13 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Several cabin camping options exist near Mason City, Iowa, with McIntosh Woods State Park offering yurts that feature bunk beds, futons, tables, and chairs. Pilot Knob State Park provides cabin accommodations with electricity, heating, and basic furnishings. Most cabin sites include fire rings, picnic tables, and parking pads, with nearby shower facilities and restrooms. The KOA campgrounds in Albert Lea and Austin provide more developed cabin options with additional amenities like beds, electricity, and climate control. "Beautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside," noted one visitor about McIntosh Woods.
Rustic cabin options at state parks operate seasonally, with McIntosh Woods open from April through December and some KOA locations available only from mid-April to mid-October. Riverside County Park features a fully furnished cabin with air conditioning situated along the Little Cedar River. Reservations are essential for all cabin facilities, particularly during summer months when availability becomes limited. Pet policies vary by location, with many parks allowing pets in outdoor areas but restricting them inside cabin structures. According to one camper at Riverside, their accommodations included "a cabin with air conditioning and fully furnished further up the river on 200 acres of county land."
Most cabin facilities provide basic furniture but require guests to bring their own linens, towels, pillows, and toiletries. Kitchen facilities vary considerably, with state park yurts typically offering outdoor cooking areas while KOA and private cabins might include small refrigerators or microwaves. Thorpe Park has at least one rental cabin option, though reviews indicate limited amenities. Firewood is available for purchase at several locations, including McIntosh Woods and Albert Lea-Austin KOA, allowing for outdoor cooking and evening campfires. Water access points are typically located near cabin sites, though some more remote cabins might require guests to bring their own drinking water.
"Beautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside."
"Sites arranged in a circle around a clean shower house. Potable water. Only 2 non-electric sites. Most sites level. Sites are close to each other, not offering much in the way of privacy."
from $12 - $60 / night
Check Availability"Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."
"Standard site without electric was only $10.00 a night which includes a nearby water spigot to fill your tank with. Put toilets and showers available."
from $14 - $34 / night
Check Availability"This is a rustic state park with limited amenities. There are no water or electric hook ups. However clean water is available in the park. The park does have flush toilets and showers."
"Facilities are top notch and private. The nicest showed and restroom you can imagine. Large tent pads and a quiet area. Not busy when we went. There is a small hiking trail as well."
from $24 - $34 / night
Check Availability"Tent pad and fire pit were well maintained. Restrooms were well cleaned, if not exactly maintained (soap and Toilet paper ran light over the weekend, and spiders hung out after a cleaning)."
"Met up with friends to get outside. They brought their dogs and we had a grand time."
from $24 - $85 / night
Check Availability"New Shower house/bathrooms. Natural themed kids play area including a huge tree house. City water and sewer with 50 and 30 amp to each site. Man made swimming pond with a lighted waterfall."
"Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites."
"A bit rustic but clean campground. There are some piles of tree branches as there was a beetle problem and trees had to be removed. I’m sure it is temporary and will be gone soon."
"They did have a $1 Sunday when we got there which was fun Ice Cream and topping for $1. Then that night they had movies which was nice. A great pool and play area for the kids."
"Wilder Park is a beautiful city park. Very much a gem, quiet and peaceful . 50 + sites with about half of them full hook up. Costs for a full hook up in 2022 was under $25 a night."
"they have sand volleyball pickle ball miniature golf and huge checkers plus a couple playgrounds for the kids. it's a nice quiet family campground."
from $14 - $22 / night
Check Availability"Check in was quick, spots were easy to pull into, the bathrooms were really clean, and it was surprisingly quiet despite the proximity to the highway. "
"The showers are one temperature but it’s comfortable and the water pressure is awesome. The dressing room is big enough to actually dress in and your stuff can remain dry."
"This is a nice park with a lot of activities for kids including a pool and jumping pad. The main park of the campground has people packed in pretty close."
"Great park for kids and for adults to relax. Decently priced."
TravelerBeautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside. Walk to small town/restaurants.Clean bathroom facilities in area. Short hikes. Fishing nearby.
Scout40 site Totally renovated 2 years ago nestled along the little Cedar river above the dam. New Shower house/bathrooms. Natural themed kids play area including a huge tree house. City water and sewer with 50 and 30 amp to each site. Man made swimming pond with a lighted waterfall. Volleyball and walking trails with primitive camping across the road. Cabin with air conditioning and fully furnished further up the river on 200 acres of county land. Fishing above and below the dam. Picnic table and fire ring at every site.
GuideThis is a rustic state park with limited amenities. There are no water or electric hook ups. However clean water is available in the park. The park does have flush toilets and showers. We found these to be in good condition and clean. The showers had warm water. The water stream is on a timer and so are the lights. The shower stalls are Individual stalls. The interior roads are dirt roads with a few potholes they are very narrow. The camping sites are nice sized and relatively private. There is a gravel pad on each site and some have a tent pad. Each site had a picnic table and a fire ring. There are plenty of walking and biking trails and there are walk-in tent camp sites. However, you cannot see the lake from the campground and there is no access to the lake from the campground. We were able to drive through the campground with our 40 foot fifth wheel. But just barely, be careful! 
TravelerLocated by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park. Plenty of hiking trails, playground for the kids, and an amazing sand bottom swimming pond surrounded by sand beach. Golf is also nearby at The New Ulm Country Club which is open to the public. Nice level sites with electric, picnic tables and fire rings.
LegendGeneral: A mixture of tent (non-electric) and electric sites, mostly arranged in several rows.
Site Quality: Mixed. Not all sites are level, and most do not have delineated parking pads (there is a small pavement indent to show where to access the site). A fire pit and picnic table complete the site. Most of the sites are too close together for our liking, however, when we were there (a Monday at the end of August, the day before school started), we were only one of three sites occupied so for our stay it didn’t matter.
Bathhouse: Basic but clean. My biggest complaint is there were no hooks or shelves for toiletries by the sinks. The showers looked nice but we did not use them.
Activities: Horseback riding (there are trails for this), hiking, fishing. Although we did see several trailheads, I did not have a map so didn’t explore them. There is an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads; I didn’t try to find hiking trails to get there).
Misc: A shout-out to the great host, Pam, who greeted us as we arrived. The observation tower, entrance gates, and picnic shelter were all constructed by the CCC and were beautiful. It almost seemed like the campground was an afterthought as it is outside the entrance gates and nowhere near the tower. The layout of the campground would be challenging if all sites were occupied.
GuideFacilities are top notch and private. The nicest showed and restroom you can imagine. Large tent pads and a quiet area. Not busy when we went. There is a small hiking trail as well. The lake isn’t anything spectacular, it’s quite dirty but we were only there for a night.
GuideWe spent four nights tent camping at the White Fox Campground of Myre-Big Island State Park in June 2022. This park is a combination woodland/prairie/wetland setting. The White Fox Campground is on the fringes of a woodland. Our campsite was grassy and open with trees and shrubs curving along the back of the site. The site had the usual fire ring with grill and a large picnic table.
There are some nice trails for hiking through woodlands and prairie and alongside wetlands. We saw a lot of wildlife: several deer, red squirrels, chipmunks, a raccoon, a woodchuck, lots of different birds, and several different types of butterflies. In the mornings the birdsong was pretty amazing, loud and long lasting.
There are two freeways and a rail line near the park, but the noise from them was only bothersome on one morning of our stay.
There is a second campground on the Big Island portion of the park. Big Island is wooded and has some beautiful trails that we enjoyed.
GuideStandard site without electric was only $10.00 a night which includes a nearby water spigot to fill your tank with. Put toilets and showers available. The friendly hosts made a point to come by to chat. Two fawns were born there, under one of the picnic tables and they were around all weekend. I’ll be back !
ScoutThis campground has a TON of sites! There are close to 60 sites in all, about a third to half of those are electric sites. If you like open spaces, this is a wonderful place to camp.
Beautiful, clean, and recently updated bathrooms and showers!
So much wildlife to see at this park. Seeing large groups of deer was a daily/nightly thing!
The park has 20+ miles of hiking trails through prairies, woodlands, and along the lake too! PLus the park offers geocashing (and free GPS rental), as well as canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and a small fishing that can be rented!
A lot to offer here!
Cabin camping near Mason City, Iowa offers options from rustic state park structures to modern private facilities across north-central Iowa and southern Minnesota. The region sits in the prairie pothole region with numerous lakes and wetlands at elevations ranging from 1,060-1,200 feet. Most cabins remain open from mid-April through October, though some facilities maintain year-round availability depending on weather conditions.
Hiking trails exploration: Pilot Knob State Park features extensive hiking options through varied terrain. "Great hiking trails" noted one visitor, while another mentioned it has "an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads)."
Fishing opportunities: McIntosh Woods State Park provides lake access with designated fishing areas. "There is a large station for cleaning fish and a huge picnic area with wide open space and a nice playground," explains a camper. The park includes "a beach for swimming but there is no lifeguard on duty."
Water activities: Myre-Big Island State Park offers water recreation on Albert Lea Lake. "The lake is gorgeous but just a few places to get to the water. Saw a sign on the park door saying kayaks and canoes available to rent," reports one visitor. The park also features "six miles of paved, but badly in need of care, bike path that meanders through thick forest and open grassy fields."
Wildlife viewing: Big Island Campground offers frequent wildlife encounters. "We spotted pelicans, turtles, and birds along the shore," reports one camper. Another notes, "when we pulled up, there were 5 deer on our site."
Clean facilities: Campers consistently praise the maintenance of bathroom facilities at many parks. At Pilot Knob State Park, "bathhouse was clean and showers were individual room with timed lights," while another visitor noted that "the showers looked nice."
Privacy between sites: Site layout varies significantly between parks. "Big Island was nicely wooded, keeping a very cool temperature but with little cover from other campsites," reports one camper. At McIntosh Woods, a visitor appreciated that "Our camp was so private & we were happy because we had a new puppy that was from a hoarding situation & not real social."
Reservation requirements: Most cabin facilities require advance booking, especially during peak season from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Seasonal availability: Operating seasons vary by location. Albert Lea-Austin KOA operates from "April 15 to October 15," while campers note some facilities close earlier depending on weather.
Highway noise considerations: Some campgrounds are positioned near major highways. At KOA Kampgrounds near Albert Lea, "it's location (although convenient) right off the freeway is less than ideal. The background noise isn't terrible but it's always there."
Insect preparation: Mosquitoes can be prevalent during warmer months. At Big Island Campground, a visitor advised "pack repellent" while another mentioned, "Mosquitos were out in full force during the cooler weather."
Playground access: Several parks feature play areas for children. At Wilder City Park, "they have sand volleyball pickle ball miniature golf and huge checkers plus a couple playgrounds for the kids."
Swimming options: Water recreation varies by location. One visitor to Wilder City Park noted it has "two fishing areas, a dog park, pickle ball, volleyball mini golf, basketball and two playgrounds."
Child-friendly activities: Some parks organize scheduled activities. At Beaver Trails Campground, visitors mentioned "a pool with some water slides, an arcade, some fishing ponds, play equipment, a giant bouncy cushion and a couple of inflatable bouncy houses," though one camper cautioned, "Pay close attention to times for activities here. Things start late and end early."
Site leveling challenges: Prepare for potentially uneven sites at some locations. At Thorpe Park, a visitor noted "many of these spots are not level and seem better suited to tents than larger RVs but some spots could work for vans, class C or small class A RVs."
Full hookup availability: Riverside County Park offers comprehensive RV amenities with "40 site Totally renovated 2 years ago nestled along the little Cedar river above the dam... City water and sewer with 50 and 30 amp to each site." Another camper mentioned "very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites."
Dump station access: Most developed parks provide sanitary dump facilities. Wilder City Park offers "a free dump" according to visitors, while several other locations maintain dump stations near campground entrances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Mason City, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Mason City, IA is McIntosh Woods State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Mason City, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 cabin camping locations near Mason City, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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