Maquoketa, IA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Maquoketa, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Maquoketa camping trip.
$14 - $25 / night
"Hosts are friendly and I saw rangers driving through multiple times. Each site includes picnic table and fire pit. Most have electric. "
"When I arrived, the site was clean, and we had a site with an open site on one side making it feel twice as big."
"Campground is well maintained, restrooms, showers, recycling station, fire wood available, campground host onsite, resident park ranger, standard RV sites, some electric tent sites otherwise primitive"
"This was a great stay other campers around us were very nice and super friendly as well. I think the only thing I would have a complaint about would be the bath house."
"There is a new beach for swimming, and some hiking and nature trails. Easy kayak access with parking. The fire pits are really nice and have grates for cooking."
"Trails, nature center, shelters, restrooms/showers, and lake access for beach, paddling, fishing, etc. Prairie plantings mixed in the wooded areas."
$15 - $23 / night
"Unlike either nearby Woodside or Bald Eagle campgrounds, which are more geared for the RV driving and 5th Wheel hauling camping community, Wilderness CG isn’t very level, has decent natural barriers like"
"The campground has a seasonal host offering firewood on site, showers and restrooms, play area, trails, and overflow parking just adjacent for the entrance."
$17 - $36 / night
"Back-in slots are spacious, hard and very level with the grounds being incredibly well-kept and impeccably clean bathroom / shower facilities with great HOT running water."
"Campground offers host, nicely maintained heated showers and restrooms, play area, firewood, available on site, RV pads are hard surface, have fire rings, water, electric, tables."
"This campground is tucked into a little area next to a Walmart, Culvers, and Mini golf course. It sits between east Dubuque and Galena. When we stayed they had a dirt bike rally."
"Campground was right next to Walmart, which was convenient, and a short walk down to the high school to get the shuttle into Galena itself."
$14 - $18 / night
"CG is spread out along bottomland river forest and includes camping cabins, tent and RV sites, RR/showers, playground, dump and water stations, Eco Tourism store/grill, paddling rentals, Blue Heron Cruises"
"They have clean bathrooms, a nicely stocked store, and a couple playgrounds. Thay also have an Eco Center with turtles, snakes, and an aquarium that our family really enjoyed."
"Hard roads, fire pits, tables, water, showers, supplies. Surrounded by nature with forest, prairie, and lake.Trails, and even guided activities."
"Stayed one night for tent camping, campsite was clean and accommodating with fire pit, picnic table, lights, Wi-Fi, and power plug. Bathrooms and showers were clean. Perfect camping site."
"Beautiful walk with trees and lakes, even in the rain. There may be some full timers, but not in our area. Check in was easy and the on-site staff are very friendly."
$35 - $50 / night
"Convenient location a lot of amenities and activities"
ScoutNice quiet little primitive campground next to the Wapsipinicon River. Unfortunately, when I was there the last weekend of May, the gnats were bad, and the mosquitoes were just starting to gear up. HOWEVER, take bug spray and enjoy the rustic peacefulness of this "best kept secret" for primitive and inexpensive camping sites. Beautiful location, ranger close by, wood for sale just across the bridge, fire pits and picnic tables at every site. Good for RV, trailer or tent camping… level ground and lots of shade. Primitive bathrooms, no showers or running water.
GuideThis campground is a lovely gem! Most of the camp sites are fairly secluded from one another by distance and from surrounding foliage (see pic). The exceptions would be sites 55-64 that loop around the playground. We, unfortunately, didn't know this and so had site 61. It was nice little spot with plenty of shade but I was a bit jealous of those with more secluded spots, especially since we are tent campers and all of the others on the loop were big RVs.
The pros:
- The campground hosts were lovely. Friendly but not overbearing, as some can be.
- The on site restaurant/bait shop/ boat rental was very convenient! Husband forgot to pack something and the little bait shop had what we needed. Plus, we were able to buy firewood there, too.
- Lovely scenery! The hiking trails were well maintained and there were lots of beautiful flowers, bird, and butterflies. We even saw a raccoon!
- The (and I cannot emphasize this enough) CLEANEST campground bathrooms I've ever seen! I'm not squeamish and have been camping for years so my expectations for campground bathroom cleanliness is well calibrated but these bathrooms (even the vault toilets!) were amazingly clean! There weren't even spiderwebs on the ceiling of the shower house. Just *chef's kiss*
- The water from the pump was very clean.
The cons:
- Lack of privacy/seclusion for the 55-64 sites along the loop.
- For that same loop, since it circles the playground, if kids playing noises bother you, might want to choose a different site.
- The food at the restaurant was meh. It was fine- it was sustenance. Nothing to write home about.
- LOTS of big RVs. It wasn't an issue for us on this trip, but on other camping trips sometimes being surrounded by big RVs just isn't a great vibe.
TravelerGreat place to camp! Right on the Hennepin Canal. RV, tent, Cabins, and Yurt camping. The couple that run this campsite are so sweet! Pedal bikes for kids (and grown ups), a spray ground, and more! Two local breweries in town and tons of shopping and food options.
LegendCG is spread out along bottomland river forest and includes camping cabins, tent and RV sites, RR/showers, playground, dump and water stations, Eco Tourism store/grill, paddling rentals, Blue Heron Cruises, nature center. Sites include fire rings, tables, gravel backing pads, electric with some right near water edge.
LegendThis CG is one of 6 that you have to choose from here at Scott County Park, wherein Woodside is definitely more geared for the RVs – especially the much larger ones, so if you have a very big rig, this likely is the best CG for you – with each site offering FHUs with electric, water& sewage, fire rings and picnic tables. If you wanted to tent camp here, you could, although I would recommend nearby Incahias or Sac-Fox as better for tent campers. Unlike some of the other campgrounds, Woodside is somewhat bare and desolate inside the actual campground with the land being incredibly flat, but wide open so therefore not providing much privacy or shade whatsoever. Back-in slots are spacious, hard and very level with the grounds being incredibly well-kept and impeccably clean bathroom / shower facilities with great HOT running water.
Albeit with a short hike through the forest, Woodside CG is near Cody Lake and Glynn’s Creek, which offers some decent oaring in your kayak or canoe. Sitting adjacent to Cody Lake is an eponymous community shelter than can be reserved or used on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s also a playground for the kiddos and a restroom facility that is also spartan-clean as well access to Glynn’s Creek Trailhead which is a moderate hike and further afield throughout the rest of the park, there’s no shortage of hiking / biking / horse trails. We found Woodside to be fairly quiet, although lacking in privacy without the benefit of any real brush or trees to blot out our next-door neighbors, but that said, everyone was incredibly friendly with full displays of Midwestern hospitality that this area is known for.
Scott County Park is easy to fall in love with, whether traveling solo or with a family as there is a lot that this park offers up: from fresh water catch & release lakes, combination of topographies, from woodlands, wetlands and prairie grasslands, beautiful 18-hole championship golf course, outdoor exercise areas, club house and concessions, stand-alone cabins for rent, designated dump stations and trash receptacles, numerous picnic areas, massive heated swimming pool complete with a snake-like water slide, volleyball court, ranger stations, seasonal on-site hosts, firewood available for purchase at entry stations, Walnut Grove Pioneer Village and St. Anne’s church at the park’s NW perimeter, 7 community shelters, designated picnic areas, a memorial park, equestrian area and an incredibly well-paved network of roads that allows you to easily access just about every corner of this park. Oh, and the incredibly friendly rangers that constantly patrol and keep this beautiful park in full working order were nothing short of amazing.
Happy Camping!
LegendIf you find yourself near the Quad Cities, you’ll definitely want to check out Scott County Park, which boasts 6 different CGs to choose from. Wilderness campground, as the name suggests, puts you smack-dab in the middle of the forest, and of all the campgrounds, is definitely one of my favorites as a tent pitchin’ outdoors enthusiast. Unlike either nearby Woodside or Bald Eagle campgrounds, which are more geared for the RV driving and 5th Wheel hauling camping community, Wilderness CG isn’t very level, has decent natural barriers like tree roots, forest boundaries like thick brush and space constraints to consider, yet this CG still offers near equal amenities as the other CGs.
The surroundings here are thick and lush, providing you with a real authentic experience in nature and offers real amazing solitude, peace & quiet as well as substantial privacy, where you and your camping exploits won’t be on full display with the entire campground that you are surrounded by. This lone fact makes Wilderness unlike any of the other campgrounds here at Scott County Park. The individual camping sites are incredibly spacious, fairly uneven land with all spaces offering substantial shade, thick backdrop behind each spot and tons of foliage. Because of all the trees and brush, the grounds don’t feel as well-kept as some of the other CGs, but that’s really just a result of fallen leaves and branches – so not the worst outcome (and if it bothers you that much, just bring a rake). Like all of the other campgrounds here, you’ll experience impeccably clean bathroom / shower facilities with great HOT running water and decent – not great– space in the shower.
Incredibly different from either Bald Eagle or Woodside campgrounds, there is no nearby lake here at Wilderness, so if you do want to get your oaring in, you’ll have to drive to one of the park’s lakes, which isn’t the most difficult thing to accomplish here. While there is no dedicated shelter in or near Wilderness CG, there is a designated picnic area just due west called Prairie Sun, which is great for a game of football, hosting a BBQ or playing cards on one of the several picnic tables you’ll find here. You’ll discover that there’s a total of 3 restroom facilities, but only one with shower capabilities – all of which are incredibly well-maintained. Lastly, one of the things that make Wilderness differentiated here in Scott County Park is that a ton of the best hiking trails converge at this CG, so if you’re tent camper and want to be located right in the thick of nature, while having direct access to prize hiking above just about anything else, then this is your haven.
Scott County Park is easy to fall in love with, whether traveling solo or with a family as there is a lot that this park offers up: from fresh water catch & release lakes, combination of topographies, from woodlands, wetlands and prairie grasslands, beautiful 18-hole championship golf course, outdoor exercise areas, club house and concessions, stand-alone cabins for rent, designated dump stations and trash receptacles, numerous picnic areas, massive heated swimming pool complete with a snake-like water slide, volleyball court, ranger stations, seasonal on-site hosts, firewood available for purchase at entry stations, Walnut Grove Pioneer Village and St. Anne’s church at the park’s NW perimeter, 7 community shelters, designated picnic areas, a memorial park, equestrian area and an incredibly well-paved network of roads that allows you to easily access just about every corner of this park. The rangers here are incredibly friendly, professional and very helpful by constantly being on patrol and keeping this beautiful park in full working order.
Happy Camping!
LegendCampground is closed for the winter season. Campground offers host, nicely maintained heated showers and restrooms, play area, firewood, available on site, RV pads are hard surface, have fire rings, water, electric, tables. Since this campground is newer, not much shade yet.
ScoutStayed 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.
LegendThis fairly new State Park would of merited "5 stars", but the pit (aka vault) toilet smell was just tooooooo much and we weren't even close!
PROS
Park beautifully maintained and mowed throughout S
Site 109 shady
Site 109 gravel parking pad level
Moveable wooden picnic table
Metal campfire ring with cooking grate
Roadways easy to maneuver without obstacles
Quite except for train whistle close by
Partial privacy from neighbors
Toilet/shower facility in next campground (Savanna) very clean and sufficiently stocked
Very nice 12 ft wide asphalt bike trails
Night sky friendly as no street lights in campground
Firewood for sale at entrance gate
Frequent park ranger campground drive throughs
Double lane dump station
Double lane portable water fill stations
CONS
The aroma of the pit toilet between Spruce and Savanna Campgrounds could be smelled throughout both campgrounds. Disgusting!!! No hand wash station at pit toilet
Modern toilet/shower facility only in Savanna Campground
No security gate closure overnight
All trash dumpsters near campground entrance gatehouse
5pm checkin
No interpretive programs Monday thru Thursday
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Maquoketa, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Maquoketa, IA is Blanding Landing with a 4-star rating from 5 reviews.
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