Best Tent Camping near Montrose, IA

Tent Camping Reviews near Montrose, IA

155 Reviews of 4 Montrose Campgrounds

• L

  Lindsey P.

  Traveler

  Oct. 30, 2023

  Siloam Springs State Park Campground

  Hidden Gem of Illinois...

  This site was so much better than what I was expecting! My friend, Kari, her 3 Doodles, my Beagle, and I camped out the first night in the group section, because there's hardly anyone there and we got there too late in the day to actually start hiking. In the morning, we loaded up our packs, put the little packs on the dogs (they have to carry their own food and water), and headed up the Red Oak Backpacking Trail. I don't know if we started at the beginning or not, but we parked by a little wooden bridge and the hill to start off our adventure kinda kicked my ass a little bit. After we made it up the initial incline, the landscape was beautiful and varied from flat areas to valleys and some creeks (which I was very thankful for after a few hours in 90° and 25 lbs on my back). We ended up setting up camp at a spot we thought was nice just before it got dark, because we didn't know where or how much further the primitive hike-in campsites were. The next day, we figured it out, but we wouldn't have made it there before dark. Towards the end, there were stairs built into the earth that were way too difficult to manage when your legs are jelly and your pack is heavy, so it was almost easier trying to take the side of the stairs and make your own little path, so just a heads up there. We had so much fun the whole time and I can't wait to go back for some snow camping later this year (they are open year round)!!!

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• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  Oct. 27, 2021

  Big Hollow Recreation Area

  Nice stay at primitive site

  Stayed at the primitive section of the campground. Site C was level for our camper van. Large, spacious site. Wooded. Fire ring. No table st this site, but other sites in this area has tables. Vault toilets a short walk away. Campground host was very helpful. Inexpensive firewood. Enjoyed our stay here. Paid $10 for site.

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  Frank H.

  Guide

  Jul. 22, 2024

  Hickory Haven Campground

  Great Tent Camping

  Level grass tent sites. Shade of trees. Electric outlets at sites. Water accessible. Bath house kept very clean. Plenty of hot water for showers. Picnic table & fire ring at site. Economical. Laundry. Ice bags available. Picnic shelter with sides, 3 picnic tables, small mini fridge, electric lights & outlets, ceiling fan, portable fan, water and deep sink available for campers to use.

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  Travis R.

  Guide

  Nov. 17, 2024

  Welter Recreation Area

  Primitive Campsite

  This campsite appears to not be well maintained it may even be closed. There is no electricity and one vault toilet. Weeds are overgrown, and fallen trees have not been cleared. However, it has a wonderful view of the river and is directly on the banks. Because there are fallen trees, firewood is plentiful :).

• 

  Jessica H.

  Ranger

  May. 19, 2018

  Snively Access

  Snively Campground Wapello, IA

  Snively Access Campground is located off of County Road X61 in Wapello, IA. The access road is a steep, well-maintained, gravel drive that takes you directly to Lake Odessa and the campsites. Note: the entrance sign to the campground is a little difficult to see from the road, and the campground does sometimes close due to high water. Gates will be shut with a High Water sign on them if that's the case. It's best to call ahead to Louisa County Conservation if you're planning to camp in the spring/summer when flood season tends to be most prevalent in this area.

  There are two separate campgrounds, all are electrical sites, (no dump station) except for one tent-only site which is situated up on a hill by itself with a round about road off to the right as you drive down the main access road. The second campground is to the left, with no bathrooms, and also butts up to a community of seasonal/year round cabins. This means it may be a bit more noisy during the warmer months. We chose the second campground and only one other site was in use. All was quiet by 10:00pm. We did wake up once or twice to the sound of barred owls calling back and forth in the night which only added to the ambiance of tent camping. This area is known as a hub for migratory birds, so if you're a bird person, it's a prime location. We saw red-headed woodpecker, yellow warblers, and a handful of other birds. About 5 minutes north of the campground is Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge which offers an interpretive center, modern restroom facilities, hiking trails and bird watching.

  Each campsite has a graveled drive, picnic bench, fire ring and garbage can with lid. There is a public parking area and dock to put in boats on the lake and fish. All campsites have a lake view, and several are in shaded spots along the timber line. This is a dog-friendly campground and dogs must be leashed at all times. These sites are first-come-first serve and are $12/night. You are required to self-register within 30 minutes of your arrival time. There is a registration kiosk to the right, at the bottom of the main access road.

  This was a nice, smaller campground with a water front view that felt secluded and slightly more primitive.

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• 

  Amanda B.

  Traveler

  May. 12, 2024

  Donnelson Unit - White Oak Campground — Shimek State Forest

  Peaceful Paradise

  Nice little campground in Iowa. We stayed for three nights, there's vault toilets, and the fire rings are tiered and really nice. It's wooded and tucked away. There's a lot of nice little trails and a couple lakes. There's a $10 a night fee on the honor system so I would not consider it free. We would come back.

• 

  Dave N.

  Guide

  Jul. 12, 2020

  Spring Lake Park

  Great Boating/Fishing

  Well kept campground on a lake. Spots are all on grass. Most are level. Lots of shady spots. Picnic table and fire ring. Seems like most of the sites are seasonal campers. Very quiet for how many campers are here. Restrooms and hot showers, fairly clean. This would be lots of fun for boaters. Rates were $20/night w/electric 7/20

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  Leah H.

  Guide

  Sep. 4, 2016

  Siloam Springs State Park Campground

  Siloam Springs

  Have visited Siloam Springs with both Scouts and with family. Camp sites were roomy but still shaded. Each had a picnic table and were mostly dirt and grass with a few rocks/pebbles. There were latrine toilets but no showers or running water other than spigots. While camping there we hiked some of the surrounding trails and fished at the lake.

• 

  Art S.

  Legend

  Jul. 31, 2021

  Twisted Oak Campground — Argyle Lake State Park

  Rustic camping in large sites with a free exercise plan!

  We were surprised to discover this state park in Illinois but searching on the Dyrt App helped us have a great visit. There are 4 different camping areas within this park. There are electric sites near the showers. Another loop of electric sites is down the road. Keep going and you find a small loop of nonelectric sites ($8! It’s hard to beat that price). A mile further and there is a gravel road where you can find walk-in sites (some didn’t look cleared but others were stunning).

  In our loop of rustic campsites, it filled up on the first night. There isn’t as much greenery between sites so this was a bit of a struggle noise wise. The rest of the weekend only had a couple other sites filled. We were well distanced and this ended up being a really enjoyable campground. There are vault toilets near the road. Garbage cans are almost at every other site. While they weren’t emptied out while we were there, they didn’t really fill up with just a few of us.

  Recent storms brought trees down and even damaged the road around the lake. Cars are only able to go halfway around - but you can go halfway and then drive back around to see it all. The camp host recommended hiking the road. The 5 mile journey was popular even though it is a series of steep climbs and descents. We loved it and our dog loved meeting all the other dogs walking their owners around the lake. This hike became our morning ritual as it was cooler temps and shady.

  There is a small restaurant at the lake. It’s near the boat launch. We saw many boats and even people fishing from shore. This man-made lake is a popular spot.

  Having looked at some other campgrounds in the area, this one appealed to us the most. Even hearing a train once or the sound of distant shooting didn’t take away much from our experience. We’re glad we discovered it!

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