Top Glamping near Iowa City, IA

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Iowa City, IA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Iowa City is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Iowa City, IA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

Best Glamping Sites Near Iowa City, IA (13)

Showing results 1-10 of 13 campgrounds

Recent Glamping Reviews In Iowa City

55 Reviews of 13 Iowa City Campgrounds


  • Camper-submitted photo from Keokuk County Belva Deer Park
    May 31, 2024

    Keokuk County Belva Deer Park

    Clean park warm showers

    $12 a night for primitive camping and you get nice warm showers by the main entrance and nice bathrooms by the main entrance. Stand-alone bathrooms throughout the park have the deep composting toilets that smell bad but whatever the ones up front are nice. Would recommend 10/10

  • Camper-submitted photo from Camp Liberty
    March 1, 2024

    Camp Liberty

    Wonderful camp with many amenities

    Camp offers site for all tastes: primitive and modern cabins and lodges, tents for small or large groups and couples. Hard roads, fire pits, tables, water, showers, supplies. Surrounded by nature with forest, prairie, and lake.Trails, and even guided activities.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Scott County Park
    August 24, 2023

    Scott County Park

    Large campsite with the modern ameneties

    This park is pretty huge so make sure you know which campground you’re going to. The sites here are all shaded (at least in the Pine Grove section I was in). I was next to a large shower house that had plenty of hot water and everything was super clean. The park staff were very friendly and helped me get to the campsite I needed. Beware that if you come after 10pm, there is no way to pay for your spot so you’d have to choose a random spot and come back the next morning to pay.

    The sites themselves are HUGE and some of them would accommodate the largest camping rigs you could imagine. Everything in Pine Grove is 50 amp. There are playgrounds for your kids to play in. Cell service was excellent for Verizon and AT&T. Not sure about T Mobile. 60mbps down and 16 up for AT&T.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Scott County Park
    April 9, 2023

    Scott County Park

    Well kept campground + peaceful/quiet

    Beautiful, spacious and quiet campground. Park rangers and staff are so kind and respectful of keeping the areas cleaned up and cared for! Lots of tree shade for picnicking, hiking trails, and even a pool! Bathrooms were always stocked and cleaned, plus they have HOT SHOWERS! Woohoo! Such a wonderful time at Scott County Park! Can’t beat it! :D

  • Camper-submitted photo from Sleepy Hollow
    October 5, 2022

    Sleepy Hollow

    No Pets?

    Was looking forward to camping there until I found out they do not allow pets at tent sites. Apparently they don’t feel responsible pet owners use tents. Not happy will never stay there

  • Camper-submitted photo from Central Park
    September 21, 2022

    Central Park

    Very well maintained County Park with lake

    This park is well maintained with full service and primitive sites. Trails, nature center, shelters, restrooms/showers, and lake access for beach, paddling, fishing, etc. Prairie plantings mixed in the wooded areas.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Palisades-Kepler State Park
    September 20, 2022

    Palisades-Kepler State Park

    First time, one night

    Super chill and plenty of space, especially for tents on site 39. Bathrooms are very nice and modern and clean, maintenance was very nice to let me shower before he could clean it. It was our only night there and we heard a lot of movements by the woods that it creeped us out but we were hearing haunted stories before arriving so the Halloween vibes was definitely there. Loads of shade and quiet nice neighbors.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Pinicon Ridge Park
    September 1, 2022

    Pinicon Ridge Park

    Nice clean and generally spacious

    Stayed in The Plains area. Water and electric hookups, dump station near by. Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Scott County Park
    July 21, 2022

    Scott County Park

    Just a quiet one night stay

    We needed to stay in Davenport area for the night (traveling from South Dakota to Maryland) and the reviews were high so we stopped here. Did not disappoint- very quiet, huge lot, clean and manicured, large bathhouse. Next time, we will hopefully stay for longer so we can try out the amenities!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Pinicon Ridge Park
    July 1, 2022

    Pinicon Ridge Park

    Pinicon Ridge Linn County

    This park is beautiful and there is tons to do. The playground is fantastic and keep the kids entertained all day. The water is great for fishing, swimming and boating. Central City also has everything you need within minutes of your site. There is boat rentals and the new showers are amazing.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Sleepy Hollow
    December 8, 2021

    Sleepy Hollow

    Under new ownership

    This campground has many amenities for the whole family. From tent sites, to Airbnb cabins for 9 people they have a site for everyone. They have laundry, showers, horseshoes, volleyball, basketball, fishing and a swimming beach.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Lake Darling State Park Campground
    September 28, 2021

    Lake Darling State Park Campground

    Nice little lake & ammenities

    We went out for a fishing day, boat launch was very nice and entire lake was very clean. There were several people out on the water in kayaks and paddle boats, very calm waters. Beautiful little lake with out a ton of traffic, perfect!!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Pinicon Ridge Park
    August 23, 2021

    Pinicon Ridge Park

    Quiet weekend on the flying squirrel loop

    Great place to kick back and relax. The trail through the campground takes you across the river where you can find canoe and paddle boat rentals, and our favorite an off leash do area.  We all took the trail into town and found a BIT Brewery where we enjoy woodfired pizza and brought some beer home in a growler for around the fire that night.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Scott County Park
    August 10, 2021

    Scott County Park

    West Lake Park- Great Place to Park!

    Enjoyed almost 2 weeks at West Lake Park, part of the Scott County, IA park system. Helpful staff, park rangers make daily patrols, nice spots, many with shade trees & decent room. There are numerous walking trails & is minutes away from the heart of downtown. Overall, a great RV parking experience & would return back again!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Scott County Park
    August 6, 2021

    Scott County Park

    Beautiful Scenery, Well Maintained, A Lot To Do!!!

    We stayed in the Pine Grove Campground, Lot #15 from Sunday, July 25, 2021 - Wednesday, August 4, 2021. This campground is electric hookup only. On our site we were able to just fit our camper and truck with not a whole lot of extra room but other sites had a longer driveways able to accommodate a larger rig. We have a 25' camper for reference. We absolutely loved camping here!

    The campgrounds are well maintained. Cleaning Day is Monday... they come around to clean the bathrooms and refill products, empty the dumpsters, and clean out the fire pits. 

    We did not get any pictures of the bathrooms but they are very clean, 4 toilet stalls and 3 showers. The only issue I had with the shower was it was just a stall... not much room to put your clothes and towel, but they did provide a shower caddy to put your soaps and such on. I ended up using a bag I could hang on the hook provided on the door to keep my stuff dry while showering. 

    The campground was pretty quiet and sparse until Friday rolled around and it filled up fast! All but one site was full! Everyone was very friendly and there were a ton of kids that were playing and riding around on their bikes. It was fun to watch everyone having a good time! 

    The park is very well patrolled by the Park Rangers, you see them driving around all the time to check and make sure everything is in order. 

    We rode around on our electric bikes, strolling through the campgrounds, stopping at the lake to take in the view, stopping at the memorial to check it out. The roads are slightly narrow, just enough for 2 cars to pass each other so make sure you are looking out while riding your bike. We also did one of the hiking trails. It was a nice trail just big enough for one person (or person on a bike) to walk through so you have to walk in a single file line. We also stopped at the Pioneer Village to check it out. They do expect you to leave a $2 donation per adult and $1 donation per child, but this is based on the honor system. You put your money in a little lock box. It was very cool to see how things were done back then! We would definitely recommend stopping by, and definitely stop in the ice-cream shop and get a cone!

    The pool was open while we were there but we did not partake. It was really hot out so the pool was packed! It looks really nice from the road, it has 2 water slides and a small child area fashioned similar to a splash park.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Pinicon Ridge Park
    July 19, 2021

    Pinicon Ridge Park

    Perfect County Campground

    We stayed at this campground for 7 nights with W/E hook ups.  Dump available on entrance/exit.  The site was a level rock pad witch was very spacious with a fire ring and picnic table.  Nearest grocery store was within 5 miles.  The bathrooms and shower were very clean with lots of hot water.  There is hiking in the park and very little road noise.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Central Park
    June 15, 2021

    Central Park

    Great County Park!

    Beautiful little lake. Nice beach area. Camping sites pretty level. Park has free WiFi.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Palisades-Kepler State Park
    June 2, 2021

    Palisades-Kepler State Park

    Good hiking & fishing!

    Lots of intense trails to explore but some tree were in the way due to a past storm. Close to cedar river for awesome fishing!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Scott County Park
    April 30, 2021

    Scott County Park

    Awesome for camping and trails

    This has always been a nice and well maintained park. Although theres a small "lake" here, Ive never had great luck catching much. Pool is nice and updated. Park rangers are always frequently present and patrolling. This a great park for camping and walking trails.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area
    November 5, 2020

    Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area

    Nice cabin vacation

    Cabins were nice - not luxury or glamping but clean and in good condition.  The gentleman that takes care of the campground takes great pride in his work and it shows - kudos to him!  There is a nice hiking trail around the lake, about 8 miles complete loop.  there is a bit of elevation change and not many opportunities to "bail out" so take water and pace yourself.



Guide to Iowa City

Camping near Iowa City offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to enjoy nature and make lasting memories.

What to do:

  • Explore the caves: At Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground, you can hike through beautiful trails and explore unique caves. One visitor said, "The caves make this a unique place to visit but the hiking is rigorous."
  • Fishing and boating: Shady Creek is right on the Mississippi River, making it a great spot for fishing and launching your boat. A camper mentioned, "Nice boat launch. Right on the Mississippi."
  • Disc golf and playgrounds: At West Overlook Campground, you can enjoy disc golf and let the kids play in the playground. One reviewer noted, "There is disc golf as well."

What campers like:

  • Clean facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the bathrooms and showers. One visitor at Lake Macbride State Park Campground said, "Clean bathrooms and multiple water wells spread out."
  • Spacious sites: Many campgrounds offer roomy sites. A reviewer at Scott County Park mentioned, "The sites themselves are HUGE and some of them would accommodate the largest camping rigs you could imagine."
  • Friendly staff: Campers often highlight the helpfulness of campground staff. A visitor at Fishermans Corner - Mississippi River said, "The hosts were absolutely the best! They walk through the camp each night checking sites."

What you should know:

  • Limited amenities: Some campgrounds, like Sugar Bottom Campground, do not have showers. A camper noted, "There are shower houses throughout the CG."
  • Noise from trains: If you're sensitive to noise, be aware that some campgrounds, such as Fishermans Corner, are near train tracks. One camper mentioned, "Train tracks are right next to the sites."
  • Busy on weekends: Many campgrounds can get crowded, especially on weekends. A visitor at Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground said, "We were dismayed when we arrived at 3 pm on a Sunday to find the place packed with day-use visitors."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Bring outdoor games: Many campgrounds have open spaces for kids to play. A reviewer at F. W. Kent Park said, "There are playgrounds for your kids to play in."
  • Plan for activities: Look for campgrounds with nearby attractions. One camper at Lake Macbride State Park Campground mentioned, "Will stay here again when come back to visit her."
  • Pack snacks and drinks: Having food on hand can make family outings easier. A visitor at Scott County Park noted, "The park is electric with a convenient dump and water station as you enter the park."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check site sizes: Some sites may not accommodate larger RVs. A camper at Lake Macbride State Park Campground said, "The biggest downside: hard to tell until you see your site if you have water pump close enough!"
  • Use leveling blocks: Many sites may require leveling. A visitor at Sugar Bottom Campground mentioned, "We did have to put blocks under the passenger-side tires."
  • Stay connected: If you need internet access, check cell service availability. A camper at Shady Creek said, "Good cell reception. We have Verizon."

With these insights, you’ll be well-prepared for a great camping experience near Iowa City!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Iowa City, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Iowa City, IA is Palisades-Kepler State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 8 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find glamping camping near Iowa City, IA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 13 glamping camping locations near Iowa City, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.