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Best Cabin Camping near Hawarden, IA

213 Reviews

Several state parks and recreation areas within driving distance of Hawarden, Iowa offer cabin camping options for visitors seeking a blend of comfort and outdoor experience. Newton Hills State Park features log cabins with electricity, heating, and basic furnishings. Big Sioux Recreation Area provides cabins for rent with picnic tables and fire rings, situated among shade trees for privacy. According to one visitor, "The cabins for rent looked clean and functional" with convenient access to hiking trails and water activities. Most cabins include beds with mattresses, electricity, and climate control systems, though amenities vary by location.

Rustic and deluxe cabins are available throughout the region, with varying levels of amenities and privacy. Ponca State Park, about 45 minutes from Hawarden, offers an "impressive set of cabins and other facilities for the 21st century camper," as one reviewer noted. Scenic Park in South Sioux City features "four unique modern looking cabins" with river views. KOA locations in Sioux Falls and North Sioux City provide cabin rentals with air conditioning, which one guest appreciated: "We were so grateful we chose to stay in a cabin which had a/c." Most cabins are pet-friendly, though policies vary by location. Reservations are essential during summer months, with many locations booking weeks in advance.

Most cabin rentals include beds and basic furniture but require guests to bring their own linens, pillows, and toiletries. Kitchen facilities vary widely, from simple fire rings with grill attachments to cabins with small refrigerators and microwaves. Visitors should pack cooking utensils, food storage containers, and cleaning supplies. Mill Creek State Park offers "4 modern cabins" with access to water and electric hookups. Hillview Recreation Area provides two cabin options with nearby shower facilities. Grocery stores are available in nearby towns, though stocking up before arrival is recommended as some locations have limited on-site provisions.

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Best Cabin Sites Near Hawarden, Iowa (20)

    1. Newton Hills Campground — Newton Hills State Park

    11 Reviews
    Canton, SD
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 987-2263

    "The spacious and clean facilities provided the perfect backdrop for our outdoor getaway, offering a blend of adventure and relaxation away from the city."

    "Really great state park not too far from lake lakota with great playgrounds. Great woods woth trails"

    2. Lazy H Campground

    7 Reviews
    Akron, IA
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (712) 568-5299

    $45 - $65 / night

    "It is really obvious that these folks put a lot of thought and effort into this park. Big lake for swimming and fishing. Concrete pads and nice new picnic tables."

    "They all have a huge table and stone fire pit. Plenty of room for a second vehicle.

    Full hookups are great.

    Tons of activities to do here. There’s fishing, boating, biking, and swimming."

    3. Rivers Bend Campground

    4 Reviews
    Rock Valley, IA
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (712) 476-6065

    "There is a swimming hole with a little beach and walking/bike trail. They have tent sites that you have to walk to but they are right on the water away from all of the RV sites."

    "Only 4 stars due to neighbors leaving their dog outside barking constantly until they returned. Against park rules so maybe a one off. Water front on 80% of spots."

    4. Big Sioux Recreation Area

    Be the first to review!
    Hawarden, IA
    1 mile

    5. Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

    35 Reviews
    Brandon, SD
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 582-7243

    "Located in Brandon not far from Sioux Falls. Clean bathrooms with showers. Firewood available to purchase. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Bike and hiking trails. Plus plenty of privacy."

    "Easy access from 90W, not much road noise and close to the town of Brandon for supplies. "

    6. Riverfront Campground — Ponca State Park

    10 Reviews
    Ponca, NE
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (402) 755-2284

    $25 - $30 / night

    "They now sport an impressive set of cabins and other facilities for the 21st century camper. Tent camping continues to be available and has better privacy than many sites throughout Nebraska."

    "Table, fire ring, water, pit toilet. Large park with plenty of amenities. We were only stopping for the night so we didn’t explore the other areas. Nice overlook of the river and 3 states."

    7. Scenic Park

    17 Reviews
    Sioux City, NE
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (402) 494-7531

    $18 - $30 / night

    "Scenic Park Campground is in South Sioux City along the Missouri River. Our campsite had a river view, picnic table, and fire ring."

    "We stayed in a pull through that was very spacious with picnic table and fire pit. Spectated by trees so your not on top of your neighbor. Bathrooms and showers were very clean!"

    8. Stone State Park Campground

    9 Reviews
    North Sioux City, IA
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (712) 255-4698

    $12 - $50 / night

    "There were vault/pit toilets close and regular restrooms with showers a little walk away (showers needed to be cleaned). Water spigot was close by too."

    "Lots of trails, a little man made lake and a playground in the park for the kids. Beautiful hills and scenery and so quiet!"

    9. Sioux Falls KOA

    28 Reviews
    Sioux Falls, SD
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 332-9987

    "Good selection in store open 8am to 9pm in July. Nice size pool and laundry room. Store seemed well stocked with a variety of items."

    "We decided to stay at this campground because it was close to Falls Park. It’s 4 miles away from the KOA to Downtown. It wasn’t crowded, very clean, met lots of Texans and the pet areas were awesome!"

    10. Cabins — Ponca State Park

    6 Reviews
    Ponca, NE
    30 miles
    +1 (402) 755-2284

    $105 - $231 / night

    "The cabins here are top notch! The park is so beautiful too!"

    "Ponca State Park is a perfect winter getaway, with spacious well equipped newer cabins and beautiful scenery"

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Recent Cabin Photos near Hawarden, IA

10 Photos of 20 Hawarden Campgrounds

Cabin Reviews near Hawarden, IA

213 Reviews of 20 Hawarden Campgrounds

  • Katrin M.
    Jul. 7, 2019

    Palisades State Park Campground

    A very nice getaway!

    We camped here over the weekend with our dogs. The campground is within 10 miles off of I90.

    The park is not very big so there are not many campsites. Some have electric hook up, others are just for tent camping. All of them provide a picnic table and a fire pit. They also have little log cabins. We stayed at campsite 6 which was a very good spot. Some of the other sites seemed very close together without much privacy or shade.

    The park staff (rangers, camp host and volunteers) was extremely friendly. They always made sure that we had everything we needed. The rangers also offer different programs on the weekend like learning about geocaching or how to make campfire desserts.

    There is one bathhouse for the entire campground. It seemed a little old but got cleaned daily. There are also several vault toilets around the area. From the campground you have access to the water. There are also several short hiking trails from where you can see the rock formations.

    It was just a very short ride to the Devils Gulch (Jesse James historical site) or Split Rock Park. There is also a Dollar General close by. We would definitely recommend the campground.

  • Anne B.
    Jun. 19, 2025

    KOA Campground North Sioux City

    Ehhhhh good concept

    This place did not provide all of the activities they claimed to provide according to our itinerary the weekend we stayed. That was disappointing. But they have cabin rentals and a pool but the pool was shut down. Of course. My kids loved those super expensive backs of and that had “rare gems (rocks)” in them but we found pretty bland types. Overall, enjoyed the surrounding towns amenities over the campgrounds.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 24, 2018

    Scenic Park

    Along the Missouri River

    Scenic Park Campground is in South Sioux City along the Missouri River. Our campsite had a river view, picnic table, and fire ring. The campground is part of a large park and was full hookups with cable and wifi included. Our site was a pull through. The area was clean and had a nice appearance. There was also 4 unique modern looking cabins and a tent area.

    The park also has tennis courts, soccer fields, and baseball fields. There is a swimming pool and playgrounds, along with trails. The trails I loved were along the river. The only con was that There was a major highway on the other side of the river and ambulances would pass by with sirens going. Otherwise a nice campground.

  • Carolyn M.
    Oct. 23, 2019

    Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

    Ok place to spend the night, but could have been better

    I spent the night here and had to pay the entrance fee to the park as well as the camping fee for my tentsite. They had only a few tentsites available amid all the RV sites, but they were right on the edge of the playground, so the families had to walk right through my campsite to get to the play area. Not too big a deal as no one wanted to use the play area at night while I was sleeping, but still.  I also looked over at the power lines. There was a flush toilet facility close by but there was a very bright light on all night. Good for families needing to navigate in the dark but not wonderful if you like sleeping in darkness. And though I was told that quiet hours began at 10PM, the site next to me was quite loud through the trees until at least midnight so the quiet hours are not enforced. Meh. I don't think I'll be going back.

  • S
    Sep. 19, 2021

    Stone State Park Campground

    Quick weekend trip

    Planned to stay for the weekend to test out new tent but storms came through & we left after one night. Basic campground in shady area under trees. We did not get an electric hookup. Ground was mostly dirt not grass on our site & mostly dry. Large trees provided shade which helped as very hot & humid. We were next to a ravine but with plenty of bug spray did not get many bites. Hiked the Bear & Buffalo trails. Campground very quiet though a few people came & went. Washrooms are very basic & chose not to use shower. The Park Ranger did check on us & advise on weather conditions. Picnic table & fire pit were fine. Got only 1 bar signal on both Verizon & AT&T. No WiFi. Overall basic, woody/shaded. Good for short stay.

  • Myrna G.
    Jul. 24, 2019

    Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

    Beautiful and peaceful

    Heading home needed a one night camp spot. This one fit the bill.
    Located in Brandon not far from Sioux Falls. Clean bathrooms with showers. Firewood available to purchase. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Bike and hiking trails. Plus plenty of privacy. Definitely will return.

  • Joe R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 25, 2022

    Palisades State Park Campground

    Well Shaded Park

    We happened upon this park during the 50th anniversary of the park so there were lots of park events happening. This is a very clean and well maintained park. We tent camp so much of my observations are geared for the tent camper. We stayed at site 34E, a long but narrow and slanted site. We were lucky to find some awkward somewhat flat place for our two tents. This site would be just fine for RV camping but I’d steer clear for tent camping. I’d estimate that 50% of the sites are flat and suitable for tents.
    Here are some key take aways from our 3 night stay in late July 2022. -clean and well maintained park

    • fair wireless service for Verizon
    • well placed and clean shower / restroom houses
    • nice playgrounds
    • great options on the park for paddle boarding, kayaking, water play as well as additional options at near by Devil’s Gultch and Split Rock parks.
    • Very well shaded park
    • Grocery store less than 10 min away.
    • Mosquitos weren’t a problem during out stay with a little bug spray prevention.
    • Nice aluminum picnic tables at all sites. Standard fire pits with grilling attachments.
    • employees will enforce local approved fire wood use Negatives:
    • lots of biting flies
    • if you like private sites this isn’t for you The interesting:
    • this is easily the most heavily staffed state park I’ve ever stayed at. If you like a constant park employee presence you’ll like it. I found it to be excessive however. During a 30 min time period we counted 8 employee vehicles to two park visitors driving by. It seemed to create unnecessary road traffic and noise at times. Park employees walk the park on foot in the dark at the 11pm to enforce quite time. There aren’t going to be any site reservation mix ups there either. Park employees constantly check sites and make sure reservations are correct. The camp host was very nice and makes the round frequently.
  • Susan L.
    Sep. 5, 2020

    Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

    Convenient camping near Sioux Falls

    This Recreation Area is large and  located off the Sioux River, which was slow flowing when I visited. It’s not the most picturesque river I’ve seen, so if you’re looking for that look further. However, because it was slow moving it made for a nice round trip paddle. 

    Easy access from 90W, not much road noise and close to the town of Brandon for supplies. 

    There’s a fantastic disc golf course complete with a creaky suspension foot bridge that spans the fiver. 

    Great hiking and biking trails too. I hiked the Valley of the Giants trail, which earns its name because of the many old, “giant” oaks in this river bottom area. It’s an easy hike with one slight incline/decline, but the loop was curtailed by a giant felled oak tree.  The path was completely covered and no matter which way I tried I couldn’t see the trail it had become so overgrown. Sadly it seems that this has been the fate of several the the Giants, perhaps due to the river flooding.

    The campground has gravel pads. My site backed up to the river but there was a bushy berm and the bike/walking bath between the site and the river. No problem to access the river though because there are little paths worn through the bushes. Lots of trees for shade and good space between sites. There’s electric but no water at site. Fill up by the restrooms or before you come. Picnic table and fire ring with grill connected. Fire ring is on a cement pad. I’d never seen that before. 

    There are also  cabins for rent and when I was there the restrooms looked clean and functional.  Picnic shelter and gazebo are on site as well as the Bergeson’s Homestead. It’s always nice to see history being preserved like this! When I’m passing through this area again, I’ll revisit this recreation area.

  • Amy B.
    Jul. 6, 2021

    Stone State Park Campground

    Served its Purpose

    We stopped here for the night during our road trip. We were not sure we would even get a spot due to the July 4th Holiday. We found a primitive spot that had a fire ring and picnic table. It was very shady however the campsites are super close to each other and unfortunately the spots were quickly filled. The bathroom was so gross and the shower did not spray. It ran down the wall and I had to get really creative with washing my hair. It served its purpose, shoes were definitely left on while in the shower, and I guess I left cleaner then when I went in. The park ranger came by to verify our rental slip and was very nice. Everyone seemed to respect the 10:00pm quiet time.

Guide to Hawarden

Cabin camping near Hawarden, Iowa offers a perfect blend of outdoor adventure and cozy accommodations, making it an ideal getaway for families and nature lovers alike.

Cabin campers appreciate these amenities

Explore local attractions

Activities for the whole family

  • Families can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities at Lake Pahoja Recreation Area, including fishing, kayaking, and hiking along scenic trails.
  • Scenic Park offers a playground and picnic areas, making it a great spot for kids to play while adults relax by the river.
  • At Sioux City North KOA, guests can take advantage of organized activities, a pool, and a dog park, ensuring fun for everyone in the family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Hawarden, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Hawarden, IA is Newton Hills Campground — Newton Hills State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 11 reviews.

What is the best site to find cabin camping near Hawarden, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 20 cabin camping locations near Hawarden, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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