Looking for the best options for tent camping near Forest City? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Forest City campgrounds for you and your tent. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Iowa tent camping excursion.
Camping at Shellrock River Greenbelt and Preserve
The Shellrock River Greenbelt Preserve provides both primitive and equestrian camping opportunities all year round. Two small shelters, fire rings, pit toilets, and hitching posts are provided at this site.
Located on Yucca Avenue between 290th and 280th Streets.
Open Year Round
There is no charge for using this rustic campground
Despite only being 10 acres, South Fork Park has much to offer. For anglers, this park offers access to the West Fork River and a 3 acre lake. In addition to its aquatic resources, the area provides a small variety of upland game and waterfowl hunting. Primitive camping is allowed but no water resources or toilet facilities are available.
Traveler
Sites 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.
Legend
We tend to stay at campgrounds during the off or shoulder season for a quieter experience so it was with some apprehension that we reserved this campground for a summer weekend so that we could meet friends for Paddlefest. We were happy to discover that despite being a full campground, it was quiet at almost all hours of the day and night. It was, however, an entirely different story on the lake itself, where boats gathered all day to party!
There is little separation between the sites but there are trees located throughout, some of which provide shade to the site. The camper pads were a mix of dirt and gravel and mostly level. We were lucky to snag Site 34 (reserved about three months in advance) – it was on the end, making it a much larger site than the interior sites (all end sites in our section were larger) and we had plenty of shade trees, a welcome relief on a very hot weekend.
The paved roads leading to the sites are very narrow and would appear to be one-way but are not designated as such, resulting in some confusion. The site numbers are only listed on one side, even though most of the sites appeared to be pull-through.
The restrooms and showers were clean and had soap and (dated) air dryers.
Overall, we had a very pleasant two-night stay even though we were prepared for a different experience.
Guide
I only drove through here I did not camp. It was quiet and the sites were shaded. I saw water, electricity and a picnic table at every site. The pads are gravel and very level.
You can easily bike into town.
There is a dump station.
I had 3 bars of Verizon 4G which provided 70 down and 12 up.
On T-mobile I had 5 bars of 5G and 100 down and 7 up.
Traveler
We stayed in White Fox Site 97 from September 13-15. No one was nearby until late in the evening on the 14th, so it felt very private and quiet. Although I know that is because the people in the campground were quiet... thank you! Tons of trails; paved, gravel, or grass; you can explore the entire park. We had a bit of rain and then it got hot again so it was super muggy. Of course that is the weather, not the park. The ranger was friendly and helpful. Great worry free trip, just like camping should be!
Guide
Standard site without electric was only $10.00 a night which includes a nearby water spigot to fill your tank with. Put toilets and showers available. The friendly hosts made a point to come by to chat. Two fawns were born there, under one of the picnic tables and they were around all weekend. I’ll be back !
Ranger
Just stopped for the night. It's like a fair grounds. Friendly host. Adorable green giant statue.
GuideNice place to spend the weekend or a week! Came in late and a resident helped me find a great spot. When driving to my site two fawns were laying near the playground.
TravelerDidn’t realize it was on the fairground. Very small. Very clean. Host family was very friendly and helpful. Free firewood was nice. Enjoyed our stay. Great for a one day stop
Guide
Large campground with a play park and other sporting area. Lake to swim in - no lifeguard offered. Large sites with water/electric hook up - some full hook sites and big rig friendly. The site we were put in was not set up well for the connections however it was a large site. Very muddy site but they offered to let us use a rug so we didn’t get ours all Muddy.
GuideNice campground with grassy pull thru sites. But very close together. If full, you would have no privacy. Fortunately, it was 1/4 full, so no problem. Bathrooms clean, nice warm showers! Nice beach, lots to do. Would be a fun place if you don’t mind camping next to neighbors!
LegendRoomy gravel sites. A mix of electric and non-electric sites. Commercial fire rings. Electrical needs refreshing. We had an issue with the 30A breaker not resetting on site 46E; eventually relocated to 47E. Park employee Noah was very accommodating and pleasant to deal with. He came out to the site to discuss options with us and eventually made some site reservation changes to resolve the situation. Close to town, nice historic district.
Scout
The owners Jan and Brian are super nice. The campground is a ways from their home and quite secluded and quiet. There weren’t any kids when we were there though, I imagine they could change the quiet aspect. The bathrooms and showers are very nice as are the sites. Well worth the $25 we paid!
ScoutArrived Sunday evening and found the campsite mostly empty, (season pass members had campers here but there was only one other active camper). Staff was very friendly and helpful. TOILETS FLUSH! Showers clean, basketball court, horseshoes, and volleyball all provided. Could see the sites being kind of close and it being a little pricey but more than worth it in my mind. Site 6&7 were perfect for hammocks
Guide
Beautiful large sites along the river so you can fish as well as has a pond that you can swim in with three beach entry areas. Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites. Nice walking trails on the east and south side of the park. Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate. It appeared that some of the campsites were seasonal but couldn’t confirm that.
ScoutWe were here mid week and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Beautiful old growth forest with lots of shade. For July the bugs weren’t bad. After traveling across South Dakota and dealing with 100 plus temperatures with no shade this was a welcome change. The rangers and hosts were welcoming and helpful. The bathrooms and showers are ultra modern and clean. We are planing on stopping back here on our way home.
GuideWe visited in early April so the sites were quite exposed, I can imagine they would be more private in the summer. Water and showers were not open yet as it was too cold but the vault toilets were well maintained.
ScoutOk cell coverage for Verizon, no issues web surfing. Site 7E was larger with a good size and distance from others. Not the fault of the campground, bugs were in full force. Tons of tree coverage and very humid making it a great place for the little buggers. Would probably visit October/November when cold gets rid of them and the tree coverage. Hard to see the amazing views in the summer. Again, no fault of campground, just a consideration. Also, no real potty spots for pups. Either weeds/woods or muddy spots attempting to be grass/weeds. Best was around the showers/restrooms. Those were by far the shining gem of this campground. Fantastic bathing facilities. We’re self contained, so didn’t need it but my spouse did go use the restroom there instead of waiting. We peeked in the showers and they were really nice looking.
GuideVery 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.
Traveler
Very accommodating super nice people helped us back in and set up in middle of winter after dark after we had drove 2 days from the east coast. Our spot was on an incline but the water worked when temp was below freezing the camp was nice with new park for kids new basketball court new pavilion wish we could have been there in the summertime I’m sure the pool is nice when uncovered. I saw laundry and bathrooms by the river.
Ranger
It's a nice spot off of the main road. It's pretty quiet, but there aren't many spots to camp. When you come in on the dirt road, it hooks to the right, and you'll come upon a dirt cul-de-sac. On the right, you'll see a grassy area set into the woods where you could camp. Other than that, your parking in the perimeter. There's enough room that virtually any size camper could navigate into this spot, but if there are other people, that will really complicate your life.
There is a boat launch and paths down each side of the launch you could fish. On the way in, you'll see a deck to the left, providing a scenic overlook. There's also a spot there you could potentially park, but you'll be very exposed if there is any foot traffic.
GuideWe arrived after dark last night so we weren't able to see the gorgeous view until the sun rose! Luckily we woke up early and went for a walk right as the sun was coming up. It was quite cold, a little over 20°, but that meant the lake was frozen solid so we got to walk around on it! Tons of fun. Unfortunately the bathhouse, water spigots, and dump station were closed. That is not a super big deal since we have a camper. And it was publicized on their website about the dump stations being closed. The sites were spacious, the one we were in was non electric and a back-in site. But for $24 a night it was pretty nice! Especially would be worth it if more of the amenities had been open, but with how cold it is, it's very understandable that they would have them closed. There was still an outhouse with a vault toilet that was open. Unsure if there is a working sink because we did not use it. We had to call to make a same day reservation which was a tad bit annoying but the man on the phone was very helpful and nice so not bad at all.
Legend
As the campground(CG) is right off the interstate, it was easy to get to. Our check-in package was ready when we arrived at the little self-registration building at the entrance. We had requested site 40, where we had stayed two years ago, but they gave us back-in site 41 instead on the little lake. The utilities are in the middle of the site and worked well with water pressure near 45 psi. The sites are decently spaced for this type of CG. They have WiFi, but their info packet states it's not good enough for streaming but okay for email, etc. We got 3 bars on Verizon and used our MiFi since we were only here for two nights. The CG is right off I-35, so you do get some highway noise. This CG is very well kept, with mostly seasonal and permanent parties. We came in with two other 5th wheels and had no problem getting sites, but we did reserve well before our arrival. There was not a formal dog park, but there was plenty of area to walk your dog. We noted that this CG was featured in RV Life’s 2023 Discover The Best RV Parks& Resorts In Every State with this narrative:"This family-owned campground prides itself on cleanliness; there is an owner on-site around the clock to ensure it stays in top condition. The park is beautifully landscaped and has both pull-thru and back-in sites. All sites(some are waterfront) are level and offer full hookups and free Wi-Fi. There are onsite restrooms and laundry facilities that are kept sparkling clean. They also offer a lending library of books and movies. There is a large pond on the property that is perfect for fishing, kayaking, and other water sports, and there is a walking path that circles the pond." Check out the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. We thought the museum would be cheesy, but it was a nice facility and a great experience. The CG deserved this praise, and we again enjoyed our stay.
TravelerWe stayed here per the recommendation of a friend and had a great experience. The camp host, Denise, was very nice upon arrival. The grounds were quiet and bathrooms were clean. Fast wifi and free firewood were great added benefits that made our night after a long day of driving.
Traveler
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.
ScoutThis is a great campground with lots of shade and spacious tent pads! The large oak trees throughout the campground made for beautiful scenery and nice spots to string a hammock up. My site was right next to the bathroom building which did have a light on all night, but I had an eye mask so that didn’t bother me. $25/night for a tent site
TravelerNice place to stay! Not far from interstate. Clean bathrooms and showers!
TravelerWe stayed at the Big Island Campground in the beginning of August. The sites seemed pretty large to us. My kids loved skipping rocks at the little shore at the entrance to the big island. You cannot swim in the lake but there are canoes and kayaks to rent. We really enjoyed our time here. Rangers were super nice and helpful. We hiked about 5 miles, saw a few deer and other animals. Bathrooms were very nice and clean. All of us that remembered to reapply bug spray didn't have any bites.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Forest City, IA is Rice Lake Wildlife Management Area with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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