Best Tent Camping near Fort Dodge, IA
Tent camping options near Fort Dodge, Iowa include several established campgrounds with varying amenities and settings. Ambrose A. Call State Park Campground offers tent sites with electric hookups, picnic tables, and toilet facilities about 70 miles north of Fort Dodge. Big Wall Lake Wildlife Management Area provides more primitive tent camping approximately 30 miles northeast of Fort Dodge, though reviews indicate water level issues may affect the experience during certain seasons.
Most tent sites in the Fort Dodge region require campers to bring their own water and supplies. Ambrose A. Call State Park provides basic amenities including electric hookups, toilets, and sewer connections, making it suitable for tent campers seeking some conveniences. The park is open from April 1 to November 1, with drive-in access for tent campers. In contrast, Big Wall Lake Wildlife Management Area and Devine Wildlife Area offer minimal facilities with no drinking water, toilets, or trash service, requiring tent campers to pack in and pack out all supplies. According to one visitor, "We stopped here when we drove from NY to CO and it was fine. We got here late and left early in the morning."
Trailside Campground provides tent sites with some amenities including picnic tables, showers, toilets, and trash service, though it lacks hookups and reservations are not accepted. A visitor commented that Ambrose A. Call State Park is a "pretty nice area with several trails and a small campground," though they noted it can be "buggy." Bessman-Kemp Park offers tent campers electric hookups, picnic tables, and toilets, with fires permitted at designated sites. Most primitive tent campgrounds in the area permit pets, though Big Wall Lake Wildlife Management Area does not. Tent campers should note that seasonal conditions affect accessibility and comfort at these locations, with several reviews mentioning weather-related challenges that impact the tent camping experience.