Best Cabin Camping near Exira, IA

Several cabin options exist near Exira, Iowa, with sites located primarily in state and county parks. Prairie Rose State Park Campground features cabins with electric hookups for heating and cooling options. The cabins provide access to shared toilet and shower facilities, with most sites featuring fire pits and picnic tables for outdoor meals. "The park is somewhat small but laid out nicely. I paid extra for an electric site to be close to the lake," noted one camper. Springbrook State Park and Middle River Point also offer cabin accommodations with varying levels of amenities, all situated near lakes or rivers for recreational activities.

Rustic cabins predominate throughout the region, with more deluxe options available at locations like Des Moines West KOA Holiday. Reservations are recommended, especially during peak summer months from May through September. Most cabins permit pets, though specific policies vary by location. According to a visitor, "This is a beautiful spot. Was an absolute blast staying at this place." Many campgrounds close during winter, though some like Springbrook State Park maintain year-round operations with limited services.

Most cabins require guests to bring bedding, towels, and cooking supplies. Basic kitchenette facilities exist in some locations, particularly at KOA Holiday cabins, while others provide only outdoor cooking options at fire rings. Firewood is available for purchase at most locations including Prairie Rose and Arrowhead Park. Water access points are distributed throughout campgrounds, but may not be directly connected to cabins. Cell reception varies significantly, with some locations like Springbrook State Park offering no service, which one camper noted "forces us to unplug" during their stay.

Best Cabin Sites Near Exira, Iowa (21)

    1. Prairie Rose State Park Campground

    17 Reviews
    Harlan, IA
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (712) 773-2701

    $15 - $50 / night

    "Reserved electric unit 090 for the weekend, which had a scenic corn field for a backdrop - this is Iowa!"

    "This park surrounds the whole lake and you can explore everything thing by trail or water. Lots of fishing and swimming, we went looking for wildflowers along the lake trails."

    2. Springbrook State Park Campground

    9 Reviews
    Guthrie Center, IA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 747-3591

    $12 - $200 / night

    "Pros:

    -Not a far drive from Des Moines, but still quite remote

    -Lots of nice hiking trails

    -Easy access to large, mostly clean modern bathrooms

    -The lake is a peaceful spot to spend the early mornings"

    "You’ll love this little park if you want to really disconnect and get away from things as there was absolutely 0 cell reception where we were at."

    3. Middle River Point

    2 Reviews
    Stuart, IA
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 231-8904

    $15 - $32 / night

    "Only downside was there were no bathrooms."

    4. Arrowhead Park Campground

    20 Reviews
    Honey Creek, IA
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (712) 485-2295

    "Our family and another family shared a primitive tent site near the back of the park. We were first and foremost impressed with the freedom we had in choosing our site."

    "Sites were gravel, with a picnic table, fire ring, and electrical hookup.  Our site was well shaded with trees."

    5. Des Moines West KOA Holiday

    23 Reviews
    Earlham, IA
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 834-2729

    "Not much privacy between sites nor shade. Bathhouses were clean and private. Laundry available. Off leash dog area available."

    "We stayed one night in a basic cabin. AC was on upon arrival- check in/out was quick and easy !Bathrooms were immaculate!"

    6. Lake Icaria Co Park

    9 Reviews
    Corning, IA
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 322-4793

    "Easy to get into, plenty of space, fire pit, picnic table, friendly & helpful park officers, lots of activities (hiking, boating, boat rentals, beach, bait shop, close to a race track in Corning, etc"

    "I will first off stay I have not been to a lot of Iowa parks. But I will say the ones I have been to, that this is the nicest or one of them."

    7. Swan Lake State Park Campground

    3 Reviews
    Carroll, IA
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (712) 792-4614

    "I was only tent camper in the electric only sites.  If there was a tent only location, I didn't see it.  Those in campers that need water and electricity are regulated to gravel 'parking lot' sites."

    "We stayed one night, beautiful park! Great trail all the way around the lake, we took a bike ride around it was about 3 ish miles. Camp host was a gem. Bathrooms were very clean!"

    8. Green Valley State Park Campground

    9 Reviews
    Creston, IA
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 782-5131

    $15 - $92 / night

    "We didn't have a reservation but was able to get one of the last tent sites available. Nice spot, fire pits have nice swinging grates on them. There was a picnic table at our spot as well."

    "Very nice place, close to the lake. Beach at walking distance through the trail. Fishing area, two kid playgrounds and at around 15 minutes to any grocery stores and gas stations."

    9. Viking Lake State Park Campground

    10 Reviews
    Stanton, IA
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (712) 829-2235

    $15 - $46 / night

    "Great campground with restaurant, beach and boat rentals."

    "Has a water park you can rent golf carts and cabins lots todo very family friendly"

    10. Winterset City Park

    12 Reviews
    Winterset, IA
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 462-3258

    $15 - $22 / night

    "The Shower/restrooms were clean and stocked.  Firewood is available for 8$ a bundle.  Sites are gravel base and  fairly level.  The city park has a edge maze that is unique. "

    "We will definitely return, we loved this park. The bridges of Madisin County, Clarke Tower, cute local ice cream shop, John Wayne Museum! So much fun in a cute Iowa community!"

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Cabin Reviews near Exira, IA

140 Reviews of 21 Exira Campgrounds


  • Amy G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 2, 2018

    Sportsman Park

    Beautiful solitude with well manicured campsites

    This was one of the nicest county campgrounds I've ever seen. We've been to a lot of them, but this one stands out. Not to mention that the price was unbeatable! So much more reasonable than at home. Set off the road a bit in a tiny little town in Iowa, it's along a river and very close to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, an 89 mile loop trail (paved) that goes through several towns and counties. It costs $2/person/day if you are 18 or older, or a year pass is $10. There is also a lodge that you can rent.

    We rented a cabin for $50, because it was only about $10 more expensive than what we were planning on spending for a campsite in Minnesota. Normally, we stay in tents, so we were very pleased to find the options that this campground had to offer at such reasonable cost! If you wanted a tent site without electric, it was only $8. Electric sites were only $12. And the sites were incredibly well groomed. They were clean (I didn't see any trash). And they were tucked into the woods. A caretaker lives on site, and although we rarely saw him, it was obvious that he cared about his job. The bathrooms were clean and cared for too!

    We were in a cabin and they were simple, but suited our needs. They had two wooden cabin-style buildings with little front porches (not screened in, but room under the overhang for chairs). Inside, you had two bunk beds, and the bottom bunk of one was a pull out futon, so you really had room to sleep 5 people. (Must mention: The futon in our cabin was horribly uncomfortable. I would have given 4 stars to the review because of it, but the futon alone shouldn't take away from the rest of the campground, which was immaculate). There was also a bathroom with an ADA shower, toilet, mirror and sink. In the room, there was a mini fridge, coffee maker, microwave, little sink and it even had air conditioning! Tucked in the corner was a folding table and chairs. A few hooks scattered around the walls completed the room. The A/C in ours wasn't at full working capacity, but it did chill the room down enough to be very comfortable. And it was very hot outside! We also had a little fire ring and picnic table, just outside the door.

    The campground could accommodate plenty of tents and campers alike. Some electric, some not. All with very nice grassy pads for tents, all with picnic tables and fire rings. Grass was well clipped and there were plenty of parking spaces. It was very quiet when we were there, but I assume it gets busy on the weekends. The shower/bath house had separate bathrooms (both unisex) and both with toilet, mirror, sink and shower). Both were very clean for a camp bathroom. A little campground for those wishing to camp together was at the back of the park. It, too, had bathrooms. But they were locked, so I couldn't peek inside.

    Bottom line, it was well worth our $50 for the cabin (you can't even get a hotel room for that price any more). I'd love to go back and tent in the quiet of a weekday eve when the crickets are chirping and I can feel the breeze through the tent!

    Please note - there are no trash cans at the campground if you are in tents or RV's (the cabins have them inside). It is a carry in/carry out campground

    There are LOTS of water pumps all over the campground. Yay for water!!

  • Sarah H.
    Aug. 7, 2016

    Arrowhead Park Campground

    Easy Family Camping Near Omaha

    Our family and another family shared a primitive tent site near the back of the park. We were first and foremost impressed with the freedom we had in choosing our site. Tent camping here is non-reservable, but once you enter the park, you may choose from any spots containing a fire pit outside of RV loops. Tent sites range from lake-front, to playground side, to more private sites on the outer rim of the park. We chose a large, private site at the back of the park. This site was well maintained and had enough space to easily accommodate two families of four. We even had a picnic shelter all to ourselves. Our site was lined by woods and farmland and had a good view of a small pond. The night was full of exciting animal noises from both the nearby farm and pond. Vault toilets were a short walk away with clean shower facilities just a few loops away. The kids enjoyed riding bikes up and down gravel roads, looking for frogs, and playing on the playground. Canoe and paddle boat rental is extremely reasonable. Hiking trails near the park entrance are rugged. The staff was incredibly kind and easy-going, yet attentive. Just a short drive from neighboring towns, this is a good starter campground for families with younger kids. We hope to return in winter to check out the camping cabins.

  • Mike S.
    Jun. 3, 2019

    Lake Icaria Co Park

    Great place that wasn’t crowded

    Very nice place. Full hook up spots were very nice. Easy to get into, plenty of space, fire pit, picnic table, friendly & helpful park officers, lots of activities (hiking, boating, boat rentals, beach, bait shop, close to a race track in Corning, etc). We went the weekend after Memorial Day & there were plenty of spots. Quiet & family friendly. Even have food trucks that serve over by the beach!

  • Kandace F.
    Aug. 30, 2021

    Springbrook State Park Campground

    Small town camping

    Electric sites, no reservations required I don't think. Nice bathrooms, 3 showers for the women's room with a family size shower. Nice playground, volleyball net, basketball court. Picnic tables and fire rings. No cell service down at the campground. You could call that a pro or a con! Really nice campground employees.

  • E
    Aug. 22, 2020

    Arrowhead Park Campground

    Quiet Campground

    Overall nice, quiet campground.  We reserved a site via the website, and were given our pick of sites once we arrived.  Sites were gravel, with a picnic table, fire ring, and electrical hookup.  Our site was well shaded with trees.

  • N K.
    Oct. 11, 2020

    Prairie Rose State Park Campground

    Peace & quiet

    Reserved electric unit 090 for the weekend, which had a scenic corn field for a backdrop - this is Iowa! Paved roads, level gravel sites, wide & mowed trails, clean pit toilets and a layout that isn’t too cramped. The pond has multiple shoreline fishing spots with picnic tables and a cleaning station. Basic playground in front of the beach which is a short drive or a ~1 mile trail walk away.

  • Jim H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 8, 2018

    Green Valley State Park Campground

    Nice, clean campground

    Campsite was pretty packed on a Saturday night in late September. We didn't have a reservation but was able to get one of the last tent sites available. Nice spot, fire pits have nice swinging grates on them. There was a picnic table at our spot as well. Great view of the lake from here. We were in Campsite 092. Only drawback is that there must be a cow farm somewhere to the south as you will hear cows mooing all night at this campground.

  • Robert B.
    Jun. 20, 2021

    Arrowhead Park Campground

    Great nature, fishing, and camping park.

    Arrowhead campground has 60 RV sites that support both 30 and 50 amp hookups. They have several well water stations to take on water and a sewer dump station. There also lots of tent camping sites. All sites come with picnic table and fire ring. There are numerous nature trails to hike ranging from easy to hard. There is also a nice sized lake for fishing, canoeing, and paddle boats. The lake has a boat ram for small fishing boats. Very well maintained, managed, and friendly atmosphere.

  • J
    Aug. 28, 2020

    Arrowhead Park Campground

    Peaceful Serenity

    I arrived just in time to see the beautiful sunset over the small lake near the primitive campground closest to the Park Office. It only cost $10 for tent camping and $3 for a vehicle pass. Campground and vault toilets were pretty clean. There is a fire ring and picnic table at each tent campsite and there are plenty to choose from near the water. You can bring your own kayak or canoe and even fish here. We had a nice encounter from the campground employee who explained how to put the stake out to claim our campsite. Right away, I saw abundant wildlife, including turkey, deer, black squirrels, woodpeckers, geese, ducks and bats. Come prepared for the mosquitoes but overall I would highly recommend this place!


Guide to Exira

Cabin camping near Exira, Iowa, offers a delightful escape into nature, with various options that cater to different preferences and budgets.

Some prices for cabin camping range from $8 to $50

  • Enjoy a cozy stay at Sportsman Park, where tent sites are just $8 and electric sites are $12, making it an affordable choice for families.
  • For a more rustic experience, Timber Ridge Campground provides cabin options starting at $50, perfect for those seeking comfort in the woods.
  • At Lake Icaria Co Park, you can find a variety of cabin accommodations, ensuring a memorable stay without breaking the bank.

Cabin campers like these nearby activities

Cabins are available at Prairie Rose State Park Campground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Exira, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Exira, IA is Prairie Rose State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 17 reviews.

What is the best site to find cabin camping near Exira, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 21 cabin camping locations near Exira, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.