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
"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!!"
"Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."
$12 - $20 / night
"The rest of the sites are beautiful with electric hook up. Nice clean bathroom and hot shower!"
"Pros: Clean/well maintained, easy short path through the trees to get to the beach, sturdy picnic tables all around, long “driveway” for campsite
Cons: pads are gravel and not very level, pads are very"
$10 - $60 / night
"Beautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside."
"Sites arranged in a circle around a clean shower house. Potable water. Only 2 non-electric sites. Most sites level. Sites are close to each other, not offering much in the way of privacy."
"We had an electric site. Very level and clean. Nice fire pit and located right next to the lake. Only downside was the site was electric only."
"We arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available."
"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. "
"We stopped for the night driving between Black Hills and Chicago and the service was awesome. The hosts called to tell us about construction and give us alternative directions."
"Bathroom and shower available. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Some sites suitable for hammock camping."
"This sites are spread out enough that you have a little privacy and each site has a fire pit and picnic table. This area is actually part of the owners farm.
Bonus, it’s dog friendly."
$15 - $25 / night
"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."
"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. "
"Lake to swim in - no lifeguard offered. Large sites with water/electric hook up - some full hook sites and big rig friendly."
"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."
"Had a small swimming beach, nice bathrooms and showers dump station. Saw many people swimming off their boat/pontoons as the bottom is sandy and the current is very very slow."
"Large, open spaces equipped with a fire pit and picnic table. Electric hookups and water also available. Reasonable rates (I think we paid $15) for one night."
"Very low cost ($15/night with water & electric). Not a far drive off of I-35. Has a pool if you’re into that kind of thing."
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.
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.
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!!
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.
GuideGot to this campground late in the evening. Check in was a breeze and easy to find and pull into the site. We had an electric site. Very level and clean. Nice fire pit and located right next to the lake. Only downside was the site was electric only. No option for full hookup but water was located between the sites. Dump station was clean and modern and located close by.
GuideWe stayed at the Grotto of the Redemption RV park for two nights. We were in our class C while slowly making our way across the country. We had no problems getting a spot here. There are two areas. One is very close to a train line, which runs infrequently. Sites are grass, level, and reasonably well maintained. All sites are pull through. Only electrical hookups are available at the sites. This is in good condition. There is fresh water and a dump station available. Each site has a nice grassy area and there are plenty of large trees. Staff was very friendly and helpful. There was a park nearby with a playground.
The RV park is near the Grotto. The Grotto is a fascinating achievement worth a look if you are in the area.
We had 2 bar LTE with Verizon. Our hotspot was usable and performed very well. Campground wifi was not available.
We enjoyed our brief stay at this campground. We will stay again when traveling this way.
GuideWe arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available.
$34/night plus Minnesota State Park pass @ $8/day.😩
Not super spacious but very comfortable distance between spaces. Well maintained dirt road in campground. Grassy and mowed. Nice big trees! Water spigots. Very nice individual, clean rooms for showers.
Two separate campground loops in the White Fox area and another couple loops half mile down the road
The lake is gorgeous but just a few places to get to the water. Saw a sign on the park door saying kayaks and canoes available to rent.
Six miles of paved, but badly in need of care, is a bike path that meanders through thick forest and open grassy fields. Follows the lake and heads close to the town of Albert Lea.
We saw a guy setting out electric scooters that were available to rent which looked like fun!
Birds and deer abound.
Walmart 2 miles away!
TravelerBeautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside. Walk to small town/restaurants.Clean bathroom facilities in area. Short hikes. Fishing nearby.
GuideI've been using this as a night over stop before going on to the Black Hills or on my way back home. The first time I stayed the night over there it was a nightmare just because of this family or group of people showed up late and didn't comprehend quiet hours. So needless to say I had little to no sleep.
The other times I've stayed there it was quiet and not too many people around. Kind of buggy but that's expected with the water and all the shade.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping 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 14 glamping camping locations near Forest City, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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