The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Gladbrook. Gladbrook is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Gladbrook, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$30 - $90 / night
"Union Grove is known for having good lake fishing. The lake is also a great place for kayaking or canoeing."
"A few trails to hike and a horse camp that I didn’t have time to explore. Nice lending library as well. Bathroom/shower combos are nice (1 is ADA). Not far off the interstate."
$15 - $90 / night
"This campground is near home so I know it well.
The campground itself is nice, with some decent sized campsites, many having a great view of upper Pine Lake. There are flush toilets and showers."
"My family and I rented on eof the cabins here. They were nice cabins just off the bank of the river! The cabin comfortably fit 4 of us."
"Jump into the nearby water and let the kids have a blast! Enjoy a nice fun night away from home!"
"Great RV park. Lots of room and cabin rentals for folks that don’t have an RV. The fenced dog park was fantastic for those of us with dogs."
"Little shade with small trees next to about each site. Gas, propane, laundry room, beach area, small boat rentals, good sized convenience store with ice, beer, snacks, milkshake machine, etc."
"This campground has no shippers but is secluded and quiet and only 5 dollars. There’s a barn with electricity running water and real toilets."
"This is a great quiet park with animals for visiting and a very clean shower house."
"The two cabins are fairly new and have all of the amenities. My mother-in-law stayed here while visiting recently and we enjoyed spending time at her cabin."
"The cabins were perfect, with lots of places to hike all around the area."
"Nice park with a bike path around the lake. A few nature trails, but nothing I would call hiking. Two vault toilets placed on the bike path. One modern bathroom with showers in the campground."
"As far as RV parks go, this one is young and the lack of shade is only evidence of that. Sites are well planned out though, giving each camper plenty of space."
"In fact, this campground outpost is so close to the highway that you’ll be hard pressed not to see or hear it during your entire stay."
"Newton KOA
This is the primary location for camping in Newton. It’s right off interstate I-80 and is very close to the Iowa Speedway."
"The kids had fun playing mini golf, swimming at the beach and playing at the playgrounds. The people that run the campground are so nice."
ScoutThis review is for the Wallaby cabin. This cabin supposedly has a bathroom with a shower, 3 beds and a kitchenette. The bathroom has a shower so small it is difficult not to rinse one's hair while applying shampoo. There is no sink in this room for brushing teeth, washing hands or face, etc. There is no mirror either, or hooks for towels or washcloths or clothes. There is also no heater. The cabin has no closet or any place to hang any clothes. There were several bugs crawling on the ceiling. The wall A/C could not help but spew dust, as it was coated with that on the filter and cover. The trash can had a clean bag, which occupants are required to leave in dumpster at checkout. When removing the bag, the stuck-on mess under it was appalling. The bed in each loft area had obviously been used and not changed, as the covers were in disarray and the bottom sheets not clean. The main bed has a zipped on plastic cover which the loose fitting fitted sheet will not stay on, causing occupants to end up sleeping on plastic. We purchased a blanket to go over it for the next night. We would not have stayed more than one night but, as we had reserved 3, it is not refundable. The tv is to the side of the immovable chairs, so that one must have head turned completely to one side to watch. The cabin has such a slant that a ball will roll by itself to the entrance side. All this for more than$350 for 3 night stay.
ScoutGreat RV park. Lots of room and cabin rentals for folks that don’t have an RV. The fenced dog park was fantastic for those of us with dogs. A lake with beach area and an area for fishing founded it out! Would recommend!
LegendLiterally a single stone’s throw from I80, one of the busiest thoroughfares you’ll find yourself on here in the great ‘Hawkeye State,’ this is one campground that very much deserves your attention, despite being a KOA. In fact, this campground outpost is so close to the highway that you’ll be hard pressed not to see or hear it during your entire stay. While this KOA does sit down a bit from the hustle & bustle that comes with a major interstate highway, a good number of the available RV sites sit on a sloping hill that is the same elevation as the highway itself, so if you do have the choice, opt for the lower sites (more on that later).
Sitting just 30 minutes east of Des Moines, Newton KOA offers up about 100 sites for RVs and 5th wheelers offering up all the standard hook-ups (water, sewage and 30 / 50 amp- but be careful because some sites only offer 30 or 50, while some do offer both, so be sure to ask when making your reservation). For mi tent pitching bredren, there’s about a dozen or so sites to choose from and all are fairly intermingled with the RV sites, although each site does sit on a plush patch of grass, so this KOA does a nice job on that front of integration. Oh, and if you don’t have an RV, 5th wheeler or a tent, on worries, this KOA will rent you one of its three cabins.
As this is a KOA you can expect a ton of amenities and this place does not disappoint with: catch & release fishing pond w/ fish cleaning station (that is oddly placed about as far away from the fishing pond as you can get), disc golf course, K9 camp for the puppies, cable TV, WiFi, in-ground pool (available 5/25 until 9/3) with ADA pool lift, horseshoes, meeting rooms, firewood for sale, LP gas refueling station, pool table, shuffleboard, social lounge, two kids playground, laundr-O-mat, basketball court, restroom & shower facilities, mini-market with basic groceries, ping pong, jump pad, game room, gaga pit, designated dumpster and dump station and of course the scattered fire pits and picnic tables. Just to go above and beyond, this KOA serves up free breakfast of flapjacks on Saturdays. Yahoo!
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Whether you are pitching a tent or pulling up in your RV, the best sites IMHO are those in the lower valley, but located right in front of the main office, where there are 6 RV slots numbered #45 – 50 and 6 tent sites numbered T1 – T6; (2) Should you get hungry and might want to try some local fare, check out Taco John’s and La Cabaña Mexican Restaurant, which I guess stand for ‘local’ around here, although there is Newton Family Restaurant. If you are looking for something really different and amazing, I would suggest heading on over to Dan’s Sandwich Shop, which feels like real Americana from a bygone era, complete with a diner-esque vibe and matching elbow counter to warm up to over a nice piece of apple pie, scoop of ice cream washed down with a hot mug of coffee; (3) While this KOA has a mini-market, you will find a bigger selection with better prices just down the road at the local Walmart, where just due west of this, you’ll find a Hy-Vee Grocery store with a wine & spirits shop positioned there as well. Further down the road, you have excellent fresh cut meat from Fareway Grocery, but check out the local hotspot, Newton Market as well; and (4) While what you will discover from an outdoor standpoint at Newton KOA is interesting, if you want something more substantial, head to Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens for 6 acres of family-friendly landscape to explore with more displays and demonstrations that you can shake a stick at! Seriously, there’s a butterfly garden, peony border and nearly 200 individual species of trees here to check out.
Happy Camping!
RangerThe two cabins are fairly new and have all of the amenities. My mother-in-law stayed here while visiting recently and we enjoyed spending time at her cabin.
While camping is no longer allowed in Tower Rock park, you can still enjoy a walk down to the river or bicycling on the paved bicycle trail. Tube rentals are available nearby for the Iowa River, and a local outfitter will rent a boat for the day to fish Pine Lake or the small lake northwest of Steamboat Rock.
Pine lake is not that far away either and offers many fun activities.
ScoutThe tent sites are very nice and private. There are waist high prairie flowers between the sites to provide privacy and beauty. New picnic tables. Lots of shade. visited in July
RangerNewton KOA
This is the primary location for camping in Newton. It’s right off interstate I-80 and is very close to the Iowa Speedway.
There are places to go tent camping but it’s primarily setup for rvs. The tent camping spots have a picnic table and fire pit.
The RV sports are pretty nice, most have the usual hookups. This place can get pretty busy when there is a race going on.
There is a creek in the back and some pretty easy hiking trails to explore. There is a fish cleaning station near the creek. They do also have a pond with bass and bluegill. They also have a pool by the office but it’s currently being painted.
Overall this is a pretty nice KOA and it’s very clean and maintained. You can hear the interstate but you get used to it.
GuideDecent sites with full hook ups. Little shade with small trees next to about each site. Gas, propane, laundry room, beach area, small boat rentals, good sized convenience store with ice, beer, snacks, milkshake machine, etc. Enough to do for a day or two without going to the water park. Overall felt pretty exposed but the amenities made up for it.
GuideThis campground has no shippers but is secluded and quiet and only 5 dollars. There’s a barn with electricity running water and real toilets.
ScoutOur stay here was fine. Check-in was easy and courteous. We were escorted to our site. All of the staff that we interacted with was great. It seems like this park has an original section and then expansion sections tired up a hillside. The original section is the only section with any mature shade trees. Our site, and it looked like the others in the tiered hillside section, were in full sun all day. We selected an upgraded patio site. It was spacious and the patio area was made from pavers. It was equiped the same as the other sites though, just a fire pit and a picnic table (that was in rough shape). Our experience at other KOAs is that the patio sites have some better patio furniture. The fire pit wasn't functional for cooking. The cooking grate was rusted and set about 1" off the bottom of the fire pit leaving no room for charcoal. Pool looked nice but we didn't use it. The bathrooms and showers were clean but the showers could use a place to set your dry clothes.
Cabin camping near Gladbrook, Iowa offers a serene escape into nature, complete with cozy accommodations and a variety of outdoor activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Gladbrook, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Gladbrook, IA is Union Grove State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Gladbrook, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 cabin camping locations near Gladbrook, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
