Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Mason City, IA

My partner and I were on our way out West and we stopped here for a night. The campground was extremely clean and well maintained. This sites are spread out enough that you have a little privacy and each site has a fire pit and picnic table. This area is actually part of the owners farm.

Bonus, it’s dog friendly. There is a small but we’ll maintained playground and horseshoes.

Note: it is cash or check only so make sure you have money to pay (we stopped at a nearby gas station to use an ATM). They do sell firewood and ice if you need it.

We stayed on the mainland campground White Fox in site #78, bordered on 3 sides by trees and shrubs for privacy. The bathroom/ shower facilities were very recently done. This park is unique as you can drive across a causeway and get on the Big Island which has more trails and another campground. We were here in May and the bugs were awful (I get it, they're part of being out in nature). At one point I just had to yell "RUN" at my partner as I fled with our dog because the may flies were swarming so thickly that it was all you could hear and see. Great park with lots of history, check it out and enjoy.

This state park was a wonderful surprise! We first selected a site on Big Island however it wasnt for us. Due to the dense foliage there was little sun able to peak through, no grass for our dog to lay in, but it is beautiful if you like seclusion.

We moved to site 60E in the White Fox campground which is a perfect mix of sunshine, tree cover, wildlife and mowed grassy area. We have seen deer each night out the back of our rig. They offer Electric only sites but in White Fox there is water available between some of the sites. We have a hiking trail directly behind our site that we can hike for miles on. The hiking/biking trails are a mix of mowed grass, asphalt or through the dense forest - you can choose. Cell service has been very good just a bit slow at times. Shower and restroom facilities are extremely clean and well maintained.

It’s quiet, clean, and has some pretty views of the Iowa nite sky

There are two campgrounds in this state park. We snagged the last open site on the island. There are a mix of families, older folks and even a youth group. Our site is fully shaded as are most others. There is a central shower house and a couple vault toilets in the two loops. The trail heads out around the edge of the island. It’s a little over 1 mile long. There are a bunch of small trails leading to some spots to sit along the water. We headed down each offshoot and enjoyed our visit. A paved trail leads back and ends up right across from our campsite. The weather is cool so we stayed an extra day. The place cleared out on Sunday night. We are the only ones in this loop. We would stay here again but not in the middle sites. We feel too much in view of everyone which causes some distraction for the dog.

We camped here to try a new place (we try to pick one new place each year). We were a little underwhelemed when we first pulled in but that changed pretty quick. There weren't many other spots occupied, those that were looked fairly permanent. We had the RV and used the electric hookup. We found that it was quite a peaceful campground when we went. There was a giant wood pile where you could grab wood for a donation in the box and a wheelbarrow was provided to use which was quite convenient. The trails and hiking was the best part though. We went for hours with our dogs and had so much fun. They were easy. Some right along the river, some grassy and along fields, others ran though the woods. There were shelters and restrooms (I did not check them out having the RV) some play equipment as well as a chapel area which was interesting. It turned out to be a nice little campground.

Beeds Lake campground offers an opportunity to camp by a picturesque lake with a beautiful waterfall.

There are many campsites to choose from. My only negative point for Beeds Lake is that the campground is very "campgroundy". Many of the RV sites are very close together, which is the norm in Iowa. However, there are a few on the outskirts that have a little more privacy.

Things to do:

• Nice trails to hike or bike
• Beautiful small lake, great for kayaking and fishing
• Paddle boat rental available
• Man-made waterfall
• Fishing (lake and beneath the waterfall)
• Enjoy the nearby town of Hampton

This park is located on 172 acres of land. It has an enclosed picnic shelter, hand pump well, vault rest rooms, primitive camping, and 2 swing sets. The park was named after the town of Eagle City platted in 1878 and at one time contained a general store, post office, grist mill, saw mill, blacksmith’s shop and doctor’s office.  This area has been used for primitive camping with an upper and lower level. The Iowa River runs next to this campground. The campground is down a couple miles of maintained gravel Rd.

Clear Lake is a popular place to spend time in North Central Iowa. McIntosh Woods State Park is right on the lake front. The campground is not on the lake, but it has some nice shade with open space.

It also has Yurts to rent as well. There is a large station for cleaning fish and a huge picnic area with wide open space and a nice playground. There is a beach for swimming but there is no lifeguard on duty. There is also a boat ramp and a few docks for launching.

This is a great campground if you like to boat or fish. Before you get in the water make sure you check with the locals to make sure there is no harmful algae. This is a great place to spend the weekend.

Eagle City Park has two parts - a lower campground that is a paddlers camp on the Iowa River, and an upper campground with a few secluded campsites.

All campsites are free, and there are many to choose from. I have camped in both the upper and lower campgrounds, in summer and fall. I tend to prefer off-season when I am (often) the only camper in either campground. Summer will have more campers, ranging from tents to small RVs, but there are plenty of campsites so it is never full.

There is nowhere to buy firewood, but a short hike in the woods usually produces a small supply for a campfire.

Negatives:

As there are no trash containers, it is not uncommon to find the firepits full of burned or unburned trash.

There is a very poorly kept vault toilet in the lower campground. I do not believe that it is ever pumped out. The upper campground has no toilet. I always bring my own stool "just-in-case" but otherwise just take care of business after I take the 20 minute drive to get home.

The gates are closed all winter, often into late spring. The roads are not plowed in either campsite. It is a nice place to hike in winter time, but there is no camping.

This campground is primarily seasonal and month-to-month campers and open year-round. Since it was not high season Ray let us bring our new rig in for a test run. He was very friendly and accommodating. The sites are small and where we were was mostly gravel, but we made it work. There are some sites along the river that have incredible views and river access. Obviously these weren't accessible considering the time of year we visited the campground, but we would like to visit Camp At The Woods again once the summer weather moves in.

Ray is a great guy ! He let us come in for a weekend , and let us pick our site on arrival. We had full hook up, but the sewer connection was at the front of the site and was up hill kind of . Nice concrete Pads at the site with fire rings. Mostly seasonal sites and month to month workers in here but would definitely come back if there was an open site

Loved this state park. Sites not too level, but spacious. Camped in mid April and park was not very busy which was nice. Full hook up sites and W/E only sites. Close to town and lots to do.

Clear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous. It is clean and close to the beach. Down town and other shopping is a short drive away. Lots of families camp here. Spots are nice.

We love coming to Clear Lake! The campgrounds are always very well kept, bathrooms very clean! Easy access to the lake, and the town has so much to do during the summer months!