Best Tent Camping near Harpers Ferry, IA
Yellow River State Forest offers multiple primitive tent camping options near Harpers Ferry, Iowa, with Camp Glen Wendel and Camp John Schultz providing secluded backcountry sites accessible via hiking trails. These established tent campgrounds feature fire rings and benches surrounded by dense forest terrain. Additional tent camping can be found at Echo Valley State Park Campground about 35 miles west, where campers enjoy stream-side sites in a quieter setting.
Most tent sites in the area are primitive with minimal amenities. Camp Glen Wendel and Camp John Schultz provide fire rings and benches but lack drinking water at the campsites. Potable water is available at the forest headquarters near the registration kiosk. Yellow River's backcountry camping follows Leave No Trace principles, with campers advised to gather only dead, downed wood for fires. Toilets are not available at the primitive sites, though some campgrounds like Echo Valley do offer vault toilets. Cell reception is limited in most camping areas but can be found near the fire tower, which is the only one in Iowa.
The backcountry tent sites at Yellow River State Forest provide excellent seclusion and serve as ideal training grounds for longer backpacking trips. The forest offers interconnected hiking trails with varied terrain and multiple sanctioned tent camping areas. Wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant, with one camper noting, "We were greeted by hundreds of butterflies! They were everywhere!" The dense forest setting creates a true wilderness experience rare in Iowa, with multiple visitors mentioning the minimal encounters with other hikers. Another reviewer shared that the "sandstone bluffs were in the background" at the quarry area of RJD Memorial Hardwood State Forest, offering tent campers scenic views of the surrounding landscape and Mississippi River.
