Best RV Parks & Resorts near Lake Red Rock

CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Lake Red Rock offers several RV camping options with varying amenities and accessibility. River Oaks RV Park provides 99 full-hookup sites with 50-amp electrical service, water, and sewer connections throughout the year. Kellogg RV Park, located just off Interstate 80, features pull-through gravel sites with 50-amp hookups, making it suitable for big rigs needing easy highway access. Howell Station Campground operates seasonally from April to October with water hookups and electric service, though without sewer connections at individual sites. "Sites have good spacing and full hookups that were installed with some thought. Only used one stinky slinky, could have hooked up water with a 6' hose, and the electrical was near the back of the site."

Most RV parks in the region require reservations, particularly during summer months and racing events at nearby Iowa Speedway. Newton KOA, located 30 minutes east of Des Moines, offers pull-through sites with varying electrical options—some providing only 30-amp service while others have both 30 and 50-amp capabilities. Dump stations are available at most established campgrounds, though visitors report varying experiences with site levelness. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, many RV sites require leveling blocks as the gravel pads may have slight slopes. Cell service remains consistent throughout the area, with most parks offering WiFi connectivity. Pet-friendly policies are standard across most facilities, with designated dog areas available at select locations. Propane refill services can be found at Griffs Valley View RV Park and several nearby towns.

Best RV Sites Near Lake Red Rock (85)

    1. Kellogg RV Park

    13 Reviews
    Kellogg, IA
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 526-8535

    "The sites are mostly pull through with full service electric, water, and sewer. The only real issue is the constant noise from I-80 which is just to the south of the campground."

    "Iowa."

    2. River Oaks RV Park

    2 Reviews
    Runnells, IA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (515) 989-0574

    $45 - $60 / night

    "Nice size campground, sites have good spacing and full hookups that were installed with some thought."

    "We stayed here to go to the Iowa State Fair. It was easy to park here and catch a shuttle to the fair."

    3. Griffs Valley View RV Park

    11 Reviews
    Bondurant, IA
    33 miles
    Website

    $35 - $90 / night

    "The campground very very well kept with spacious concrete pads, both 30/50 amp and full water/ sewage hookups. Two nice laundry/shower houses, one in the front and one in the back of the campground."

    "I came here once for a baby shower and then check the place out for RV camping you can stay year round you can stay for a week a month or a day and they have full hookup propane they have so many interesting"

    CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

    4. Lakeside Casino RV Park

    4 Reviews
    Woodburn, IA
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (877) 477-5253

    $35 - $45 / night

    "All the spaces are pulled through. It is very clean. There is full hook up for water, electric and sewer. All spaces are paved. There are picnic tables scattered throughout the park."

    "The park was clean with level sites. The front desk person was friendly and helped me with my reservation. It was a close walk to Pilot for supplies."

    5. Howell Station

    8 Reviews
    Pella, IA
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 828-7522

    $22 - $24 / night

    "Well maintained campground with mature shade trees. Gravel sites, a little bit of leveling required. Poor Verizon cell signal, no internet signal."

    "Howell Station is one out of five COE CG's that are around Lake Red Rock. CG is well kept, has a bike/walking path that borders the River and winds through the woods."

    7. Diamond Lake County Park

    11 Reviews
    Montezuma, IA
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 623-3191

    "While it was our first time camping in Iowa, we were extremely lucky to land upon this slightly hidden fresh water centered campground just a 20 minute drive south of Route 80 near Montezuma, wherein one"

    "review from over a year and a half ago, I’m adding a bunch of additional photos as well as an abbreviated post pointing out the HIGHS and LOWS of this county park campground gem in a very rural part of Iowa"

    CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

    8. Nature Haven at Red Rock Lake

    4 Reviews
    Lake Red Rock, IA
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (530) 309-9885

    $25 - $120 / night

    "The perfect drive up private campsite you will find in Iowa. Very quiet with a beautiful view of three ponds and a sunset you will not want to miss."

    "Peaceful and quiet our last stop in our week long overlanding trip. Plus just 6 miles from our fav brewery in Iowa."

    9. Indian Hills RV Park

    Be the first to review!
    Moravia, IA
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 932-7181
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RV Park Reviews near Lake Red Rock

398 Reviews of 85 Lake Red Rock Campgrounds


  • Renee H.
    May. 7, 2024

    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.

  • H
    Aug. 20, 2018

    Prairie Flower Recreation Area

    Fantastic Space and View!

    This quickly became one of our favorite close to home spots. Sites are large and there is plenty of space between sites. We had a concrete pad with a picnic table and fire pit with grill grate. Most are back in sites, but once settled we had a gorgeous view of the lake and sunsets. Restrooms were clean and dump stations were easily accessible. This is now our go to spot when we want to camp but stay close to home!

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 18, 2023

    Lakeside Co Park

    Nice lake, but run down campsites.

    First, there is no dump station! All sites have water and electricity with 20, 30, and 60 amp plugs. The sites are 20 dollars. The campsites located near the entrance are pull-through but need maintenance. The campsites along the lake will support short to medium length RVs or trailers, and all are back in. As of this posting, all are not level and in poor condition. The city of Huneston, Iowa is a few minutes away and has several gas stations and a grocery store.

  • J
    Dec. 14, 2021

    Jester County Park

    Nice, Quiet CG

    Nice CG located on the North end of Saylorville Reservoir. Camped in the upper CG site#145. Numerous shade trees, gravel pad and room for our 20' trailer and TV. CG has a kids playground, hiking trails, Equestrian Center, golf course and nature center. Plenty to do with the city of Ankeny just 15 minutes away. CG was fairly empty until around Thursday and filled on the weekend. Seniors can get$5 off per day of their reservation. Dump station is at the entrance of the CG. We camped at Jester Park in a Travel Trailer.

  • Jason F.
    Jun. 14, 2022

    Walnut Woods State Park Campground

    Comfortable Camping Convenient To Des Moines

    Walnut Woods is conveniently located 25 minutes outside of downtown Des Moines. Sites are paved and mostly level, although we did have to throw a couple of blocks under one side of our TT tires. Most sites feature 20/30/50 electric, a fire ring and a picnic table. Some also have water and sewer hookups. Sites are relatively small and close together, so get comfortable looking into your neighbors’ site/camper depending on how your site is oriented. The road around the campground is paved, but very narrow. We had to ask our neighbor across the street to temporarily move their tow vehicle so that we’d have adequate room to back into our site.

    There is a bathroom, trash dumpsters, and a dump station with both potable and tank cleanout water spigots. There are trail heads near the campground that follow along the raccoon river for almost 2 miles. It was very muddy when we camped here, so we had to turn around about 1.5 miles into our hike and backtrack due to an impassible area.

    3 bars of T-Mobile and 2 bars of AT&T were more than sufficient for internet browsing and streaming.

  • A
    Apr. 3, 2022

    Adventureland Campground

    Parking more than camping

    I stayed at Adventureland for the summer months and had no issues. The staff was very helpful, plenty of laundry/restrooms throughout the campground and pretty clean overall. Concrete pads with full hook ups (30/50 amp, water and sewage) make setting up quick. Tent camping is an option in the back of the campground. Nature is not really the draw of this campground, convenience is more the approach. With a theme park on one side and a casino on the other, both in walking distance. It’s more of a park and party place hahaha

  • D
    May. 27, 2023

    Rock Creek State Park Campground

    Nice Campground with a Lake

    No wake lake. Boat and kayak rental and a small store with basic necessities. Campground has some 30 amp and some 50 amp sites. New playground for the kids. Clean facilities.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 1, 2024

    Newton KOA

    This KOA Deserves Your Attention

    Literally a single stone’s throw from I80, one of the busiest thoroughfares you’ll find yourself on here in the great ‘Hawkeye State,’ this is one campground that very much deserves your attention, despite being a KOA. In fact, this campground outpost is so close to the highway that you’ll be hard pressed not to see or hear it during your entire stay. While this KOA does sit down a bit from the hustle & bustle that comes with a major interstate highway, a good number of the available RV sites sit on a sloping hill that is the same elevation as the highway itself, so if you do have the choice, opt for the lower sites (more on that later). 

    Sitting just 30 minutes east of Des Moines, Newton KOA offers up about 100 sites for RVs and 5th wheelers offering up all the standard hook-ups (water, sewage and 30 / 50 amp- but be careful because some sites only offer 30 or 50, while some do offer both, so be sure to ask when making your reservation). For mi tent pitching bredren, there’s about a dozen or so sites to choose from and all are fairly intermingled with the RV sites, although each site does sit on a plush patch of grass, so this KOA does a nice job on that front of integration. Oh, and if you don’t have an RV, 5th wheeler or a tent, on worries, this KOA will rent you one of its three cabins. 

    As this is a KOA you can expect a ton of amenities and this place does not disappoint with: catch & release fishing pond w/ fish cleaning station (that is oddly placed about as far away from the fishing pond as you can get), disc golf course, K9 camp for the puppies, cable TV, WiFi, in-ground pool (available 5/25 until 9/3) with ADA pool lift, horseshoes, meeting rooms, firewood for sale, LP gas refueling station, pool table, shuffleboard, social lounge, two kids playground, laundr-O-mat, basketball court, restroom & shower facilities, mini-market with basic groceries, ping pong, jump pad, game room, gaga pit, designated dumpster and dump station and of course the scattered fire pits and picnic tables. Just to go above and beyond, this KOA serves up free breakfast of flapjacks on Saturdays. Yahoo! 

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Whether you are pitching a tent or pulling up in your RV, the best sites IMHO are those in the lower valley, but located right in front of the main office, where there are 6 RV slots numbered #45 – 50 and 6 tent sites numbered T1 – T6; (2) Should you get hungry and might want to try some local fare, check out Taco John’s and La Cabaña Mexican Restaurant, which I guess stand for ‘local’ around here, although there is Newton Family Restaurant. If you are looking for something really different and amazing, I would suggest heading on over to Dan’s Sandwich Shop, which feels like real Americana from a bygone era, complete with a diner-esque vibe and matching elbow counter to warm up to over a nice piece of apple pie, scoop of ice cream washed down with a hot mug of coffee; (3) While this KOA has a mini-market, you will find a bigger selection with better prices just down the road at the local Walmart, where just due west of this, you’ll find a Hy-Vee Grocery store with a wine & spirits shop positioned there as well. Further down the road, you have excellent fresh cut meat from Fareway Grocery, but check out the local hotspot, Newton Market as well; and (4) While what you will discover from an outdoor standpoint at Newton KOA is interesting, if you want something more substantial, head to Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens for 6 acres of family-friendly landscape to explore with more displays and demonstrations that you can shake a stick at! Seriously, there’s a butterfly garden, peony border and nearly 200 individual species of trees here to check out. 

    Happy Camping!

  • J
    Sep. 30, 2018

    Prairie Flower Recreation Area

    A lovely COE campground with wide level spaces

    The individual sites are quite spacious. They are paved and level and can accommodate large rigs. We have never looked for a pull-through site, we back in with our 37' Allegro Bus, so I cannot comment on them. There are several group camping loops that can accommodate small and large groups of campers. The campground, including showers and restrooms, is clean and well-maintained. There are beautiful views of the lake in the Cornflower loop. There are playgrounds for the children and plenty of space for them to run and play. Saylorville Reservoir has a marina, with a restaurant/bar. We have to keep our motorhome in storage, so we use Prairie Flower campground as our staging area when we get ready for an away trip. We can get in an out with food and whatever else we need to take with us, and we can utilize the dump station before leaving. We also like to go camping there mid-week and enjoy the quiet time.


Guide to Lake Red Rock

Lake Red Rock's RV campgrounds offer diverse options between April and October when most facilities are fully operational. The lake forms Iowa's largest reservoir at 15,250 acres, with water levels fluctuating seasonally as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the dam for flood control. Winter camping remains limited, with most water systems shut down from November through March, though River Oaks RV Park maintains year-round availability.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: The lake offers abundant fishing spots, particularly at Diamond Lake County Park where anglers can catch multiple species. "Great views. Nice, quite camping spots with a serene view of Lake Diamond. Cell phone service is great for cricket and Verizon," reports Ben D., noting the clean camp areas and lake access.

Biking trails: Many campgrounds connect to paved paths suitable for cycling. "There's a nice bike/walking trail around the park and (at least when we've visited) bald eagles, blue herons and pelicans line the river," mentions Kent W. about Howell Station, highlighting the wildlife viewing opportunities while cycling.

Bird watching: The area attracts various bird species throughout the year. At Nature Haven at Red Rock Lake, campers enjoy "peaceful, beautiful, incredible" settings with "a beautiful view of three ponds and a sunset you will not want to miss," according to Evan G., making it ideal for wildlife observation.

What campers like

Spacious sites: Many campgrounds feature well-designed layouts with adequate separation between campers. "Sites are large with nicely manicured lawns," notes Preston G. about Griffs Valley View RV Park, adding that "the woman that runs it was very nice and met me at the entrance to lead me to my spot."

Clean facilities: Campground maintenance receives consistent praise from visitors. At Rock Creek State Park Campground, Michael C. found "clean bathroom with good showers" alongside "beautiful scenery with lake front camping" and opportunities to "rent a boat or paddleboard."

Convenient locations: Several RV parks offer strategic positioning for exploring the region. Joey B. appreciated Rock Creek State Park's location, noting it's a "very nice state park campground on a lake" with "well kept grounds, clean bathrooms" and that it's only "20 min from Grinnell."

What you should know

Site levelness varies: Many campgrounds have gravel sites requiring leveling blocks. Jim C. reports that at River Oaks RV Park, "sites are gravel and it looked like most campers had to use blocks," though he praised the "good spacing and full hookups that were installed with some thought."

Highway noise levels: Some campgrounds experience road noise due to proximity to interstates. Steve D. noted at Kellogg RV Park "the constant noise from I-80 which is just to the south of the campground. But nothing that a good set of earplugs can't fix."

Seasonal water access: Water hookups and shower facilities typically operate from April through October. At Howell Station, facilities remain open seasonally, with "clean bathrooms and showers spaced nicely throughout campground," according to Heather M., who enjoyed the "lovely, clean and very well spaced camp sites" with "electric only with water and dump station nearby."

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Several campgrounds offer play areas for children. At Griffs Valley View RV Park, Kandace F. mentioned the park includes "a small playground" along with a "clubhouse with bathrooms that were really clean" and "a nice recreational fishing pond."

Swimming considerations: Not all lakes in the area are suitable for swimming. Elisha L. noted at Rock Creek State Park that "unfortunately, the amazing swimming beach with concession stand and changing rooms with showers is gone. Due to the large population of geese, ducks, and cranes, the water is not safe to swim in."

Animal attractions: Some campgrounds feature unique animal encounters kids enjoy. Steve D. mentioned at Kellogg RV Park that "our little dog especially liked the two chicken coops at east side of the campground! (Not noisy or any problem - just a reminder that you are in Iowa!)"

Tips from RVers

Hookup positioning: Some RV campgrounds feature thoughtfully placed connections. At River Oaks RV Park, Jim C. appreciated that "full hookups that were installed with some thought. Only used one stinky slinky, could have hooked up water with a 6' hose, and the electrical was near the back of the site."

Easy interstate access: Several RV parks offer convenient on/off highway access for travelers. At Lakeside Casino RV Park, Renee H. noted "RV park is relatively quiet and easy to get into" and provides "easy on and off to the interstate," making it suitable for overnight stops.

Length accommodations: Most Lake Red Rock RV campgrounds accommodate larger rigs with pull-through sites. "Level sites with full hookups" are available at Kellogg RV Park according to Elisha L., who also mentioned there's "plenty of space to walk the dog" and it's "right next to the interstate for easy on and off."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular RV campsite near Lake Red Rock?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Lake Red Rock is Kellogg RV Park with a 4-star rating from 13 reviews.

What is the best site to find RV camping near Lake Red Rock?

TheDyrt.com has all 85 RV camping locations near Lake Red Rock, with real photos and reviews from campers.