If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Greenfield, look no further. The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Greenfield with tent camping. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Iowa camping adventure.
$5 - $8 / night
Trailside Campground is a small tent camping area designed for trail users on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. It is located immediately adjacent to the trail one block south of the Milwaukee Road Depot Trailhead in Jefferson. A shower house is in the camping area. There is a $10 per tent fee to camp here.
- Tent camping for up to 50 tents.
- Shower / restroom facility
- Picnic shelter
- Four blocks from downtown Jefferson
$10 / night
Traveler
We’re big fans of Acorn Valley. It’s quiet and there is plenty of shade in the tent camping area. The tent sites lead to some small trails which end at the riverbed. Our boys love exploring here.
Scout
Mormon Trail is absolutely beautiful. Myself and some friends tent camped there over the weekend and we were not disappointed! It is a very small state park with only a couple tent sites/camper sites, so it is not over populated. The drive there is easy and beautiful. Big RV’s/campers might have a difficult time getting there as the road turns into a one lane, curvy gravel road. AT&T has absolutely no service there, but US cellular does. No showers/clean bathrooms, just 2 waterless restrooms. The lake has a very large, mostly shallow, swimming area, the water is absolutely perfect, along with a big sandy beach area. You can boat and fish on the lake as well. The stars are also very bright and beautiful (we are from a city with the light pollution hides them). I would highly recommend visiting this campsite if you love off the grid camping and don’t need to shower/primp everyday. What a relaxing/fun weekend we had!
Legend
I have to say, of all of the campgrounds and parks that I have visited in southern Iowa near highway 34, Three Mile is the best.
This park is clean with nice amenities and a beautiful lake. During the week you can almost have the place to yourself... it is a different story on the weekends.
You can tent camp or pull your camper and just enjoy the setting. If you don't like to tent camp and don't have a camper, don't worry, there are several cabins for rent.
There are showers and bathrooms and an awesome playground for the younger kids.
I am definitely adding this to my list for regular stays with my family.
Scout
I have tent camped at Lake Ahquabi Campground several times. There are some great spots down by the lake that are perfect for tent camping. There is quite a bit to do in this State Park. There are a few trails, there is plenty of fishing, a swimming beach, and they have water sport rentals! The area is very pretty and peaceful. I would recommend for campers with kids and without. There are showers and plenty of bathrooms.
Legend
The tent sites are small and depending on your location you may have to haul your stuff to your site. The hiking was nice only 5 miles though.
Scout
just camped here, what a nice park. Great little beach, clean water, good for kayaking. Nice paved trail around the park. Wooded, shady at tent sites, quiet and clean. Friepits with grates for cooking.
ScoutA one night stay at a beautiful park! Tent camped next to really nice college kids. The paved trail offered great views of the lake! Brought the pup and he was happy and very context. Park was very well maintained - there will be a return trip to this gem!
Guide
We've tent camped twice at Springbrook, and though it's not perfect, it's a nice campground we plan to keep coming back to for a number of reasons.
Pros:
-Not a far drive from Des Moines, but still quite remote
-Lots of nice hiking trails
-Easy access to large, mostly clean modern bathrooms
-The lake is a peaceful spot to spend the early mornings, a nice place to fish (but don't expect to catch anything) and its beach is fun on the hot summer days, and tends to not be too busy. Has lots of benches around to sit and enjoy the view.
-No cell reception, which could be a "con" but we like that it forces us to unplug
Cons:
-Tent camping spots are clustered mainly in the middle of a loop, which feels a bit like a fishbowl with no privacy
-It's mainly an RV/camper campground, which can be loud/rowdy at night for tent campers. Lots of parties happening the two weekends we were there. Definitely don't recommend if you want a peaceful weekend away from the world.
-Other than hiking and a bit of swimming/fishing, there's not much to do
-Firewood is a short drive from the campground, which can get inconvenient
Guide
I would suggest getting reservations. We stopped on a Friday with out one, they were booked. We only wanted one night in a tent. They don’t have designated tent sites but they have one overflow sight and they let us use it for the night. Price is great, $20 per night. Easy to get rvs into the spots and a lot to do for the kids.
Legend
This is a really small campground with a few electric boxes to park your camper on the outside of the parking lot next to the lake and one average tent site with a fire ring and picnic table.
The lake is a good local spot for fishing but I would go to Three Mile State Park to camp with my family, it's just an extra 10 or 15 minute drive away.
TravelerThis campground has both RV full hookup and electric sites very close to the lake. Campsites offer a great view of lake and close access to docks. There is an adjacent area with non- electric sites that would work for tent campIng. All sites have firepots and picnic tables. The lake is great for fishing or kayaking and there is also a beach with swimming. Bring your bikes to ride on a paved trail that goes all the way around the lake. Very clean and quiet campground!
Guide
This is a very clean, lovely camp ground. The spots are spacious, and there are tons of options. In the fall we went and had no neighbors. It’s busy in summer, but well kept. They had people cleaning the bathrooms constantly (my mom kept pointing out, in awe, that it was “practically hourly”) which was great for tent camping with a large group! It’s quiet, beautiful lake, great boating, great swim spot, fun park for kids. Beautiful trees and hiking especially in the fall.
GuideThis is a decent state park campground but is always full. It has tent sites separated from the trailer sites. There is a park and on saturdays during the summer they do Disney movies and free popcorn. The lake is good for fishing. They have a beach and volleyball. There is also a biking trail they goes around the lake. It is close to town so if you need anything that is helpful.
ScoutThis is hands down one of the best campgrounds we’ve been to in the U.S. Everything is beautifully maintained from the grass covered campsites to the clean bathrooms and free showers. Full hookup and tent campsites are plentiful with or without reservations. Beautiful lake, great walking trail, close to town and I-80, but quiet and peaceful. Can’t beat it for $11 a night.
LegendLake Anita State Park is just a few miles off of Interstate 80. When I decided to go to Lake Anita I had very low expectations, it surprised me.
Lake Anita has boating and fishing as its main attraction. If you like birds there are bird houses built all around the park. The lake is beautiful and the campground is built all around the lake with great views.
The tent camping is placed away from the RVs/camper trailers and everything is well kept. I highly recommend Lake Anita State Park for the relaxing environment and the easy access from the interstate.
Ranger
Campsite was pretty packed on a Saturday night in late September. We didn't have a reservation but was able to get one of the last tent sites available. Nice spot, fire pits have nice swinging grates on them. There was a picnic table at our spot as well. Great view of the lake from here. We were in Campsite 092. Only drawback is that there must be a cow farm somewhere to the south as you will hear cows mooing all night at this campground.
Scout
Although there were RVers and a nice group of Boy Scoutspaet of the time, there was no one else in our tent camping side. We had chilly weather, but marvelous views of the water with a rare flock of pelicans! Some of the trails were muddy, but there plenty of others to choose from. Red buds and flowers were starting to bring the forest to life.
All fire pits have an incredible grate system for cooking. There's an over abundance of limbs and twigs for firewood, although a saw would come in handy. Clean, quiet, and as beautiful as ever- that's our lake!
Legend
We just did a day trip here with families who have a bunch of kids. Great park for kids and they loved floating down the river. We did a fun short hike as well. We checked out the camping situation for our next visit to Des Moines and decided a park a bit further away was worth a more secluded camping experience. Sites were not secluded and not very exciting plus they seemed very set up for an RV experience not so much tent camping. The bathrooms look pretty nice though. Definitely a nice place to spend a few hours, but the campground leaves something to be desired for me.
Ranger
Just 2 miles south of I80 but a world apart. This is a great stop if traveling I80. It is a bargain at $20 for full hookups. They have tent sites also.
The park is clean and clearly under utilized as there were only 3 of us in a park with more than 40 sites.
It is very quiet, right in small town America. I saw two tractors driving through town and only a few more cars.
Best of all we had a full 5 bars of ripping Verizon service. What's not to like?
Guide
Our family of four tent camped one night at an electric lake front site. Sites are close together, but we had no neighbors so we had our privacy. The outhouse style bathroom was clean, but flies were abundant. The grounds were well maintained and DNR staff was very helpful. They even helped us with a small bike repair. The kids enjoyed biking and swimming. The whole family enjoyed prairie wildlife such as a blue heron, geese, bald eagles, frogs etc. The hiking trails were well cut out and offered views of the lake, woods, and natural prairie. Showers, no wake boating, and fishing were also available. We would have been happy to stay a few more days!
Ranger
Went in without a reservation. No problem. Pleasantly surprised to find out it's an Army Corps of Engineers park; meaning if you have a annual National Parks pass, you get a discount. Didn't know that. We paid $11 for a tent site. Lots of RV sites around. The whole area around Saylorville Lake has camping. Lush green plots of land everywhere. I forget how pretty it is in the Midwest when I'm gone for so long. Quiet, relaxing place. Friendly staff. We took a long walk through the campground and others nearby. Boating and swimming in the lake.
Guide
We settled into one electrical site and one tent site for our adventure. The tent section offers fairly large sites, and views of the river. Our electrical site was decent size and the"backyard" was right up to the river bank. We anticipated some rain so we set up a screen tent for shelter right along the river to enjoy the view while we waited out the rain. Electricity at these sites appears to be brand new. The dirt work that was done to accomplish this had not yet been smoothed out, so making sure your area is lit to avoid tripping and ankle sprains is essential. As it turns out we camped on the same weekend of a large group's annual camp out at this location. 2nd weekend in April every year. Several families with RVs, and while they were great neighbors, we came to understand the site we were in is usually a part of their group. There are no reservations at this campground, so setting up early is the only way to assure you have the site you want. The facility has running water by mid April, no shower, but a single flushing toilet and sink, no soap. The campground does not have a trash can or dumpster on site at all, so you must pack everything out. Really good stay
GuideWe stayed during the campground's last weekend in October, and loved it. It was so gorgeous with all the fall colors, and it's really a gem of a campground.
Pros:
-Beautiful, huge lake with lots of pretty views
-Primitive spots are separated from electric spots, which is great if you're looking for quiet, peaceful tent camping
-Primitive spots are relatively private and generously sized, you don't feel like you're right on top of your neighbors
-Decent portapotty in close distance
-Plenty of picnic spots
-Electric spots are right along the lake, which offers beautiful views
-On-site firewood
Cons:
-Full modern bathrooms are a long walk/drive away
-Not much for activities
-Water hydrants are right in the middle of people's camping spots, so it feels awkward to grab water
-The only hiking trail is EXTREMELY poorly marked and when it ends (it doesn't tell you it's ending) you either have to just turn around or walk a mile along the busy highway with very small shoulder. We mistakenly took the highway expecting the trail to continue, but it didn't and it was very scary, 0/10 don't recommend.
-Not many walk-in spots
-Lots of primitive spots are on a hill, so your tent is a little sideways
-Not many dumpsters
-No lights in the portapotty, so you'll need a headlamp at night
EDITED TO ADD: We stayed again in May, and it was a great place to spend a weekend. Quiet, friendly but not a party crowd, and a nice, relaxing environment overall. Word on the streets (from the DNR warden) is that they’re looking into creating 2 more hiking trails too.
GuideAs tent campers we found a lot to love at Lake of Three Fires, but also found ourselves wanting more. It’s got a gorgeous lake, and some camping sites are out of this world, but it can be inconsistent and there’s not a lot to do.
Pros:
-While the electric hookup sites were full, primitive campers had their pick of the campground even during the middle of the summer. Plenty of open non-electric sites to choose from.
-Site 55 is an absolute GEM. Spacious and right on the water! We didn’t have any neighbors so it was like we had the whole place to ourselves.
-Good fishing at the lake, and plenty of quiet spots to fish from
-The lake is quiet and relatively calm
-Excellent (and clean!) modern bathrooms, by far the best we’ve encountered
Cons: -There’s not a lot to do other than fishing and hanging out by the campsite -The trails are quite poorly marked and seem to only have entry and exit points at each end of the point, so unless you want to commit to the full 8 miles, you’ll have to turn back at some point -The sites can be inconsistently sized. We found some tent sites that were less than half the size of our site, and they were packed like sardines. -A lot of the sites are sloped, so even ground can be hard to find. -The park is pretty rural, so if you need to make an emergency grocery or supplies run you might be out of luck. -No firewood on site, so you’ll have to come prepared or hope you can find some in town.
Legend
This was one of the nicest county campgrounds I've ever seen. We've been to a lot of them, but this one stands out. Not to mention that the price was unbeatable! So much more reasonable than at home. Set off the road a bit in a tiny little town in Iowa, it's along a river and very close to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, an 89 mile loop trail (paved) that goes through several towns and counties. It costs $2/person/day if you are 18 or older, or a year pass is $10. There is also a lodge that you can rent.
We rented a cabin for $50, because it was only about $10 more expensive than what we were planning on spending for a campsite in Minnesota. Normally, we stay in tents, so we were very pleased to find the options that this campground had to offer at such reasonable cost! If you wanted a tent site without electric, it was only $8. Electric sites were only $12. And the sites were incredibly well groomed. They were clean (I didn't see any trash). And they were tucked into the woods. A caretaker lives on site, and although we rarely saw him, it was obvious that he cared about his job. The bathrooms were clean and cared for too!
We were in a cabin and they were simple, but suited our needs. They had two wooden cabin-style buildings with little front porches (not screened in, but room under the overhang for chairs). Inside, you had two bunk beds, and the bottom bunk of one was a pull out futon, so you really had room to sleep 5 people. (Must mention: The futon in our cabin was horribly uncomfortable. I would have given 4 stars to the review because of it, but the futon alone shouldn't take away from the rest of the campground, which was immaculate). There was also a bathroom with an ADA shower, toilet, mirror and sink. In the room, there was a mini fridge, coffee maker, microwave, little sink and it even had air conditioning! Tucked in the corner was a folding table and chairs. A few hooks scattered around the walls completed the room. The A/C in ours wasn't at full working capacity, but it did chill the room down enough to be very comfortable. And it was very hot outside! We also had a little fire ring and picnic table, just outside the door.
The campground could accommodate plenty of tents and campers alike. Some electric, some not. All with very nice grassy pads for tents, all with picnic tables and fire rings. Grass was well clipped and there were plenty of parking spaces. It was very quiet when we were there, but I assume it gets busy on the weekends. The shower/bath house had separate bathrooms (both unisex) and both with toilet, mirror, sink and shower). Both were very clean for a camp bathroom. A little campground for those wishing to camp together was at the back of the park. It, too, had bathrooms. But they were locked, so I couldn't peek inside.
Bottom line, it was well worth our $50 for the cabin (you can't even get a hotel room for that price any more). I'd love to go back and tent in the quiet of a weekday eve when the crickets are chirping and I can feel the breeze through the tent!
Please note - there are no trash cans at the campground if you are in tents or RV's (the cabins have them inside). It is a carry in/carry out campground
There are LOTS of water pumps all over the campground. Yay for water!!
Legend
This is a small campground in a small town right of interstate 80 in central Iowa. This is a great weekend spot for locals or an overnight spot for a weary traveler on their way through Iowa. This is ideal for a camper of fifth wheel. Not necessarily where I would want to camp with a tent.
You are real close to a Kum & Go and Caseys General Store if you forgot some of your supplies at home. The campground is really clean.
Legend
This is a great little park just east of New Virginia, Iowa. I went to the park with my son and Boy Scout Troop for a night hike, that is why there are no pictures. This is a great little park. The hiking trails are pretty easy going through the forest and then opening up next to old Native American burial mounds. This is really a great place to pitch a tent. It is clean and well maintained.
Tent camping near Greenfield, Iowa, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature enthusiasts can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from peaceful riverside sites to secluded parks, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Greenfield, IA is Kuehn Conservation Area with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
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