV spots are up the hill by the bath house.

    On Lake Okoboji but heavily wooded no view, acorns dropped on our roof every 10 minutes, I was afraid it would bust the skylight. Marshy area by the tent sites tons of mosquitoes. If you can get a spit at Emerson down the road, do that. Bath house and playground ok. No one answered the phone, no one at the ranger station. Rode our bikes down the road to get the bike trail.

  • B
    Camper-submitted photo from Iowa Lake Co Campground
    May. 30, 2022

    Iowa Lake Co Campground

    Grea for tents

    I found this to be a great little spot to stay bike touring through Iowa. It is right in a lake, has water, and a nice vault toilet. Unlike the other reviewer I was literally the only one there. That’s always a bit odd but in this case it didn’t bother me at all. I highly recommend for tents. RVs not so much.

  • T
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Defiance State Park Campground
    May. 30, 2021

    Fort Defiance State Park Campground

    A Hidden Gem in Iowa

    A hidden gem in Northwest Iowa. It is Memerial Day Weekend and on Friday night we had one other tent camper on Friday. None on Saturday. 

    The bathrooms are the old hole going down into a pit. They are very rustic. 

    There are plenty of trails in the park. The big creek that runs through the kiddos can play in. It is not deep but it’s water. There are some other small little creeks too.

    Around the camping area, the kids rode their bikes. We did ride around the roads as a family. 

    The camp site are dirt. 

    There are permanent fire rings and grills at each site. Only place to get firewood was at Hy-Vee. Our site had electricity with 50, 30,& 20 amps. 

    There is only one water spot in the campground. We drank the water and didn’t die. 

    There is a golf course next to the park that is fun. 

    My only real complaint would be there is a lot of people just driving through.

  • Abby F.
    Camper-submitted photo from Smith Lake County Park
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Smith Lake County Park

    Tent Hill

    This campground has RV sites along the edge with all the tents on a hill by the lake. Every time we go camping here we make a new friend, get some great camping recipes. There is a beach near the camping area and another one for the park. The tent area is nice and big for several tents, but could use a few more trees for shade.

  • Mick P.
    Camper-submitted photo from Marble Beach State Rec Area
    Jun. 4, 2018

    Marble Beach State Rec Area

    Great place to stay around the Okoboji area

    Campground Renovation: The campground will be closed from April 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019.

    Marble Beach`s campground is the largest in the Iowa Great Lakes Region. The campground is well shaded and features paved roads, boat ramps, modern restroom and shower facilities, as well as a sanitary dump station. The campground includes non-electric sites and sites with electrical hookups.

    Spirit Lake is the largest natural lake in Iowa and provides some of the best fishing in the state. Anglers will find challenging sport pursuing a variety of game fish including walleye, northern pike, muskellunges, largemouth and smallmouth bass, white bass, perch, bluegills, crappies, catfish, and bullheads.

  • Wally B.
    Camper-submitted photo from Bright Lake Co Park
    Aug. 16, 2020

    Bright Lake Co Park

    Awesome Sunset!

    Really nice spot almost overlooking the lake (Through the trees), had fire ring, picnic tables and room for quite a lot of tents! For me and my family it was perfect!

  • Dan C.
    Camper-submitted photo from Marble Beach State Rec Area
    Sep. 4, 2022

    Marble Beach State Rec Area

    Good, but not great

    Camp sites for tents are super tiny and irregular shaped. Lots of sloping on sites. Generally tight quarters to other campers and plenty of road noise until about 10 PM. A few good options for fishing, boating and hiking near by.

  • Mary J.
    Camper-submitted photo from Kennedy County Park
    Jun. 19, 2019

    Kennedy County Park

    Beautiful campground

    I can't say enough about Kennedy Memorial County park in Fort Dodge Iowa. Its beautiful well taken care of has a nice playground and access to a beautiful golf course! And FREE WIFI! All for $18.00 a night.

  • Pam H.
    Camper-submitted photo from Grotto Campground
    Sep. 5, 2023

    Grotto Campground

    Nice quiet camping

    Stopped for the night , so I could see the Grotto in the morning. Very clean restrooms/showers. Only one other camper here. Shaded spots, great Wi-Fi, good cell service. Next to train tracks but only one train came by and it wasn’t loud. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area. You pay at the gift shop across the street. $20 for RV and $10 for tent.

  • Jim W.
    Camper-submitted photo from Blue Earth City Campground
    Jun. 22, 2021

    Blue Earth City Campground

    Just off the interstate, great place to stop for the night.

    Sites can accommodate tents or up to 50' RVs. Lots of grass, bike/walking paths and dogs on leashes welcome. 14 Sites now, with plans for 10+ Sites built this summer. On site host, so typically quiet and friendly. One price, $25/night.

  • cThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Everett Park
    May. 29, 2024

    Everett Park

    Beautiful, peaceful, not too far out of the way.

    It was serene and beautiful. The sunset over the water was absolutely amazing. Breathtaking scenery. There is a shower and toilets. And it costs $20 for a tent sight, $25 for a power hookup sight. We'll worth the stop, I almost didn't want to leave. I would stay here again!

  • Adrian D.
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Defiance State Park Campground
    Apr. 5, 2020

    Fort Defiance State Park Campground

    Great Hikes

    Fort Defiance is a forresty natural state park in Iowa. There is Electrical Hook ups a picnic Table and a charcoal Grill already at the camp site. The valley has a small river or a big creek, idk you tell me the difference, what you can cross over a few times on the trails. Depending on the time of day, generally in the morning you can cruise through at day break and find deer on the roads to watch out!

  • Opus 15 !.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Emerson Bay State Recreation Area — Emmerson Bay State Recreation Area
    Jun. 28, 2022

    Emerson Bay State Recreation Area — Emmerson Bay State Recreation Area

    Nice State Park Campground

    Nice state park campground in West Okoboji Iowa. Close enough to the action of Lake Okoboji yet has a fairly remote feel. After doing some looking around the area, I believe that this is probably the nicest campground in the area. Sites are fairly close but not super tight. This is a good place to stay for a few days if you want to explore all that Okoboji has to offer. It was full the entire time that we were here and it does fill up quickly so book your trip well in advance.

  • P
    Camper-submitted photo from Thorpe Park
    Oct. 22, 2020

    Thorpe Park

    Really neat little park

    Gorgeous little park right on a series of small lakes. Camping is in grassy and forested area. You dive on grass and park next to a table and power outlet. Many of these spots are not level and seem better suited to tents than larger RVs but some spots could work for vans, class C or small class A RVs. I also saw one cabin for rent. This is all near the water and has bathrooms and a water faucet. I also noticed pretty good AT&T cell coverage here. This area has historically been bad for cell coverage so maybe that is improving.

  • Veronica S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Silver Lake City Park
    Mar. 18, 2022

    Silver Lake City Park

    It's a city park

    Ratings are really subjective. What are you after? 

    ~A secluded spot in nature? 0 stars. 

    ~A small campground inside a small town with flushing toilets and showers (albeit not new, super clean, or extremely nice), a lake with docks and boat ramp, large playground (with the cool old structures AND new ones), a baseball diamond, football field, city pool, creek with fish, and a tennis/basketball court? 5 stars. Yes, ALL of those things are right next to the campground.

    I grew up in Lake Park, and I've stayed in this campground as an adult with kids (simply to visit family, certainly not to "get away" and enjoy nature). Lake Park is a small, rural town, and the current local passtime appears to be driving around town in ATVs and side-by-sides. It is noisy and extremely annoying. Every single person that drives by will stare at you; welcome to a small town.

    There are a couple tent spots (one of which we utilized) that have some shade, a picnic table, and a fire ring. There's also a small RV area where people live in their RV's (complete with decks) for the summer. 

    If you stay here, perhaps to visit the lakes area without the crowds or at a lower cost, perhaps to fish in Silver Lake, or... well I don't know why else you would stay here... you should definitely try the breakfast or taco pizza at Stans Corner -- the local gas station/convenience store. You could also walk to the 2-block downtown on Market Street and try out one of a couple restaurants or a few bars. If you want to swim in the lake (I really don't think it's good for swimming anymore, but if you want to try your luck) you can go to the boat ramp by the bridge by the city park, the dock at the end of Trappers Bay, or to the public access area (dock and boat ramp) on the west side of the lake, accessed via 110th Ave (go west on Hwy 9, and turn left onto 110th st., it's a mile or two in on the right side of the road.

    Regardless of the passtimes of driving around and staring, the people of Lake Park are generally very friendly, so you should definitely walk around and meet some people.

  • Adrian D.
    Camper-submitted photo from Kearny Park
    Apr. 5, 2020

    Kearny Park

    This Place Was Fun!

    Fishing from the Island is awesome here! Even if your catching nothing theres a great view!

  • Deborah
    Camper-submitted photo from memoirs park
    Aug. 3, 2021

    memoirs park

    Beautiful

    Don't know yet. I'll find out tomorrow but it was beautiful clean I think I'll love it peaceful

  • D
    Camper-submitted photo from memoirs park
    Aug. 16, 2020

    memoirs park

    Awesome campground

    New paved roads, boat landing to river and frisbee golf connected. No water hook ups at each site. Has one in central location so luckily I had just enough hose to fill up the camper. Close to state park with trails and bison so had a great weekend!

  • A
    Camper-submitted photo from memoirs park
    Jul. 7, 2020

    memoirs park

    Beautiful grounds

    The grounds are beautiful. We went on a weekday so we were the only ones around. We had site C14. Bathrooms were decent. Playground is kind of small and old. However we had a great time and will probably be back next year when sibley farm is open again. The electric hook ups are really far from the pad so bring an extension. Frisbee golf course within walking distance. Bugs were bad I guess, maybe a tad worse than elsewhere we have camped but not bad enough to keep us from sitting outside in the evening.

  • Anna M.
    Camper-submitted photo from memoirs park
    Aug. 19, 2018

    memoirs park

    Beautiful Family Friendly Campground

    We have very much enjoyed our weekends at the Land of Memories Campground. This is a very spacious, clean campground. We camp with children and this has been a very family friendly campground. It has a playground & trails to walk along the Minnesota River. It is a beautiful area. Bathrooms are clean and comfortable.

  • Jen A.
    Camper-submitted photo from memoirs park
    Aug. 28, 2019

    memoirs park

    Great Campground

    This is a great campground in Mankato, MN.  The sites are huge and offer water and electric.  The shower house/bathrooms were decent - a little outdated, but not too bad.  There was also a portable toilet near our site.  We wish there was sewer, but we understand that being so close to the river this may not be possible.  We will definitely stay here again if we are in the area.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from memoirs park
    Apr. 8, 2020

    memoirs park

    Depends

    Right time of year it is nice. Along the river are nice sites but mosquitos can be a problem. Park is subject to flooding and can be closed. Sometimes a long time. Wide open grass center of Park is wide open for frisbee kids and and such, nice. Restrooms and showers nice. Watch kids by river sites! Watch for music concerts. Lots of music get together in park, Mankato and N. Mankato outside. Lots of bars with excellent music and dining inside. This area loves music, blues, rock and country. I not trying to be negative on park as right conditions can be 4 1/2.

  • Kaylyn S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Siems County Park
    Aug. 30, 2020

    Siems County Park

    Beautiful camp ground

    It’s only 12 dollar to camp a night for electricity. They have two different areas for camping. There is a few pond to kayak and fish also there’s a beach area to swim. Not sure how many spot but there are quite a few. No WiFi but cell service is ok.


Guide to Emmetsburg

Tent camping near Emmetsburg, Iowa, offers a variety of scenic spots and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a lively atmosphere, there are several options to explore.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Enjoy hiking and exploring the trails at Ambrose A. Call State Park Campground, which features a small campground and an enclosed stone shelter for gatherings.
  • Experience the tranquility of Iowa Lake Co Campground, perfect for bike touring and surrounded by beautiful lake views.
  • For a more rustic experience, visit Devine Wildlife Area, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the distractions of modern amenities.

Amenities that enhance your camping experience

  • At Bright Lake Co Park, you can enjoy fires, picnic tables, and ample space for tents, making it a great spot for family gatherings.
  • Cenla Campgrounds offers electric hookups and water access, catering to those who prefer a bit more comfort while camping.
  • For a simple yet enjoyable stay, Dog Creek Co Park provides basic amenities like toilets, ensuring a comfortable experience for tent campers.

Tent campers should check out local features

  • The Oneota Little Sioux Access is a no-frills spot that offers a true back-to-nature experience with essential facilities like toilets.
  • Iowa Lake Co Campground is well-reviewed for its peaceful setting and proximity to water, ideal for fishing and relaxing by the lake.
  • If you're looking for a lively atmosphere, Iowa Lake Co Campground can get busy with fellow campers, making it a fun place to meet new people.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Emmetsburg, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Emmetsburg, IA is Ambrose A. Call State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

  • What is the best site to find tent camping near Emmetsburg, IA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Emmetsburg, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.