5 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Yellow River State Forest provides several cabin accommodation options near Harpers Ferry, Iowa. The Fire Tower Cabin in Yellow River State Forest features electricity, a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot. A queen bed and two futons can sleep up to six people. "Cabin has basic kitchen: fridge/freezer, micro, coffee pot, table/chairs, sleeping room with queen bed, 2 futons, AC/heat, fireplace screened porch," notes one camper. The cabin includes a screened-in porch, outdoor fire ring, and picnic table. Indoor climate control with AC and heat makes this suitable for year-round stays. No private bathroom facilities are available, with guests using nearby pit toilets.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. The Fire Tower Cabin offers more amenities than other primitive options in the region. Pikes Peak State Park Campground and Spook Cave and Campground also provide cabin rentals with varying amenity levels. Most cabin locations allow pets, though specific rules may apply. Reservations are recommended, especially during peak summer months from May through October. A visitor mentioned that the Fire Tower Cabin is "well maintained" with "electricity, microwave, a full sized refrigerator, and two porches, where one of them is screened in."
Most cabins include beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries. Guests should plan to bring drinking water at some locations, as not all cabins have potable water access. The Fire Tower Cabin has no shower facilities, with campers using pit toilets located yards away at the trailhead. Cooking capabilities vary between locations, with some offering only outdoor fire rings and others providing indoor cooking appliances. Firewood is available for purchase at some campgrounds, while others require campers to bring their own. Small camp stores operate seasonally at several campgrounds for basic supplies.
"Very nice trails! Some trails are long with a lot of up and down through valley and ravines, so be prepared for the hike."
"Some sites have the fire ring very close to the parking area and some spots have limited shade (compared to the majority of the campground that is in the trees)."
Available this weekend
from $20 / night
"Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush. I had no phone service."
"Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective."
from $12 / night
"Cabin has basic kitchen: fridge/freezer, micro, coffee pot, table/chairs, sleeping room with queen bed, 2 futons, AC/heat, fireplace screened porch, grill/smoker& fire ring outside, table, potable"
"Horses welcome, firewood and ice available. Historical Fire Tower hike/visit is a must. Primitive pack-in sites, 1 cabin available."
from $25 - $39 / night
"The train tracks are extremely close to slot of sites. Very loud. K ly bsd thing. Cave tour was great but at extra cost. Lake/swimming/fishing was great. Cabin was clean and nice."
"The water attractions are great for the kiddos and the cabins aren’t half bad either!"
from $32 - $260 / night
"We stayed in walk-in site C, which the furthest site from the parking lot. Arrive before dark!!"
"The site itself was sloped away from the road making it feel tucked into the trees. The downside was that the only flat space for the tent was very close to the fire pit."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $19 - $110 / night
"This campground is perfectly situated on the Upper Iowa River."
"Wen I lived in Minnesota and my boyfriend was living in iowa, this was our go-to meeting place for our weekend getaways. "
from $20 / night
RangerVery nice campground with a few FHU sites, most are electric only. Some sites are pretty sloped making it hard to level longer rigs. Check carefully when making your reservation. Nice close hike to see the overlooks to the river, and there’s a well maintained hike down to the Bridal Veil Falls. Minus 1 star for the horrible push-button operated showers that only stay on for 6 seconds at a time. Good phone service for both t-mobile and AT&T.
ScoutI was a little skeptical after a negative review about the regular residents, so I watched for that dynamic. We were camping with another family so we had 8 kids between the two of us and I was worried all those kiddos would upset people. Quite the opposite experience from that review and it motivated me to leave this one to help provide a good picture. I have nothing bad to say about our camping experience. We did go a little out of season (September 12) so a lot of the campsites were empty. Most their sites are flat, and clean. The grass was well mowed and maintained. They had activities for the kids (Halloween). People that drove by were friendly and smiling, and waiving. We had people drop off candy for the kids asking parents first. We had people offer basketballs for our kids to use while they were away from their site. Me and my friend were about to haul ice bags and wood up a huge hill on foot and someone stopped their golf cart and emptied it of what they were carrying to give us a ride to our campsite. The kids tootled about on their bikes being kids with no negative experiences. There were a couple of kids on motor scooters whose engines were kind of obnoxious but that’s going to happen more and more at campgrounds, and it wasn’t during quiet hours. We had sites atop the “full Lakeview” and it was honestly surprising how beautiful it was up there. I think it can be difficult to get a view when you’re camping but those sites had it. We knew the full lake view sites were open so we took the cheaper ones across from them, but still saw the same view. There was a great amount of space between the sites we used. The only possible critique I might offer is in that specific row there weren’t many trees for shade, but the weather was cooler so it didn’t affect us, but if we went in the summer it might have been more uncomfortable without that natural shade. The bath houses and showers were great!!! I feel like a good bath house can make or break a campsite and we’ve been to some smaller ones that were quite lacking but this one was great. Very clean, not many bugs, spacious, real doors on the shower stalls. We did not arrive in season to utilize the pool area but it looked great from the other side of the gate ;) - the parks were well maintained and the kids loved them. there was a set of stairs that went from up the hill down to the office that looked a little sketchy but they were closed off for use. If you didn’t have a golf cart or couldn’t ride a bike, the trek from where we stayed to the office might be a challenge. Overall we loved it and would definitely consider going again. The sites were a little pricey but had on site sewer hookup which is fantastic.
ScoutBe advised site 14 is on such a steep hill it was honestly scary coming in an out of our camper! If an older couple were staying at this site in a camper I’m not sure if they would even be able to. Our second door entrance cannot be used due to how steep the hill is and we had to add wood to the bottom of our stairs because they didn’t touch the ground. Forgot to add you’re also under a very large black walnut tree that is currently dropping walnuts that are ripe.
LegendWe got here on a Monday and got a great spot in the back. The sunrise was spectacular. Then the fog moved in off the river and it was pretty cool.
ScoutThis is a fantastic Campground, especially for RVs and families. Large playground and outdoor games, small indoor rec area. During busy weekends with lots of kids and holidays, they have foam parties for the kids where they fill the basketball court with foam 3 ft High. Most sites are permanent sites, but have probably around 20 other 30 amp sites that can accommodate large RVs. There are only a few tent sites, but if tent is your only option and you still want to stay they will rent you an RV site for the tent. New owners are very friendly, and have adopted the same overwhelmingly hospitable nature as the previous owners. Fantastic people and very helpful. It will accommodate special needs or requests as long as it doesn't bother anybody or go against any insurance policies. I've had a permanent site here in the past, and recently started camping again and came to visit old friends. The new owners were still happy to accommodate semi truck parking for my job. I haul milk locally so I work more than I'm off, but the family can still camp and I can come when I'm done work. It is near the Wisconsin River, so it's fairly sand base although the Grass Grows plenty so you're not tracking sand everywhere. The benefits of this is when it rains heavily the sand absorbs the water rapidly. The only negative is the mosquitoes. Be prepared for mosquitoes with lots of bug spray. This is no fault of the campground, all low wetlands in Wisconsin are the same. The bathrooms are some of the best in any Campground I've seen. They are always clean, modernized, and Air condition. There are showers and bathroom stalls near the park. They try to keep families close to the park if possible for the bathrooms and the park access itself. They are really extremely accommodating for requests if it's in their power at all. The owners live at the campground and are always accessible by a simple phone call if after hours. There's a community vibe, with a community fire pit up front and often people are just hanging out outside of the main office. It embodies our Wisconsin way of life and you will find strangers waving at you every time you pass by. It's just our nature, don't be weirded out by the friendliness. The regular permanent campers are all so friendly and always willing to help a newbie or even someone struggling to figure out a problem or even carry things.
GuideFound this campground by chance after the campground I had planned to stay at was a complete disaster. Luckily, they were able to get me a campsite for two nights where I could regroup do a little laundry and chill out also took a bike ride on the bike path.
GuideNice campground with hookups. But the shower only had the push button and the water was so hot it was scalding!
ScoutIt’s a nice place to camp if you are fortunate enough to be with others know how to keep there music low or off. The lake is lovely, the camp sites are plentiful and fairly dispersed. I moved once after the music started blaring with Cheap Trick from the ‘70’s and now in the distance I can hear a metal band and a very high quality bass thumping away. Crazy. Tucked away on a bluff looking at a lovely landscape. If this kind of thing doesn’t bother you, you will enjoy this place. If you want quiet, it may be disappointing. Playground for kids, a beach, fishing.
LegendThis is a tucked away campground off a few miles of gravel near Spring Grove, MN. It has a pool and activities found at many KOAs. There is a beautiful creek going through the property and is a very beautiful area known as the driftless region.
Yellow River State Forest area offers cabin camping with options ranging from primitive to modern facilities. The park sits within the Driftless Area of Iowa where the geography consists of deeply carved valleys, limestone outcroppings, and cold-water streams. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing, while summer averages reach the mid-80s with higher humidity levels.
Fishing trout streams: Yellow River State Forest provides access to stocked trout streams popular among anglers. "Many different trails for hiking, biking or equestrian. Camp sites are mostly grass. Beautiful park," notes a visitor to Big Paint Campground. Trout stocking schedules are posted for seasonal planning.
Hiking trail systems: Explore the interconnected trail network with routes suitable for different skill levels. A visitor to Pikes Peak State Park Campground shares that "a half-mile wooden boardwalk to one of the park's glens to the picturesque Bridal Veil Falls" makes for an accessible hike option.
Visit the fire tower: The historic fire tower provides panoramic views of the forest. "Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush," reports one camper who stayed at Big Paint Campground.
Riverside campsites: Sites along the Upper Iowa River provide direct water access. A visitor to Upper Iowa Resort and Rental notes that "this campground is perfectly situated on the Upper Iowa River. Had some beautiful sites along the river... they offer tube canoe and kayak rentals with a shuttle to the put in then you float back to the campground."
Spacious campsites: Many campgrounds offer well-spaced sites. "The sites are very spacious and easy to get into for RV's/campers. Price is very reasonably priced. The creek adds to the wonderful scenery," shares a visitor to Red Barn Resort and Campground.
Off-season availability: Some campgrounds remain open during non-peak times. "Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa," reports a camper about Big Paint Campground, noting "Fee was $12. First come first served basis from November through March."
Train noise concerns: Several campgrounds sit near active rail lines. A visitor to Spook Cave and Campground warns, "The train tracks are extremely close to slot of sites. Very loud. Only bad thing. Cave tour was great but at extra cost."
Limited cell service: Connectivity can be spotty or nonexistent in valley areas. A visitor noted, "I had no phone service" at Big Paint Campground, which can be either a benefit or drawback depending on your needs.
Water crossings required: Some campgrounds require driving through water to access certain sites. "Be warned that in order to get to sites #27 through #37 you have to drive through some water. In September it was only about 8 inches."
Water recreation options: Several campgrounds offer swimming areas for children. At Upper Iowa Resort, "the pool is refreshing, campground is clean and inviting. Staff are friendly and helpful," according to one visitor. Another notes they "loved the sand bottom pool, owners were so nice and kids loved getting hard ice cream everyday from the shop!"
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Harpers Ferry, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Harpers Ferry, IA is Pikes Peak State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Harpers Ferry, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 34 cabin camping locations near Harpers Ferry, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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