Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Forest City, IA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Forest City campgrounds just for you. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$10 - $18 / night
"Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."
"Pilot knob state park is a great place for a week long stay or just a few hours!
The camp ground is on the smaller side but it’s clean and there is a play ground!"
"This is a rustic state park with limited amenities. There are no water or electric hook ups. However clean water is available in the park. The park does have flush toilets and showers."
"Facilities are top notch and private. The nicest showed and restroom you can imagine. Large tent pads and a quiet area. Not busy when we went. There is a small hiking trail as well."
"You have a choice between a grassy walk or walking mainly on tar and gravel as part of the Blazing Star Trail. They are also accessible by boat."
"Incredible views of the lake and sunset. A beautiful new restroom & shower facility. Water for filling tanks wasn’t available on the island but you could fill up at the adjacent campground."
"They did have a $1 Sunday when we got there which was fun Ice Cream and topping for $1. Then that night they had movies which was nice. A great pool and play area for the kids."
"It’s pretty close to the interstate, so just be aware you’ll hear that noise, it might be better once the trees have leaves on them. Would stay again!"
"Check in was quick, spots were easy to pull into, the bathrooms were really clean, and it was surprisingly quiet despite the proximity to the highway. "
"The showers are one temperature but it’s comfortable and the water pressure is awesome. The dressing room is big enough to actually dress in and your stuff can remain dry."
"Very quiet and clean, goid WiFi. Gary was very helpful. This campground is just beautiful. There is a lake you can fish,swim,rent kayaks and canoe. Laundry and showers."
"Set along the shores of Lake Imogene, which comes out of nowhere surrounded by farm land, and you can’t even see it from the road."
"New Shower house/bathrooms. Natural themed kids play area including a huge tree house. City water and sewer with 50 and 30 amp to each site. Man made swimming pond with a lighted waterfall."
"Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites."
"This is a lovely and expanding park. Spacious, level pull through sites with full hookups. Decent Verizon coverage. Shower houses could use updates."
"We spent several nights camping at South Joe Sheldon County Park. Beautiful pull through campsites some full hook ups others with electronic and water. I’ve included some pictures."
Scout40 site Totally renovated 2 years ago nestled along the little Cedar river above the dam. New Shower house/bathrooms. Natural themed kids play area including a huge tree house. City water and sewer with 50 and 30 amp to each site. Man made swimming pond with a lighted waterfall. Volleyball and walking trails with primitive camping across the road. Cabin with air conditioning and fully furnished further up the river on 200 acres of county land. Fishing above and below the dam. Picnic table and fire ring at every site.
GuideThis is a rustic state park with limited amenities. There are no water or electric hook ups. However clean water is available in the park. The park does have flush toilets and showers. We found these to be in good condition and clean. The showers had warm water. The water stream is on a timer and so are the lights. The shower stalls are Individual stalls. The interior roads are dirt roads with a few potholes they are very narrow. The camping sites are nice sized and relatively private. There is a gravel pad on each site and some have a tent pad. Each site had a picnic table and a fire ring. There are plenty of walking and biking trails and there are walk-in tent camp sites. However, you cannot see the lake from the campground and there is no access to the lake from the campground. We were able to drive through the campground with our 40 foot fifth wheel. But just barely, be careful! 
TravelerLocated by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park. Plenty of hiking trails, playground for the kids, and an amazing sand bottom swimming pond surrounded by sand beach. Golf is also nearby at The New Ulm Country Club which is open to the public. Nice level sites with electric, picnic tables and fire rings.
TravelerSites are approximately 2 miles from parking and the hike it relatively easy with minimal elevation change. You have a choice between a grassy walk or walking mainly on tar and gravel as part of the Blazing Star Trail. They are also accessible by boat.
There are 4 backpacking sites and they are well-spaced so you each have privacy. #3 and #4 are close enough that you could be in a group together but #1 and #2 are pretty isolated. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, wood cabinet/fish cleaning table, at least 1 flat spot for a tent, and a nearby porta potty.
Views of the lake are amazing with a variety of birds making appearances. Harvesting season may bring some farm sounds but otherwise, aside from the occasional train, you'll mainly hear the sounds of nature around you.
If you can make the walk carrying everything, including water, on your back, definitely check out one of these sites.
TravelerIf you are picking up a camper from Lichtsinn RV in Forest City they offer to let you stay on their lot with electric hookups during your pick up. But, we found it a little more private and less intimidating to set up camp down the road just a few miles at Plot Knob State Park. Nice level sites with electric hook ups, clean restrooms and showers. Gave us the opportunity to unload our car and figure out our new motorhome without feeling like we were being watched. We didn't explore to much but we noticed they have several hiking trails. Very nice and quiet.
LegendGeneral: A mixture of tent (non-electric) and electric sites, mostly arranged in several rows.
Site Quality: Mixed. Not all sites are level, and most do not have delineated parking pads (there is a small pavement indent to show where to access the site). A fire pit and picnic table complete the site. Most of the sites are too close together for our liking, however, when we were there (a Monday at the end of August, the day before school started), we were only one of three sites occupied so for our stay it didn’t matter.
Bathhouse: Basic but clean. My biggest complaint is there were no hooks or shelves for toiletries by the sinks. The showers looked nice but we did not use them.
Activities: Horseback riding (there are trails for this), hiking, fishing. Although we did see several trailheads, I did not have a map so didn’t explore them. There is an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads; I didn’t try to find hiking trails to get there).
Misc: A shout-out to the great host, Pam, who greeted us as we arrived. The observation tower, entrance gates, and picnic shelter were all constructed by the CCC and were beautiful. It almost seemed like the campground was an afterthought as it is outside the entrance gates and nowhere near the tower. The layout of the campground would be challenging if all sites were occupied.
GuideFacilities are top notch and private. The nicest showed and restroom you can imagine. Large tent pads and a quiet area. Not busy when we went. There is a small hiking trail as well. The lake isn’t anything spectacular, it’s quite dirty but we were only there for a night.
GuideWe spent four nights tent camping at the White Fox Campground of Myre-Big Island State Park in June 2022. This park is a combination woodland/prairie/wetland setting. The White Fox Campground is on the fringes of a woodland. Our campsite was grassy and open with trees and shrubs curving along the back of the site. The site had the usual fire ring with grill and a large picnic table.
There are some nice trails for hiking through woodlands and prairie and alongside wetlands. We saw a lot of wildlife: several deer, red squirrels, chipmunks, a raccoon, a woodchuck, lots of different birds, and several different types of butterflies. In the mornings the birdsong was pretty amazing, loud and long lasting.
There are two freeways and a rail line near the park, but the noise from them was only bothersome on one morning of our stay.
There is a second campground on the Big Island portion of the park. Big Island is wooded and has some beautiful trails that we enjoyed.
ScoutPilot knob state park is a great place for a week long stay or just a few hours!
The camp ground is on the smaller side but it’s clean and there is a play ground! There is the town of Forest City just a few miles away and it has pretty much everything you need for a stock up for your next adventure!!
Cabin camping near Forest City, Iowa, offers a delightful escape into nature with various amenities and activities to enhance your outdoor experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Forest City, IA is Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve with a 4.3-star rating from 12 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 10 cabin camping locations near Forest City, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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