Best Glamping near Harlan, IA

This state park camp site close to Carroll, Iowa was nice, but we were the only tent campers there, it seemed more like a permanent RV home site. The bathrooms while nice had no working showers, they had showers but no way to turn on the water. There was a cute frisbee golf on property, a beautiful lake, and a nice paved walking path.

Been coming to this lake for years. It's a beautiful setting, right in the middle Loess Hills in sw Iowa. The fishing has always been good here. But this camp area is not much at all. The spaces are really small, and not really one view of the lake. There is a new visitor center right by the entrance of the camping area. There also a really small pond by the entrance as well. This place would probably work for a over night stay, but not a destination. But I still love the areas wildlife, and the lake. Or maybe it's just the nostalgia for me.

This is a small little park off the highway, we had been traveling for two days and needed to stop for the night. We followed the signs that said camping and went through a quant, however pretty vacant, little town. We got to the end of the town and found a city park that allowed camping.

Pros -- it was $10 a night, that's decent! Most places are more along this drive. It also had a magnificent playground. My kids had been cooped up for two days and needed to run off some pent up energy and this was perfect. A few neighborhood kids joined them (it was smack dab in a neighborhood) and they had a blast, all while I rested from my chair at my campsite. Lots of green grass (an improvement from the desert climate we come from) and trees for shade. It had flush toilets and free showers! There was a picnic table, electricity and a grill at every site. It was a pretty restful night.

Cons -- The bathrooms were not the cleanest. The women's bathroom stalls did not function correctly, either the door wouldn't lock or it wouldn't close. There were lots of bugs, in the restroom, in the site, all over. I didn't sit at the picnic table due to the bugs all over it so I sat in my camp chair where I found relief. I'm not one that thinks there should be no bugs in nature but there just was an abundance of them everywhere. You could hear some highway traffic and a little train traffic. The town was all but closed up. There was a gas station and a bar open. The gas station attendant wasn't super friendly.

It was a great place to lay our heads for the night, play some games, run the playground but it probably wouldn't be on my list of first places to stop. Beauty of Iowa is almost every exit shows camping!u 7

Hidden gem. Just a few mins off I-80 but no noise or signs of heavytraffic. Cute, quaint little town. All pull through spots and all sites are level. Not all spots have picnic tables or fire rings but there were very few campers so we had our pick of spots. Playset for younger kids. Golf course and pool in town. Nice shade trees. Bath house had flushing Toilets. Showers weren't very clean but we didn't need to use them. Perfect for a quick stop and very affordable at $20 for full hookups.

This is a nice, quiet spot. Lots of trees. The sites are easy to access, and it was not full despite being a Friday in July. It is a good price for full hook up, restrooms and showers. Plus, collected fees go to local 4-H and FFA groups.

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?

We made a one night stop as we traversed I80. Clean with shaded park like area. Electric, water and sewer available. Bathroom and shower were clean. But old style, so small and well worn.

We have been coming to this campground every year. They have recently open during the winter which is great because not many campground are open during this time. Steve is such a great guy who is always looking out for you.

This is a no-frills stop off on a road trip kind of place. The bathrooms were pretty gross and there are lights on all night so hopefully you have a blackout tent or good shades on your RV. It's nothing to write home about but it was quiet and I slept well. I would stay again

I grew up swimming and camping at Nelson Park but moved away roughly 30 years ago. I wanted a weekend away from the craziness so chose to go "home" for my first solo trip in quite awhile. The grounds and facilities at the park were in excellent shape even though many of the buildings were still the same ones that I had known from childhood. Could not have asked for better weather after storms rolled through in the morning pulling the heat and humidity from the air later in the day. I will definitely be returning again.

It’s a good place for camping not perfect. Has a descent size lake good for kayaking and fishing.

We were looking for an overnight place to stay and came across this gem. It is right next to a busy railroad, but we cranked up our fans and barely noticed the trains and their horns. It surrounds a city park and there is plenty of room to spread out in their well manicured park. With 30/50 electric and water this place is well worth the $15 they charge. It's all on an honor system so make sure to bring some cash. That way this place can be here to stay for everyone to enjoy.

Hitchcock Nature Center features 10 miles of trails in varying difficulties for all skill levels. Great training site with some fantastic campsites and excellent views. Nature Center offers a unique lodge and educational space with a "fire tower" regularly used for bird studies. Backcountry campsites are the main attraction but there are also RV sites and an archery range. The park even offers a small section of ADA boardwalk. It's a great place!

The road up gets a little narrow and windy, but nothing an experienced traveler can’t handle. It’s worth driving a little further off the road for this campsite. MAKE SURE YOU BRING CASH. It’s $25 per night and there’s a pay station as you enter the campsite.

When I think of “nature center” I think of a stuffy little cabin with taxidermy. This site is far far more than that, with hiking trails, educational programs, a museum, event halls, and of course camping. Local friends told us about it, otherwise we would have never found it. Make sure to look at their events calendar, they have exceptional programs for all ages (and especially kids). I learned about this park from Pheasants Forever, a nonprofit.

Yay: well tended and updated campground. You can camp all year (but I think they turn the water off?)

Nay: no reservations (but supposedly they don’t fill up completely?)

Surprise: make sure you talk to the rangers!

If you are in the Omaha metro you should head across the river and checkout Hitchcock Nature Center just North of Council Bluffs. This is one of my favorite places to camp. All of the campsites are considered "back country" but don't worry, I think the furthest campsite is about three miles.

My preference is getting one of the campsites on the western edge of the park on top of the ridge. At night you can see the Omaha skyline lit up and the breeze running through there is wonderful.

Hitchcock is smack dab in the loess hills which is one of only two places in the world with the hill formations. The other place is in China.

The trail system isn't huge because of the size of the park, but it has a lot of up and down and is a great place to practice backpacking or test new gear before you leave the plains and head to the rocky mountains for a new adventure.

When your done with your hiking, climb up to the top of the towering platform and bring your binoculars to checkout the visiting hawks and occasional eagle. Don't pass up Hitchcock Nature Center.