Best RV Parks & Resorts near Oelwein, IA

Recent RV Reviews near Oelwein, Iowa

343 Reviews of 109 Oelwein Campgrounds

• 

  Roger A.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 2, 2016

  Wyalusing State Park Campground

  Wisconsin's Gem

  This is an amazing park on the Wisconsin/Iowa border, overlooking where the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers join. I usually try to get in at least 1 trip a year, if lucky enough 2-3. Amazing park with great views, camping, hiking, canoeing/kayaking. Very clean restrooms and showers, tent and trailer camping. If you are lucky enough to get a site on the ridge you won't be disappointed.

• m

  michelle

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 5, 2022

  Wilder City Park

  Beautiful city park

  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. The park has two fishing areas, a dog park,pickle ball, volleyball mini golf, basketball and two playgrounds. A beautiful walking and bike path connects the parks to the neighboring cities. A free dump is also available. We highly recommend this park. 1

• K

  Kimberly E.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 8, 2021

  Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

  Great Campground for Kids, Lots of Amenities

  Decent sites with full hook ups. Little shade with small trees next to about each site. Gas, propane, laundry room, beach area, small boat rentals, good sized convenience store with ice, beer, snacks, milkshake machine, etc. Enough to do for a day or two without going to the water park. Overall felt pretty exposed but the amenities made up for it.

• B

  BRIAN F.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 12, 2022

  New Wine Park Dubuque County Park

  Would use again

  Very nice county Rv park, best to call for reservations but not heavily used during the week

• L

  Lori H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 22, 2020

  Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

  Something for everyone

  Great RV park. Lots of room and cabin rentals for folks that don’t have an RV. The fenced dog park was fantastic for those of us with dogs. A lake with beach area and an area for fishing founded it out! Would recommend!

• S

  Steve T.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 10, 2019

  Big Woods Lake

  Will be great!

  As far as RV parks go, this one is young and the lack of shade is only evidence of that. Sites are well planned out though, giving each camper plenty of space. Several buddy set ups, allowing two campers to set up with main doors facing each other. The lake is small, no wake lake - but great for using your SUP or kayaks.

• D

  Dennis G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 6, 2020

  Lakeview Campground — Volga River State Recreation Area

  Quiet, secluded

  Gravel parking spots, fairly level, most without shade unless you get on the "back loop" where you can find 4 with good shade. All manner of amenities (electric only, water & electric, and a few with full hookups). Bathrooms are clean and well stocked. 4 private showers available...clean. Weekends are typically busier than weekdays.

• 

  Kim L.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 20, 2020

  Pikes Peak State Park Campground

  Gorgeous park, small campground

  There are about 30 electric site big enough for RVs, and about 35 non electric site. All are very nice sites with fairly level gravel pads. There are lots of trees for shade making the sites really beautiful if not spacious. We had a tight fit with our travel trailer on site 33e, but once we squeezed in it was excellent. Two bathrooms one with showers, and well kept. The best thing about this park are the wonderful hiking trails. Some are ADA accessible near the camp store, but most are a good climb with lots of ups and downs. Town of McGregor has a few cute restaurants and bars, but enjoy the park and the amazing views of the Mississippi and the Wisconsin rivers. Several big rig RVs were there, but call ahead if you’ve got a big RV to make sure you’ll fit.

  There are some fantastic cycling routes near the river, with stops in all the little towns along the way. A wonderful place to spend a weekend, with apple orchards nearby.

• 

  Clint G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 20, 2021

  Rodgers County Park

  Nice for a County Park

  This campground offers electric only sites for RVs.  Water can be a bit tricky to get in the park and there was not host onsite to assist.  The RV sites were mostly level on a gravel pad with a grass yard.  There is some shade with fire pits on site and picnic tables.  It was very quiet as this is in the heart of corn fields.  There was a bit of a disturbance which the ranger promptly addressed.  There are showers and toilets onsite as well.

• 

  Mike C.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 4, 2021

  Blue Inn Campground

  Cozy, basic CG

  37 full-hookup sites, some tent sites, all right on edge of town. Adjacent to Kitty Creek, joins Maquoketa River. Some concrete pads, most are gravel, fairly level. Pretty tight layout, average of only 30-40' between sites. New fire rings, picnic tables in good condition. Bakery and other facilities are closed due to COVID. Previous campers at our site left lots of trash on ground...always disappointing. Electrical and water were good. Sewer connections a bit high.

• 

  Mary D.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2020

  Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

  Huge!

  Just stayed one night passing through Iowa. Very pretty Campground with colorful Kabin’s and a lake for swimming or paddle boats. Level sites but not much shade.

  Surprised we did not get an escort to our site as is usual at KOA’s. Did not use bathroom facilities. Laundry needed attention as it was a bit unkempt and one machine was broken and half full of dirty water.

  Would stay again to try some of the other amenities.

• M

  Mary

  Guide

  

  Apr. 14, 2022

  BEYONDER Getaway at Lazy Acres

  RV park near Cedar Rapids, Iowa

  Well run campground with full hookups available for$35/ night. Bathrooms are clean and lots of warm water for showers. Great place for a night or two. Near the highway but road noise is minimal.

• R

  Ryan S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 15, 2024

  Fontana County Park

  New, clean, no trees

  There is a brand new campground here with full hookups. There are no trees so I decided to pass and not camp here. Evidently there is an "old" campground somewhere in this park also that I did not find. The signs will direct you to the new campground.

  I had good T-mobile and Verizon service here.

• 

  Annie C.

  Legend

  

  May. 31, 2019

  Elkader City Park

  Nice city park camping

  This was a great surprise in a pretty little town. The campground is across the river from Elkader, up on a rise. The campground is next to the city pool and history museum, which has great exhibits and a few historic train cars to explore. The campground has hookups for RVs primarily, with a few tent sites in a grassy area next to the road. However, you can easily just get a site with hookups to be further away from the road (the sites in the middle seem to have better hammock trees, too). None of the sites have any privacy, but all have picnic tables and fire rings. The shower house is like a bunker house- seriously, it is the tornado shelter for the park and campground! It’s super clean and large, with separate toilets, showers, and changing rooms. FREE firewood!! They even provide a couple of wheelbarrows for you to haul firewood to your site. In town there is an access point for kayakers who want to play in the river at the rapids, as well as access for fishing. There is a GREAT bakery on the main corner in town- this is THE place to buy your hamburger buns (one of their biggest sellers). There is a nice cornerstone bridge crossing the river that you can walk across to view the spillway.

• 

  Diane A.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 19, 2018

  Six Pines Campground — Backbone State Park

  Very nice and lots to do!

  There is a variety of things to do here. You can rent cabins, shelters, tent and RV camp, hike the trails especially the “Backbone”, explore the cave, fish trout streams, visit fish hatchery, swim at the beach, canoe, kayak or just have a picnic. Beautiful park! My sons have even repelled the bluffs.

• M

  MARY K.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 29, 2021

  Pikes Peak State Park Campground

  Close to Effigy Mounds National Monument

  We are staying here specifically to visit the monument. It is crowded with older people like us,in the electric sites, and their older dogs. Level sites. Showers. Concession stand at the picnic area. There are stunning views of the Mississippi River Valley too. Many trails will lead you by ancient Native burial mounds, including an Effigy of a bear (probably a bear.) Heard an owl close by last night. We're not fans of side by side camping sites, but we are at Effigy Mounds or hiking this park most of the time.

• 

  Jeannie D.

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2023

  Pikes Peak State Park Campground

  Beautiful views!

  Easy level sites, and helpful neighbors. Hiking was phenomenal at Pikes Peak! We will never forget those views! Loved this stop over!

• 

  Jeannie D.

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2023

  Six Pines Campground — Backbone State Park

  Just stunning

  This campground was large. The lake reminded me of a puzzle I did with my grandma as a kid. It was fall, and it was just gorgeous. There was a wedding the weekend we were there, but we were lucky to explore the tower the day prior. The nearby communities offer ameneties, which were needed as I sprained a knee hiking the backbone trail my third go. Absolutely adored the weekend we spent here. Wonderful neighbors, great spacious, level sites. I want to say we had electric only, and service was definitely spotty in most areas of camp. We used Verizon, and could not hulu.

• 

  Kerry M.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 21, 2021

  Six Pines Campground — Backbone State Park

  Two campgrounds to enjoy at Backbone State Park

  Backbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa.

  There are two campgrounds. I have camped in both:

  Modern Campground: This is a large, modern campground with all of the standard amenities found in a modern campground… electric hookups, flush toilets, water. I have camped here twice, both times in my travel trailer. Overall, it is a nice campground with decent space in between campers, however, I tend to avoid it during the busier summer and fall colors seasons.

  Primitive Campground: This is my favorite at Backbone for camping, especially in the autumn after the leaves have fallen off of the trees. As this campground is non-electric, there are not many people camping after it turns colder. I have spent many nights there alone in the primitive campground, watching RVs pull in and then leave after realizing that it has no hookups.

  Nearby trout fishing: Backbone is home to one of the more popular trout streams in Iowa. The fishing is easy as most of the fish are stocked (April-October). Still, it is an enjoyable fishing trip as the stream itself is mostly rocks and gravel, with several deep holes. The water is cold and clear.

  Other activities: Hiking is very popular in Backbone. I have also seen rock climbing and rappelling. There are some nice spots away from the trout stream for wading and a little swimming. Backbone State Park also has a small lake with a swimming area and boat rentals during the summer. Several nice cabins are available for those who do not want to camp.

• 

  Tiffany K.

  Guide

  

  May. 20, 2024

  Pikes Peak State Park Campground

  Quaint Campground with River Views

  Loved this campground but it does have some drawbacks. Set up a lot for rv camping with site layout and connections. Some sites have the fire ring very close to the parking area and some spots have limited shade (compared to the majority of the campground that is in the trees). The bathrooms and showers are in good condition. The Mississippi River overlooks are a short walk away. There were lots of birds and spiders around the campground. There are a good number of hiking trails in the park.

• 

  Jennifer T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 3, 2018

  Big Woods Lake

  Nice easy park.

  Nice park with a bike path around the lake. A few nature trails, but nothing I would call hiking. Two vault toilets placed on the bike path. One modern bathroom with showers in the campground. A few cabins with air conditioning and one large one. Rest of the sites are on gravel and meant for RVs, but I've seen a few tents dotted in the grass next to them. Two ramps for boats and two spots for kayaks or canoes. Nice paddling and usually pretty easy going. One beach, but I've never seen anyone really swimming. Just mostly small kids splashing around.

• R

  Ryan S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 22, 2024

  Oelwein City Park

  This is a beautiful city park campground

  I enjoyed my 5 night stay at Oelwein City Park Campground. It's located on the south end of town, there is only one business within walking distance. It's a great restaurant (Oelwein Family Restaurant) and it's about a 15 minute walk.

  There is one shower house, and several vault toilets throughout the park. The shower house is old and a little run down but was very clean. I had no problems using it.

  The city park is adjacent to the campground and has picnic shelters, a playground, and a dog park.

  There are electric and water hookups at most sites, and there is a dump station. The park was pretty full on the weekend as you would expect, but very quiet during the week.

  I had great Verizon and T-mobile service here.

• R

  Richard &.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 22, 2023

  Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

  Great place to stay

  We stayed at started at the Lost Island water park KOA for just one night while passing through the area. We were in our class C while slowly making our way across the country. We had no problems getting a spot here. Sites are gravel for the RV, reasonably level, and very well maintained. Most sites are pull through. Hookups are in very good condition. Each site had a grassy area with a picnic table. Staff was very friendly and helpful. There was a playground, beach and fenced dog area. Cost was very good for the amenities provided.

  The campground had a store, gas station and propane available.

  We had 4 bar LTE with Verizon. Our hotspot was usable and performed very well. We enjoyed our brief stay at this campground. We will stay again when traveling this way.

• 

  Steph P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2022

  Nelson Dewey State Park Campground

  Walk-in sites or bust!

  We stayed in walk-in site C, which the furthest site from the parking lot. Arrive before dark!! The wheelbarrows provided are a lifesaver, the trail to the site is manageable until the last 50 feet, which is steep and rocky.

  It is a smaller site and mostly slanted so we had to use our backpacking tent (90"x70") on the small patch that's sort of level, as our car camping tent (10'x14') was entirely too huge.

  The views are stunning. There was a pair of bald eagles in a nest down by the river - bring binoculars!

  HUGE caveat - this site sits on a ridge above a county highway and freight train tracks. There are also train tracks on the other side of the river. When trains are blowing their horns miles away, the sound carries. When they go past the site, it's incredibly loud! I was amazed at the racket - we live in Chicago on a busy street, a block from the L and the Metra tracks. 

  Bring ear plugs, trains rolled through until just after midnight and started up around 5am (that I noticed anyway).

  While Site C is incredibly difficult to reserve (best dates I could find were a Mon-Wed in October which I booked in APRIL), it's worth the views and the privacy.

  Site D is the first of the four walk-ins, huge, level, has a wide view, and  a bend in it's trail so isn't exposed. A great choice if C is booked.

  Site A is next, least amount of privacy, medium sized, looked level. Sites B was occupied our entire time there so wasn't able to check it out, but it's a bit more private.

  Pit toilet by the walk-in sites was as nice as pit toilet gets, it even has a urinal. Water is conveniently located near the parking.

  Shower house with flush toilets was really nice, 2-3 shower stalls and 4 toilets. No pay, just have to push the button over and over since the water only stays on for 10 seconds.

  The electric and non-electric sites are well spaced and on the larger side. A nice campground overall.

  For supplies and firewood, I recommend the Okey Market. It's convenient and has everything you need, huge beer cave too. If you want some local flavor, stop into the Silver Spigot Saloon, cheap beer, tasty fries, and they have a dog-friendly patio.

• 

  Chantal C.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 23, 2021

  Camp Comfort Recreation Area

  Smaller but laid out well

  Went here after the spring floods with the RV. Sites are decent size. They have a a shelter and small playground. There is a spigot to fill your tanks and electric hook ups. The river is off a smaller dam and has great fishing. Kids had a great time playing in the water, our site was about 20 ft from the waters edge.

• 

  Chelsea D.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 6, 2019

  Pinicon Ridge Park

  Best campground ever!

  Our kids had more fun at this campground than any other so far. They have the most amazing playgrounds (yes, two of them!) That we've ever seen. There were activities for kids of all ages, and they used a rubber composite on the ground at the playground so when kiddos fall, they aren't injured. There is also a beautiful walking/biking trail and canoe rentals.

  The sites were extremely level and clean, electric and water hookups. The camp host was very friendly and had plenty of firewood and ice in stock.

• 

  David S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 1, 2022

  Pinicon Ridge Park

  Nice clean and generally spacious

  Stayed in The Plains area. Water and electric hookups, dump station near by. Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table.