Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Fairfield, IA

Should you be traveling east-west on one of the country’s busiest thoroughfares – Route 80 – and find yourself in central Iowa and looking either for a place to pull over for a day or for much longer than that, then you may very well want to consider Beyonder Getaway at Sleep Hollow. Given its proximity to a busy interstate highway, this campground scores high on the convenience factor, but it is just far enough away where you will feel as though you have escaped the busy hustle and drive-by buzz of non-stop traffic. 

This campground oasis planted square in the middle of the 'prairieland' of the Hawkeye State, you’ll appreciate that there is a decent-sized lake here that is perfect for a quick dip should you want to get some swimming in and cool down from the blistering Midwestern summer heat or perhaps you’d like to put a kayak or canoe in to get some decent oar exercising in or cast a line to try your luck and some mild ‘catch& release’ fun – whatever the reason … up to and including no reason at all … the mini lake that is front and center here at Beyonder is both a good distraction as well as makes for a great landscape. 

As for the campground itself, there’s RV sites offering up pull-thru and back-in sites complete with full hook-up water, 30+ 50 amp electric and sewage lines. If you’re a primitive camper like me, there’s a handful of sites (7 by my count) that include picnic tables, fire pits and scattered stand-up BBQ grills. And if you don’t have either a tent or an RV, no worries, Sleepy Hollow will easily rent you one of their 3 cozy cabins which are located up front and close to the fishing pond, where these structures come with running hot and cold water along with electricity. 

With amenities in mind, Beyonder packs a punch with offering the following: horseshoes, kid’s playground, dog run/ puppy park, designated dumpsters, fairly decent WiFi, community firepits, general market store, laundr-O-mat, shower facility, pavilion, game room, ball pit, volleyball and basketball courts, man-made beachhead with swim area and windmills. Oh, and there’s a lagoon with hundreds of ducks, but depending upon how you look at this, it may or many not be considered an amenity. My kids loved it and we had a lot of fun feeding our feathered friends. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) When you get tired of digging through your Cordova roto-molded cooler or onboard mini-fridge, then head on over to nearby Renee’s Roadhouse where this roadside stand serves up standard-fare Americana fare like burgers, sandwiches and wraps; (2) For anything more substantial, you’ll have to take a longer drive east to Iowa City of which I recommend Foundry Food+ Tap, Back Berner Bar& Grill or Casa Tequila Tiffin; (3) Should you be looking to explore a nice slice of nature while here at Beyonder’s then head due northeast to Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area where there’s plenty of trails, shooting ranges and some fairly decent bird watching; (4) If you’d like to embrace the Amish vibe that exists here in rural Iowa, then head due north to Amana Colonies where you’ll come across what looks like German colonies that have been expelled from the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) where this displaced utopian outcrop will sell you anything from blankets and cabinetry all while offering you some nice wienerschnitzel and apfelpflanzen. Auf wiedersehen! 

Happy Camping!

If you’re looking for a family-friendly place to pull over for a decent escape to nature, then you may very well want to consider Sleepy Hollow, which is just a few minutes north of I80. Given its proximity to the busy interstate highway, this campground scores high on the convenience factor being EZ on- and off-, but it is just far enough away where you will feel as though you have escaped both the non-stop whir of incessant highway traffic and the unsightly view of a heavily trafficked main roadway. Add on top of this that you’ll find this location is perfectly suitable to the RV crowd as much as it is the tent-pitching bredren that belong to my tribe of outdoor enthusiasts.

Here at this campground you’ll find RV and 5th Wheel sites offering both pull-thru and back-in sites complete with full hook-ups (water, 30 / 50 amp electric and sewage). There’s 7 tent sites that are very well shaded, have a decent patch of land and include picnic tables, fire pits and scattered stand-up BBQ grills. Whether you have a tent, an RV or not, this campground has a small handful of cozy cabins available to rent that come with running hot & cold water as well as electricity and are located close to the fishing pond. What I enjoyed most with the primitive camping area was the serenity offered by the abundance of new growth Oaks that shaded the place, along with unfettered views of the lake itself. Priceless.

Sleepy Hollow offers a number of amenities including: ‘catch& release’ pond (both swimming and fishing potential), ball pit, kid’s playground, puppy park, designated dumpsters, fairly decent WiFi, community firepits, general market store, laundr-O-mat, shower facility, pavilion, horseshoes, game room, volleyball and basketball courts, artificial beachhead with swim area and windmills. There’s a lagoon with hundreds of ducks, but depending upon how you look at this, it may or may not be considered an amenity, but if you have kids like I do, it’s a great distraction that offers up a lot of duck-feeding fun.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re looking for a decent bit of hiking, there’s a nice slice of nature near here at Sleepy Hollow a bit NE called Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area where there’s plenty of trails, shooting ranges and some fairly decent bird watching; (2) When you get tired trying to conjure up that next meal from your cooler or on-board fridge, then head over to nearby Renee’s Roadhouse where this roadside stand serves up standard Americana fare like burgers, sandwiches and wraps. For anything more substantial, you’ll have to take a longer drive east to Iowa City of which I recommend Steak & Shake, Back Berner Bar & Grill or Barrel House; (3) If you’d like to embrace the Amish vibe that exists here in rural Iowa, then head due north to Amana Colonies where you’ll come across hand-made blankets and artisan-crafted cabinetry all while offering you some very warm Midwestern hospitality.

Happy Camping!

Lacey-Keosaqua State Park is a gem located in Southeast Iowa in Van Buren County. It is off the beaten path but it is one of oldest Iowa State Parks. The Park and campground are well maintained and clean. We visited over Labor Day weekend and the park was only two-thirds full. It was a variety of Tent campers and RV's. The camp sites are spaced really well so you don't feel like you are on top of one another. They have electric and non-electric sites and the shower is very clean. There are almost 80 sites in the campground.

Don't miss the hiking trails and the Beach House and swimming lake. Don't miss lake Sugema, the Indian Mounds or the Ely Ford Mormon Trail crossing.

Conservation Areas in Missouri are enjoyable if you're looking for lovely scenery, and can get by with few or no amenities. Unless you're a hunter, I'd avoid camping there during the November deer season or spring or fall turkey seasons. Otherwise summer camping is fine. Indian Hills Conservation Area is no exception: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/indian-hills-ca It is located in Scotland County in northeast Missouri and consists of rolling hills along the two branches of the Fabius River. Camping is allowed in the parking areas and the grassy areas next to the parking areas. A map of the 3,974 acre conservation area showing the parking/camping sites is found here (If you can't access this link, there is also a link to the map on the main page above): https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/conservation-areas/8622map.pdf

The only amenities, are two unisex toilets. The CA is on the west side of Missouri State Highway 15. This highway starts in Mexico, MO and runs northbound through the county seats of Paris, Shelbyville, Edina and lastly Memphis, MO, in Scotland County. As you leave Edina, in Knox County, northbound, you'll pass through Baring and then Greensburg. About a half mile north of Greensburg you'll enter into Scotland County and the CA will be on your left (west). Missouri blacktop T, an east/west highway, is on the north side of the CA. There is a gravel road that runs west on the county line that is just south of the CA. Missouri blacktop C is an east/west highway about a half mile south of the CA area (which ends in Greensburg). There are 4 north/south roads that access the CA. The east border is Missouri Highway 15. The next road to the west is Seven Oaks. It connects on the north to Highway T and on the south end it turns to the east at the county line and connects to Highway 15. The next road is Indian Creek Road and connects on the north to Highway T. It goes through the northwest part of the CA and loops back to Highway T. There is a Tee intersection with Otter Creek Road that runs to the east and then turn back south to end just short of the Fabius River. The westernmost road is Old Trail Road which runs along part of the west side of the CA. The map shows that the road turns east and becomes Ivy Road. Actually it is a Tee intersection and is easy to miss. Old Trail Road continues to the south. At this intersection there is a farmstead and at first glance one would think that Ivy Road is a drive. It is not. Ivy Road continues to the south leaving the CA. At the county line there is a Tee intersection. You can turn left or right. If you turn left, the road will shortly turn to the right (south) and the road becomes Knox County Autumn Rd. If you turn right you'll shortly come to another Tee intersection. Turn left and the road becomes Ash Rd. Both Autumn and Ash will connect to Blacktop C at the south end. Turn Left on C and you'll find yourself back in Greensburg. Turn right and C will intersect with Missouri Highway 11. In Scotland County, the gravel roads that intersect with Highway T don't have the names as shown in the map, but have street numbers. Seven Oaks is easy to miss, but it's almost exactly 1 mile west of the intersection of Highway T and Missouri 15. Indian Creek Road is well marked as an entrance to the CA. Old Trail Road is in the community of Bible Grove. I've included a picture of the old school in Bible Grove located a couple hundred yards to the south of Highway T. I've also included pictures of all the gravel road intersections on Highway T.

My favorite camping spot is the one at the far west edge of the CA. It has a well maintained unisex bathroom and a lovely view. Next there is a parking area on Otter Creek Road where it turns from east/west to north/south. There is a walking trail that connects this road to Seven Oaks at this location. Next there is a parking area at the midpoint on Seven Oaks I like, and finally there is the parking area on Highway 15. The good thing about this area is that it is easy to get to, being right on 15, and has a bathroom. The other parking areas are fine, but there are no bathrooms and the views are not that great. I've included pictures of 4 of my favorite parking areas, as well as the turnoffs from Highway T.