Top Tent Camping near Johnston, IA
Looking for tent camping near Johnston? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Johnston with tent camping. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Johnston, Iowa's most popular destinations.
Best Tent Sites Near Johnston, IA (16)
1. Grant Park (Warren County Consevation Board)
10 Reviews•13 Photos•60 SavesDonated by Ferold and Dorothy Grant, this 150 acre park in northeast Warren County features a picnic shelter, a secluded pond, some wonderful woodland trails, and—new in 2018—10 primitive campsites! The picnic shelter is available for reservation by calling the WCCB office at (515) 961-6169. Grant Park has ten primitive campsites. There is a pit latrine in the campground. Water is not available. Reservations are not accepted. This campground is free of charge. Registration is required and is available at the campground entrance. Campers may stay in WCCB campgrounds for 14 days out of any 30 day period.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- ADA Access
- RVs
- Tents
2. Ashton Wildwood Park
5 Reviews•8 Photos•38 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
3. Colfax Quarry Springs Park
3 Reviews•17 Photos•65 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
$10 / night
5. Twin Anchors Campground
2 Reviews- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Tents
- Picnic Table
- WiFi
6. Otter Creek Park
2 Reviews•12 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Dispersed
7. Mariposa Recreation Area
1 Review•18 Photos•17 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Trash
- Picnic Table
8. Whispering Oaks RV Park
Be the first to review!•2 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Tents
- Picnic Table
10. Fifield (Ia)
Be the first to review!•4 Photos•1 SaveOverview
Fifield is located on Lake Red Rock, Iowas largest lake. It is just 10 miles from Pella, known for its Dutch heritage, and 15 miles from Knoxville, the Sprint car capital of the world.
Click here for a virtual tour of the area. http://www.photographyoptions.net/images/usace/redrock/tour.html
Natural Features:
Lake Red Rock is situated on the Des Moines River. Hardwood forests cover the lake shore at Fifield, offering shade and scenic views.
Wildlife is abundant around the lake. A wide variety of waterfowl, including the American White Pelican, migrate through the area in spring and fall. Bald eagles can be observed from November through March, and white-tailed deer and river otters are commonly viewed along the shoreline.
Recreation:
Lake Red Rock offers excellent boating, water skiing and swimming opportunities. Miles of water trails for kayakers and canoeists are designated along the shoreline.
Anglers will find crappie, walleye, channel and flathead catfish, northern pike and bluegill.
Several miles of trails for hiking and biking are in the area. The 15 mile paved Volksweg Trail stretches west from Pella to the Des Moines River and to the Cordova Recreation Area.
Facilities:
Fifield offers four reservable picnic shelters with 20 amp electrical outlets. Flush toilets are located nearby. Each shelter has a fire ring and an outdoor grill.
Nearby Attractions:
Des Moines, Iowas capital, is an hour away, with numerous shopping and dining opportunities, museums and the Blank Park Zoo.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
Showing results 1-10 of 16 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews In Johnston
455 Reviews of 16 Johnston Campgrounds
Gudrun C.
Scout
Adair City Park
Convenient Spot
No frills spot for an easy stop off I-80. Only 2 other campers the night we stayed. Great Mexican restaurant 2 blocks away.
Pat F.
Guide
Don Williams Park
Quite and nice
Very quite and nice campground, we camped on top of the hill in tents it was awesome view and potable drinking water next to camp, bathrooms and shower facilities was clean and nice
- RRyan S.Guide
Lenon Mill Park
Pretty basic, great for an overnight
I stayed here one night while I was traveling. It was a Saturday so the campground was kind of busy. People shouting and loud music. Lots of trucks with noisy exhausts coming and going all day. I'm sure it's more quiet during the week.
Some of the sites are well shaded, and you can access the water. It looked like people had been finding clams (they left the shells all over the picnic table). People were fishing here.
The power pedestals are far back from the parking pad for some reason. If you back all the way into your spot or if you have a long cord you should be fine. There was only a 50A outlet so I needed to use an adapter for my 30A camper.
There is one water spigot, and no dump station.
There are bathrooms, but no showers.
I had great T-mobile signal here (5G, 160 down and 20 up). And a somewhat decent 4G Verizon signal (70 down, 12 up).
The Guthrie County Historical Village& Museum is a 5 minute walk away. It's not open evenings or weekends but there is interesting stuff to walk around and see even when closed. The railroad cars are very cool.
- Michael K.Scout
Ashton Wildwood Park
Small but great spot to camp
Very clean, easy to reserve. Bathroom was a pit toilet but clean. Camp spot was clean and well-maintained.
- ccedded S.Scout
Sportsman Park
JJSploit
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BENdejo ~.Guide
Prairie Flower Recreation Area
Large, level, clean, quiet, cheap
Large level gravel pad driveways surrounded by beautiful prairie grass. Fantastically clean & well maintained facilities. Nice beach down the road and some Greenway trails. One of the NICEST public campgrounds I've stayed at. Reserve online at rec.gov. America the Beautiful National Parks Pass pays your day use fees at the beach.
Deb M.
Ranger
Winterset City Park
Great city park on a cute town
Nice city park campground close to lots of covered bridges and other things to see. The sites are pretty well spaced with lots of grass and some trees in between. It was a good value for full hookup sites. The bathroom was decent, and phone service was adequate. We just spent one night here on our way home from Colorado, but will be returning in the fall to explore more and see some colors.
James P.
Legend
Roberts Creek West Campground
Roberts Creek - East
East not west as satellite view in Dyrt is old and doesn’t show East campground. I did add a screenshot of current satellite view. FHU. Easy in and around campground. A lot of space between sites. Sites are fairly level with hard pack gravel.
- DDana K.
Traveler
Acorn Valley
Nice playground , well maintained
Nice and well maintained ! We parked at a site by the playground and bathhouse , and could sit at our camper and watch our son play at a safe distance
Alika T.GuideAdair City Park
Awesome little campsites!
$15 full power / $6 tents / $5 dump only. They have 110 power as well as regular hookups. Playground, tennis / pickleball courts, little zip line, and covered picnic area.
Nancy C.ScoutAcorn Valley
Amazingly Quiet
We lived our time there. It was quiet and we loved listening to the wildlife at night. My only complaint is that they left people in to camp after 10. Which kept me awake for a bit.
Thomas P.Traveler
Beaver Lake Campground
Simple for overnight
This campground is on the side of a lake. You hear beavers at night, see rabbits are on the sides of the lot. We came late around 8pm and the owner helped us fill the form and pick our spot. The only drawback are the restrooms which were ok but smelly.
- Matt M.Traveler
Iowa State Fair Campgrounds
Nice campground!
We've stayed here a number of times now in the past 2 years (not during fair weeks.) Campgrounds are located on the east side of the actual fairgrounds. There are hundreds of sites here. Some are flat, some are no where near flat, but there are so many, you can find one that will work for you! Almost all of the sites are full grass sites. The main shower house is the only one we've ever used and have no complaints. They are clean and bright and well kept.
The sites are $32/night.
- GGregory H.Scout
Prairie Flower Recreation Area
Four good days
Level sites , we were in site B40. Easy to back in plenty of room. Clean shower house and restrooms. Would we go back that's a definitely yes.
Renee H.Ranger
Howell Station
Large spacious campground
Well maintained campground with mature shade trees. Gravel sites, a little bit of leveling required. Poor Verizon cell signal, no internet signal. Not much natural privacy between sites, but sites were well spaced apart. Paved trail nice for biking and walking. Fishing nearby and the Dutch themed town of Pella is a short drive and a must see. Bathrooms and showers were nice, clean. Handicap camp site and bathhouse available. Firewood for sale at front gate. The potable water available at the dump station was clear and good for drinking. Dump station is easily accessible. Dumpsters were positioned around the campground. Staff was friendly. The night we stayed, there was a severe weather threat, and the staff, at the end of the night, had unlocked the storm shelters (utility area in the middle of the bathhouses) should the need arise. We ended up having to seek shelter because of a tornado warning.
- Amanda W.Scout
Jester County Park
outing
went out here with family and had a amtime azing
- Amanda W.Scout
Jester County Park
camping
we love it here people are great price is Right Showers are hot every time it a WOnderfull place •to be .
- Pat F.Guide
Swede Point Park
Great little gem
Great little hideaway of a campground, very reasonably priced and clean , fresh drinking water with dump stations and hot water showers and modern toilet facilities,
- Deb K.Scout
Ashton Wildwood Park
I love this secluded little campground!
I live just 7 miles away, but I love to take my grand daughter here for overnight camping. Most of the sites are tucked into the woods and very spacious. It's only $7/night! There is some play equipment for children. There is only a pit toilet in the campground and it's nice enough for midnight runs. (Bring your flashlight!) Drive up the road to the observatory and there is a bathroom with flush toilets and a hot shower, also a water spigot on the back side. There is also a big group site for family get togethers. There is a nice little circle hike that's not too difficult and was great for rehab after my knee replacement. I'd highly recommend it, but I don't want it to get too crowded!
- MMegan Y.Scout
Nature Haven at Red Rock Lake
Beautiful fall camping site
We really enjoyed our stay at site 4 in the woods. It was absolutely beautiful with the fall colors and leaves falling all around us. We also enjoyed the trails around our site and a pretty view of a pond a short walk away. Anna was very responsive and gave thorough directions for us. We would stay again.
- mmichael W.Traveler
Thomas Mitchell County Park
Nice campground although not too many spaces.
Came in late, even though there were several empty spaces turns out they were reserved. Very nice camp host told us we could have a non-electric site, none of them were reserved. Bathroom/showers were clean.
T J.Traveler
Lucas Pond - Stephens Forest
Great camp site with great fishing
Stayed two nights with my son and we absolutely loved it.
- JJenna E.Scout
Nature Haven at Red Rock Lake
We had a great time at this site:) …
We had a great time at this site:) Anna was very responsive and helpful when we had questions. I would definitely recommend to others, and I would return again.
- RRogerGuide
Swede Point Park
Nice Quiet place to spend the weekend
Great place to stay. Just a few minutes drive to High Trestle Bridge and right off the river. People were accommodating and friendly. Right between Madrid and Woodward with small town conveniences…
Benjamin L.Scout
Walnut Woods State Park
Nice park, convenient to Des Moines
We stayed 2 nights, the park was nice and well maintained with walking trails. It is wooded so there is a lot of shade. The pad was a little small but fit our camper fine.
Topaz G.TravelerAshton Wildwood Park
Rustic. Huge sites. Nature.
Definitely follow the directions on Dyrt, google took us on a winding gravel road that led to the same place.
The sites are very spacious, could easily accommodate multiple tents.
We arrived just after 9p after a long long day of driving and found the park easy to navigate.
Please be courteous when finding a spot after dark. The park was mostly empty but even still some people were shining flashlights at our tent.
Hoping to do an early morning hike, the trails, observatory and orienteering course all look awesome.
The entire property was well maintained, previous campers enjoyed copious amounts of beer and threw the cans into the brush, but I can't fault the park for that.
Ben K.ScoutThomas Mitchell County Park
Clean and quiet in tent
Spent 2 nights tent camping here. We stayed at site 4, glad I read reviews on here. I personally would not want to be in a site beyond number 7 as it gets too close to the dump station and subsequent “sewage lagoon”
Shower house was clean, pretty quiet, and only 5 miles off the highway
Guide to Johnston
Camping near Johnston, Iowa, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
What to do:
- Hiking: Explore scenic trails at Ledges State Park Campground. One camper mentioned, "The campground is well kept but busy in the summer months with it being a popular hiking destination for Des Moines locals."
- Fishing and Boating: Enjoy fishing and boating at Lake Anita State Park Campground. A visitor shared, "Great spot! $13 full hook up. Stayed 4 nights on a beautiful lake."
- Wildlife Watching: Check out Rock Creek State Park Campground for some wildlife sightings. One reviewer noted, "Clean place very open and gorgeous and peaceful."
What campers like:
- Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of restrooms and showers. A visitor at Jester County Park said, "Showers are hot every time; it's a wonderful place to be."
- Spacious Sites: Many campgrounds offer large, well-spaced sites. A camper at Yellow Banks County Park remarked, "Large spacious sites with a fire ring and picnic table."
- Friendly Hosts: Campers often mention the helpfulness of campground staff. One reviewer at Des Moines West KOA Holiday stated, "Staff is one of the nicest and most helpful we've ever encountered."
What you should know:
- Limited Cell Service: If you rely on your phone, be prepared for spotty coverage. A camper at Iowa Ledges State Park noted, "Cell coverage is terrible out here, and there is no WIFI to help keep people connected."
- Busy Seasons: Expect crowds during peak summer months. A visitor at Lake Ahquabi State Park Campground mentioned, "The campground was busy when we camped."
- Reservations Recommended: Many campgrounds fill up quickly, especially on weekends. A camper at Prairie Flower Recreation Area advised, "You must reserve these sites in advance."
Tips for camping with families:
- Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with kid-friendly amenities. A reviewer at Jester County Park mentioned, "CG has a kids playground, hiking trails, Equestrian Center, golf course, and nature center."
- Group Sites: Consider campgrounds that offer group camping areas for family gatherings. One camper at Bob Shelter Recreation Area said, "The sites are well spaced, and it gets busy with a lot of fishing."
- Nature Activities: Engage kids with nature activities like hiking and fishing. A visitor at Rock Creek State Park Campground noted, "The lake is pretty, and boat rentals seemed reasonable."
Tips from RVers:
- Level Sites: Look for campgrounds with level pads for easier setup. A camper at Walnut Woods State Park Campground mentioned, "The pad was a little small but fit our camper fine."
- Hookups Available: Many campgrounds offer electric and water hookups. A visitor at Des Moines West KOA Holiday shared, "Sites require some leveling, but the facilities were clean and private."
- Dump Stations: Check for dump stations on-site for convenience. A camper at Lake Anita State Park Campground noted, "Clean latrines and park all around."
Camping around Johnston, IA, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Johnston, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Johnston, IA is Grant Park (Warren County Consevation Board) with a 4-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Johnston, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Johnston, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.