Best Campgrounds near New Albin, IA

The northeastern corner of Iowa near New Albin features diverse camping opportunities where the Mississippi River creates a natural border with Wisconsin and Minnesota. Yellow River State Forest offers primitive backcountry sites at Camp Glen Wendel and more developed options at Big Paint Campground, where trout fishing draws outdoor enthusiasts. Within a 30-mile radius, campers find established campgrounds like Blackhawk Park in Wisconsin and Upper Iowa Resort and Rental, which provides tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin rentals. The tri-state region's distinctive Driftless Area topography creates scenic camping environments with limestone bluffs, hardwood forests, and river valleys uncommon in the otherwise flat Midwest.

Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally from April through October, with limited winter options. As one camper noted, "Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa." Cell service varies significantly throughout the region, with Verizon generally providing better coverage than other carriers. Reservations are essential during summer weekends, particularly for riverfront sites. The region experiences typical Midwest seasonal patterns with humid summers and cold winters, though the varied terrain creates microclimates. Spring flooding occasionally affects river access points, while fall brings colorful foliage and reduced crowds.

Trout fishing stands out as a primary attraction for many campgrounds in the area. According to one visitor, "Iowa only has a few state forests and this one has something the others do not... trout fishing." Campsites along creeks and rivers receive consistently high ratings, with many offering direct water access. Wildlife viewing opportunities include bald eagles along the Mississippi River bluffs and sandhill cranes in wetland areas. Campground amenities vary widely from primitive sites with pit toilets to full-service RV parks with electric hookups, showers, and camp stores. The region's topography surprises many first-time visitors, with one camper remarking, "Who knew that Iowa has hills like this?!" Hiking trails connect many campgrounds to scenic overlooks and geological features unique to the Driftless Area.

Best Camping Sites Near New Albin, Iowa (143)

    1. Blackhawk Park

    10 Reviews
    De Soto, WI
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 648-3314

    $18 - $40 / night

    "From our site (30) we had a nice view of the water which was about a 3min walk. Site was mostly level with gravel, picnic table and fire pit/grate."

    "We had site 40west and it was larger, but too close to the smelly pit toilets. Showers nice, hot and clean. The tent sites looked spacious, but not very private."

    2. Beaver Creek Valley State Park Campground

    21 Reviews
    Caledonia, MN
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 724-2107

    "The park has a lot of very well maintained trails. The only thing to know is there is no cell reception because of the valley."

    "Water, garbage and recycling (separated) were all close by. There as no cell signal, so we went to town for that. The park has nice trails that are pretty well marked."

    3. Goose Island

    14 Reviews
    La Crosse, WI
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 788-7018

    $22 - $34 / night

    "Goose Island has very friendly staff and a nice little camp supply store at the entrance where you can also purchase firewood in two sizes of tubes. You’ll need a way to haul the wood to your site."

    "The sites are close together near the entrance. The spread out as you get deeper into the park. Beautiful grounds. Good communication from the camp rangers when we had to switch sites."

    4. Upper Iowa Resort and Rental

    4 Reviews
    New Albin, IA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 568-3263

    "Wen I lived in Minnesota and my boyfriend was living in iowa, this was our go-to meeting place for our weekend getaways. "

    "This campground is perfectly situated on the Upper Iowa River."

    5. Red Barn Resort and Campground

    2 Reviews
    Lansing, IA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 538-4956

    $25 - $39 / night

    6. Reno Horse Campground — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest

    1 Review
    Genoa, WI
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 724-2107

    "There are many hiking trails, including a trail that goes on top of the bluff with views of the forest and of Wisconsin and the Mississippi River."

    8. Shady Rest Acres

    2 Reviews
    Hokah, MN
    13 miles

    $40 - $120 / night

    "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. "

    9. Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest

    12 Reviews
    Waterville, IA
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 586-2254

    $15 / night

    "Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective."

    "Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush. I had no phone service."

    10. Pettibone Resort

    12 Reviews
    La Crescent, MN
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 782-5858

    $28 - $30 / night

    "About a 10 minute walk over the Cass St. bridge and you are in the heart of downtown La Crosse. This campground offers everything."

    "Utilities were located in the rear. 20A/30A electric and water. Site was a little unlevel. Neighbors are close. 

    AT&T had 2-3 bars of LTE and Verizon 1 bars of LTE service."

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Recent Reviews near New Albin, IA

540 Reviews of 143 New Albin Campgrounds


  • Deb M.
    Sep. 1, 2025

    Blackhawk Park

    Another nice COE campground

    Nice mix of sites at this park, many with electric hookups. There’s also lots of unnumbered sites FCFS sites around the park. Only 1 bathroom/shower building, and lots of vault toilets. The west loop sites (where we camped) were a bit close together, but large and level. Even on a busy Labor Day weekend, the campground was quiet and peaceful. AT&T service was good, and T-Mobile service was very spotty. There’s a dump station and potable water on site. We will definitely be back.

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2025

    Richard J Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest Isinours Management Unit

    Lovely space

    There are a few spaces with views you can hike in to but I opted for a spot next to my car. And ideal spot for a one nighter. I stopped here after a 12 hour drive got set up and even walked the trails for a few miles before bed.

  • Kay K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground

    Cottontail lane

    We hiked a short distance into our site. We had to pass a grassy area that was always full of bunnies! The site was of good size, dark and quiet. The shower house was close and clean.

  • Kay K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Wyalusing State Park Campground

    Gorgeous sunsets

    Clean and beautiful campsite. Dry firewood and kindling available. The toilets were clean. The ridge view sites are spectacular but not for those with a fear of heights.

  • jThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 15, 2025

    Forestville Mystery Cave State Park Campground

    great camping

    Stayed in site 71 for 3 nights. Good level campsite and in walking around all the ones in the electric loop looked pretty level.  

    The shower house is the newer style - individual shower rooms and then a separate mens/women/handicapped bathroom.   Showers were clean.

    Lots of hiking - down to historic village and back is about 4.5 miles round trip.  

    If you get the chance, go do the the 1 hour walking tour of Mystery Cave - well worth the entry fee.  if you go on weekend probably need to make reservations. 

    and finally need to check out Wykoff - and see Ed's Museum.  Usually open on weekends.  We went over during the week and wasn't open but you can get view inside from the street.

    TV was able to pick up about 15 stations - but there is NO CELL SERVICE in the campground - no Verizon, ATT or T-Mobile.   Wifi down at the ranger office.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 7, 2025

    Pulpit Rock Campground

    Very Nice

    Very nice City owned facility . City water only available central locations otherwise a delight spot in a wonderful town

  • D
    Aug. 6, 2025

    Wyalusing State Park Campground

    Beautiful views

    Clean sites with some privacy. Great showers and clean bathrooms. There are lots of places to walk the dogs and great hiking.

    Even if you have an inside or non cliff side site, there are plenty of places to sit and watch the sunsets.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 3, 2025

    Blackhawk Park

    Clean and right on the water

    Nice campground. Book the non-electric site to have a better opportunity of being right on the water.


Guide to New Albin

The northeastern Iowa region surrounding New Albin sits at elevations ranging from 600-1200 feet, creating dramatic temperature variations between ridgetops and valley floors. During spring thaws, lower camping spots near New Albin, Iowa often experience soggy conditions, especially in the Mississippi backwaters where water levels can rise 4-6 feet. Tent campers generally find drier sites from July through early October when humidity levels typically drop below 70%.

What to do

Trout fishing expeditions: At Beaver Creek Valley State Park Campground, anglers can access cold, clear streams ideal for beginners. "A lot of electric sites. Tent sites further back in the campground through multiple water crossings (ok for cars). Campsites beautiful wooded sites in the bluffs," notes Stephanie K.

Historical monument visit: The Blackhawk Park area offers a moving historical experience. "The Blackhawk monument is one of a humbling experience. Sad to hear how it all happened," writes Amurican L., who adds "the fishing was awesome. The people were great, plus you are in distance of 3-4 states within 30 minutes."

Sandstone quarry exploration: For hikers seeking solitude, the dispersed camping options at Richard J Dorer Memorial State Forest provide unique geological features. "This is an awesome place to hike, not a very long hike but it's steep with drop offs. Not for those that are scared of heights," warns Michael V.

What campers like

Sand-bottom swimming: Families praise the unique pool at Upper Iowa Resort and Rental. "Loved the sand bottom pool, owners were so nice and kids loved getting hard ice cream everyday from the shop! Clean, quiet, friendly place!" reports Sheena B.

Spacious waterfront sites: The Blackhawk Park waterfront areas receive consistent praise. "Nice campground. Book the non-electric site to have a better opportunity of being right on the water," advises Max T. Another camper notes, "The sites are very spacious and easy getting into for RV's/campers."

Natural springs: The unique water features at Beaver Creek Valley provide cooling spots on hot days. "The Big Spring was also a great natural water feature to relax in after a hot hike!" mentions Amber Z., though she cautions that "the bathrooms and showers here were very gross."

What you should know

Limited cell coverage: Many campgrounds in the bluff region have poor connectivity. At Beaver Creek Valley State Park, "there is no cell reception because of the valley. This great if you want to get away from it all, but if you're staying a while and need to work, this isn't the place to do it," explains Kat C.

Seasonal flooding concerns: Pettibone Resort experiences occasional river flooding. "We got flooded out the only day we stayed. Got our money back for second night. Mississippi was over flowing this flood plain and yet still beautiful," reports Theresa.

Off-season availability: Big Paint Campground provides winter camping options when many other sites close. "Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective," explains Stuart O.

Tips for camping with families

Golf cart rentals: For families with small children, Pettibone Resort offers convenient transportation options. "Definitely worth renting a golf cart for the day as the campground is pretty spread out," recommends Tara M., who stayed at site 211.

Kid-friendly beach layout: Upper Iowa Resort provides convenient supervision options. "The best part of this camp is they offer tube canoe and kayak rentals with a shuttle to the put in then you float back to the campground. Also has a 'pool'/man made pond with a beach all the way around it," explains Erin A.

Animal interactions: For a unique farm experience, Shady Rest Acres offers a different type of camping trip. "They have donkeys, Scottish Highland cows (a family of them), sheep, goats, chickens (and they'll even pick the bugs off your car), bees, horses, ducks, cats and dogs," describes Amy G.

Tips from RVers

Level site selection: At Blackhawk Park, RV campers recommend specific loops. "The west loop sites (where we camped) were a bit close together, but large and level. Even on a busy Labor Day weekend, the campground was quiet and peaceful," shares Deb M.

Hookup considerations: For bigger rigs, utility placement matters. "Site was a little unlevel. Neighbors are close. Utilities were located in the rear. 20A/30A electric and water," notes David B. about Pettibone Resort, adding that AT&T service tested at 146 Mbps down while Verizon showed only 16 Mbps.

Clay soil challenges: Some campgrounds have soil that affects leveling and drainage. At Blackhawk Park, Jerry N. reports, "Sites are fairly flat clay soil, so I didn't have to level much. A thunderstorm didn't create any driving issues."

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near New Albin, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, New Albin, IA offers a wide range of camping options, with 143 campgrounds and RV parks near New Albin, IA and 4 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near New Albin, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near New Albin, IA is Blackhawk Park with a 4.6-star rating from 10 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near New Albin, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 free dispersed camping spots near New Albin, IA.