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Yellow River State Forest offers several tent campground options near McGregor, Iowa, with established primitive backcountry sites like Camp Glen Wendel and Camp John Schultz providing secluded tent camping experiences. These hike-in campgrounds feature minimal amenities but access to scenic woodlands and trails within the state forest system. Additional tent camping options can be found at Echo Valley State Park Campground and Gateway Park Campground in the surrounding area.
Primitive tent sites in Yellow River State Forest require hikers to bring their own water or access potable water at headquarters near the registration kiosk. Most backcountry sites include fire rings and simple benches, but lack amenities like toilets, showers, or drinking water at the campsites themselves. The terrain consists primarily of forested hillsides with some established trails connecting camping areas. According to visitors, cell phone reception is limited or nonexistent in many areas, particularly at the primitive backcountry sites, which adds to the wilderness experience.
The backcountry tent camping areas provide excellent opportunities for hikers seeking solitude and nature immersion. Yellow River's trail system connects various tent camping areas and offers scenic views across the forest landscape. Many sites are situated in lush wooded areas with access to small streams or ponds. Walk-in tent sites range from around 0.5 to 1 mile from parking areas, making them accessible for beginning backpackers. One camper noted that "Yellow River State Forest is beautiful" and that it serves as "a great park with a few longer trails for backpacking" that many use "to prepare for longer trips." Tent campers should be prepared for wildlife encounters and seasonal weather variations, particularly in spring when trails may be muddy.
"My friend and I were eager to test out some new backpacking gear for the first time in advance of a larger trip this summer."
"Yellow River has great backpacking sites. Park near ranger station and hike in or grab a map and find a smaller parking location near the trail you want to explore. Great scenery."
from $12 / night
Check Availability"Hiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects."
"Awesome campground, if you require electric bring a generator. Water is available but needs to be carried in. we loved the lack of cell phone reception!"
from $20 / night
"There are pit toilets at the upper sites, near the pavilion."
"The hiking trail was perfect for a morning stroll with my dog and coffee and there certainly is a petting zoo (my German Shepard was a little uncertain about the goats)"
from $5 / night
Check Availability"We backpacked to the quarry and found a large open area, perfect for multiple tents. The sandstone bluffs were in the background."
"People driving around the pond didn't even know we were there! The camping spot was beautiful (although you have to watch out for nettles). Great fishing while we were there too."
"If you want to meet the barnyard critters, please only look at them from the outside of the fence unless guided and escorted by the owners. "
from $40 - $120 / night
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LegendHiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects. Leave No Trace ethics include: minimizes fire impacts by gathering only dead, down, wood. Sounded by nature atop of hill hike near Fire tower ( only fire tower in Iowa), cell reception is found up here.
LegendGeneral: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad.
Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring.
Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there.
Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station.
We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!
LegendThis review is for Yellow River State Forest's Big Paint Campground which consists of sites 35 through 61. Big Paint is a couple miles from Little Paint, a larger campground with 70+ sites. There are two equestrian campgrounds (Creekside and Little Frontier with sites numbered 1 through 34) as well as hike in campgrounds for backpackers. A photo of an area map is included.
Why did we choose Big Paint instead of Little Paint?
It's smaller and that's just our personal preference. There were only 4 sites occupied early Friday afternoon and a few more were reserved. We liked site 35, the first site on the left as you enter. This site is like being in a garden with trees and flowers surrounding the site. It had rained and more rain was coming, so the gravel parking pad on #35 was appealing. Most of the sites are completely on the grass.
Activities
Stocked trout streams are an attraction for fishermen; see photo of stocking calendar. We enjoyed hiking despite the mosquitoes and humidity in August and were able to make a 5+ mile loop leaving from the campground. You can also hike from Little Paint, and there are equestrian trails. This would also be a good area for X-country skiing and snowmobiling. A photo of the trail map is included. Caution: hunting is allowed in the non-campground area of the state forest.
Amenities
Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Other than that, you can dispose of your trash and use a vault toilet. There's water at the information center (and a camp host site) outside the campground about 100 yards to the left.
Cost
You're not getting much (and that's not a bad thing) so the $9 fee seems fair. Pay up front at the entrance station, or make a reservation online at last 2 days ahead of time (and pay a reservation fee). There are 7 non-reservable sites at Big Paint. I doubt that Big Paint fills up; just check the reservation site to see if they get crowded.
https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/yellow-river-state-forest/r/campsiteSearch.do?search=site&page=siteresult&contractCode=IA&parkId=610130
LegendCampground 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 with fire rings and tables. Trout stream (Catfish Creek) runs through campground and park and is stocked by Iowa DNR, has Swiss Valley Nature center with trails.
LegendThis campground also goes by the name of Holbert. Small campground but free with a handful of picnic tables and campfires. The vault toilets were cleanish, thou older. This campground is next to a pretty little creek that you can play and fish in. The campground is really just a series of campsites strung out along the creek and road. It was pretty quiet while I was there, not many campers at all. There are no hookups for RV’s/campers so it is primarily tent camping or dry camping. There is an interesting story about how this camping area has come to be: the land was donated by Ella Ellis in memory of her husband William Ellis. They apparently loved the land and wanted to make sure it was never developed and could be enjoyed by all. A lovely story.
RangerMud Lake is a wonderful county park near Dubuque. Beautiful views of the Mississippi River. We stayed one night on our way to Minnesota. The sites are mostly sunny. The park streets are gravel with gravel sites. The park is quiet except for the occasional train from the nearby tracks. Great value for $21. Electric and water hookups. Marina and boathouse next door.
Stayed in campsite #35 which has no shade. It was a gravel site which shares a pull-through with site 36. There was more than enough parking for my TT and truck and grass on either side. The site included: picnic table and fire ring. Utilities were located in the rear. 20A/50A electric and water. Site was level. Neighbors were nearby.
AT&T had 2 bars of LTE and Verizon 2 bars of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 47 Mbps down, 1.3 Mbps up. Verizon data VERY SLOW. No WiFi.
Would stay here again. We camped at Mud Lake Park in a Travel Trailer.
GuideI’ll begin by saying this is by far the cleanest campground I have stayed at. The facilities were well kept including the vault toilet houses. We stayed in a walk to site and the views were incredible. Our tent pad was quite rocky so I would recommend sleeping pads or you will be very uncomfortable. Our site was also extremely dusty which wasn’t a problem at all just be prepared to be a little dirty. The campground was quiet except for the occasional train that rolled through those are quite loud due to how close they are to the campground. I would definitely come back to Nelson Dewey and stay again. There was not a ton to do in the area so a short weekend stay was perfect. A highlight is that the park provided cart to use to haul all your stuff to the walk to sites. There is 1 designated parking spot per walk to site as well. The walk to sites are small and only accommodated our one (6 person) tent which was not a problem for us as we knew this ahead of time.
GuideSome of the spots are a little uneven. Bring some leveling devices. This a very peaceful campground. Fire rings are on cement. Can find fire starters everywhere. No bugs in the 1st of June when we were there. Will plan on going back for sure. Reserve your spots cuz they go fast. If you love a great view and the smell of the outdoors this is your place!
RangerThe South Bear Creek entrance is located near Highlandville, IA off of Quandahl Road. This is Iowa Department of Natural Resources land and offers primitive camping only. There are no shower or restroom facilities and we brought our own water. There was a makeshift fire ring made out of rocks and so we used this to build our campfire. Be sure to bring a camp shovel for bathroom breaks. There was no fee at the time to camp here. It might be a good idea to call ahead to the Iowa DNR to see if that has changed.
Bear Creek is known for trout fishing and is stocked by the DNR. Bear Creek runs for a little over 5 miles at this entrance. Highlandville does have a general store, so you can stock up on items such as snacks, firewood, and angling supplies if you plan to fish the creek.
Note: There is also a Bear Creek Campground which offers electrical sites along with restrooms, showers and a playground as well as Bear Creek Cabin rentals if you're looking for something with more amenities.
We camped the last weekend in October and had the entire area to ourselves. We walked along the creek and Quandahl Road. It was a quiet area and we enjoyed camping in a more primitive setting.
Yellow River State Forest provides multiple backcountry tent campsites near McGregor, Iowa, with opportunities for hiking through dense forests and rugged terrain. The forest contains multiple primitive camping areas connected by a trail system spanning several miles across varied elevations. Campers should expect significant elevation changes on trails with some steep sections requiring careful footing, especially during spring and fall when moisture levels are higher.
Trout fishing access: Camp Glen Wendel Primitive Backcountry in Yellow River State Forest offers "good fishing opportunities and great fishing in the area" according to camper Lindsey R., who notes the secluded nature of these sites makes them ideal for anglers seeking quiet water access.
Backpacking practice: The interconnected trail system provides excellent training grounds for longer backpacking trips. Many experienced hikers use these paths to prepare for more demanding expeditions. As one visitor explains, "I've done this loop several times, and have never been disappointed. Lots of quiet, and many more great views on the upper trails."
Wildlife viewing: Echo Valley State Park Campground features a surprising amount of wildlife for tent campers. One camper mentions encountering numerous animals: "My German Shepard was a little uncertain about the goats," suggesting unexpected animal encounters that create memorable camping experiences.
Affordable pricing: Tent sites at Yellow River State Forest are budget-friendly compared to other camping options. According to Kevin T., "This site fills up really fast because of the cheap price of only 9 dollars. This is the cheapest but one of the best campsites I've been to."
Solitude opportunities: The backcountry tent sites at Camp John Schultz offer significant separation from other campers. As one visitor notes, "Hiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects."
Night sky viewing: Sites with minimal light pollution provide excellent stargazing opportunities. Campers at Gateway Park Campground mention that "the sunset over the cornfields was very pretty," highlighting the scenic evening views available at even the more developed campgrounds in the area.
Cell reception limitations: While the existing description mentions limited reception in some areas, it's worth noting the specific locations where signals improve. "Cell reception is found up here," notes James M. about the area near the fire tower in Yellow River State Forest, indicating this elevated position serves as an emergency communication point.
Water planning required: Most primitive camping areas require bringing your own water supply. At Reno Horse Campground in nearby Minnesota, there's no drinking water available on-site, so campers must transport all water needs from town or filtering systems.
Trail conditions vary seasonally: Spring often brings muddy conditions requiring careful navigation. One camper advises: "There are some thin trails down steeper hillsides, so make sure to take it slower if the ground is muddy." This becomes especially important when carrying backpacking gear.
Beginner-friendly options: Some sites at Yellow River State Forest are appropriate for families new to backcountry camping. As Lynn G. explains, "We did the backcountry camping (less than 0.5 miles walking), but did get to see the regular campgrounds. There are other parks and waterways to visit nearby and a town nearby."
Educational opportunities: The diverse ecosystems provide natural learning experiences for children. The forest contains Iowa's only fire tower, offering historical context and panoramic views for kids to appreciate the landscape.
Animal interactions: Shady Rest Acres across the river in Minnesota provides a unique family camping experience with farm animals. As Amy G. describes, "They have donkeys, Scottish Highland cows (a family of them), sheep, goats, chickens... bees, horses, ducks, cats and dogs." This provides an interactive experience beyond traditional tent camping.
Limited RV options: Most tent campsites near McGregor focus on primitive camping with minimal RV accommodation. One visitor to Echo Valley State Park notes, "Certainly a tent oriented campground, RVs would have a difficult time." This limits motorized camping options in the immediate area.
Necessary supplies: At Little Turkey Campground, RVers can access more amenities than at the primitive sites. One camper reports it offers a "clean shower, free wood, staff is friendly," providing essential services not found at the backcountry locations.
Site spacing considerations: For those who do bring smaller RVs, expect varying site layouts. At Gateway Park Campground, sites are described as "pretty wide open and close together," with "3 drive through sites and 4 back in spots with a few nice trees," making site selection important for privacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near McGregor, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near McGregor, IA is Camp Glen Wendel Primitive Backcountry — Yellow River State Forest with a 4.8-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near McGregor, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near McGregor, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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