Best Tent Camping near Ogden, IA

Recent Tent Reviews near Ogden, Iowa

385 Reviews of 10 Ogden Campgrounds

• R

  Russ G.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 14, 2019

  Acorn Valley

  Peaceful, lots of riverbed area to explore

  We’re big fans of Acorn Valley. It’s quiet and there is plenty of shade in the tent camping area. The tent sites lead to some small trails which end at the riverbed. Our boys love exploring here.

• 

  Brian W.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 14, 2019

  Dolliver Memorial State Park Campground

  Nice and clean

  Nice clean park, if passing through Iowa it's a nice overnight. A little loud if tent camping. Area not large enough to separate hard shell campers and tent campers. Plenty of fly's and mosquitoes, plenty of shade.

• R

  Randi

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 17, 2020

  Dolliver Memorial State Park Campground

  Scenic Hiking

  Beautiful views, wonderful trails, cramped campground, poor tent camping conditions.

• 

  Kaylinn W.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2019

  Hickory Grove Campground

  Little patch of heaven

  We go camping at Breezy Bay and it’s our favorite. We tent camp, so the modern bathrooms (with showers!!) is a huge plus. The spots are some of the biggest we’ve seen at any campground, so there aren’t many and it’s almost always quiet. Lots of trees for shade but the lake has trails and a swimming beach with watercraft rentals. Truly a hidden gem in central Iowa!

• R

  Randi

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 17, 2020

  North Equestrian Campground — Brushy Creek State Recreation Area

  Wonderful

  Great for tent camping, very spacious and grassy sites, clean, grill/fire pit was really very nice. Very clean and modern bathrooms, easy access to water. Hiking trails were well maintained. Can't wait to come again.

• 

  Ben K.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 28, 2023

  Thomas Mitchell County Park

  Clean and quiet in tent

  Spent 2 nights tent camping here. We stayed at site 4, glad I read reviews on here. I personally would not want to be in a site beyond number 7 as it gets too close to the dump station and subsequent “sewage lagoon”

  Shower house was clean, pretty quiet, and only 5 miles off the highway

• 

  Willy W.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 13, 2019

  Thomas Mitchell County Park

  Best little park

  Great place to go tent camping, very clean and quiet. They sell firewood bundles for $5. Easy trails for the kids to go hiking and playing in the creek to cool off in the heat. There is even a pond for fishing that you can take a trail from the campsite to. 100% going to go back and camp again.

• 

  April B.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 29, 2018

  Ledges State Park Campground

  Quiet, low-key hike in camping

  Though it’s closed this summer :( - the Ledges State Park campground is a long time favorite of ours. Lots of electrical and non electrical spots and also an entire section of hike-in tent camping that is just a short hike down to a secluded section of the Des Moines River. Secure your food at night or the racoons will dine lavishly on your supplies. :)

• M

  Megan M.

  Guide

  

  May. 9, 2021

  Springbrook State Park Campground

  Worth a stay!

  We've tent camped twice at Springbrook, and though it's not perfect, it's a nice campground we plan to keep coming back to for a number of reasons.

  Pros:

  -Not a far drive from Des Moines, but still quite remote

  -Lots of nice hiking trails

  -Easy access to large, mostly clean modern bathrooms

  -The lake is a peaceful spot to spend the early mornings, a nice place to fish (but don't expect to catch anything) and its beach is fun on the hot summer days, and tends to not be too busy. Has lots of benches around to sit and enjoy the view.

  -No cell reception, which could be a "con" but we like that it forces us to unplug

  Cons:

  -Tent camping spots are clustered mainly in the middle of a loop, which feels a bit like a fishbowl with no privacy

  -It's mainly an RV/camper campground, which can be loud/rowdy at night for tent campers. Lots of parties happening the two weekends we were there. Definitely don't recommend if you want a peaceful weekend away from the world.

  -Other than hiking and a bit of swimming/fishing, there's not much to do

  -Firewood is a short drive from the campground, which can get inconvenient

• 

  Zachariah M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 7, 2019

  Bob Shelter Recreation Area & Campground

  Nice spot

  I would suggest getting reservations. We stopped on a Friday with out one, they were booked. We only wanted one night in a tent. They don’t have designated tent sites but they have one overflow sight and they let us use it for the night. Price is great, $20 per night. Easy to get rvs into the spots and a lot to do for the kids.

• M

  Mitch

  Guide

  

  May. 7, 2021

  Briggs Woods Park

  upper camp ground is the better

  Nice campground. lower camp ground has circle type pads that hold 4 campers good for groups (friends, Family) upper camp ground has more single sites. as of 2020 more sites under construction both upper and lower area. they have some cabins and a couple walk in tent sites (short walk) WIFI in lower part of camp ground.

• B

  Billy K.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 4, 2018

  Swede Point Park

  Hidden Gem

  Small county park with clean showers and restrooms. Several short trails, mile mile and a half maybe. Tent camping is always available (literally - was just there over Labor day weekend and had no trouble getting a spot on Saturday), with maybe 20 electric sites, no reservations. New this year is firewood for purchase. Not far from the famous High Trestle Trail for you bicycle enthusiasts! My wife and I teardrop trailer camp here as often as we can.

• A

  Anthony W.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 3, 2022

  Adventureland Campground

  Parking more than camping

  I stayed at Adventureland for the summer months and had no issues. The staff was very helpful, plenty of laundry/restrooms throughout the campground and pretty clean overall. Concrete pads with full hook ups (30/50 amp, water and sewage) make setting up quick. Tent camping is an option in the back of the campground. Nature is not really the draw of this campground, convenience is more the approach. With a theme park on one side and a casino on the other, both in walking distance. It’s more of a park and party place hahaha

• b

  blaycee

  Scout

  

  Oct. 2, 2021

  Dolliver Memorial State Park Campground

  Smaller but nice

  We have a smaller camper and got lucky to fit into a smaller spot that backed up to the woods. We both grew up around here and have always kayaked,fished,hiked, tent camped in the park. Love the scenic trails, there’s so many. Good for pictures. Also they rebuilt the boat ramp and it’s really nice now. Nice river to kayak, not as scenic as some but fun even though the rivers low. There’s 2 cabins you can rent which I did a couple times years ago, they are clean with kitchen. Overall nice park.

• 

  Willy W.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 1, 2020

  Ledges State Park Campground

  Ledges

  Ledges State Park

  Ledges is an amazing place. It has so much to do. There are long trails to hike, creeks to play in.

  You can bring your tent or RV and camp. The RV camps have water/sewer hookups. The primitive tent sites are usually pretty clean and can get pretty busy on the weekends.

  There are lots of bridges that get flooded out and are fun to drive over. Most of the kids like to hang out near them and get splashed.

  Its a fantastic place to enjoy the outdoors and especially in the fall. Also if you go to Ames stop at Great Plains pizza company.

• 

  Sara S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 25, 2016

  Walnut Woods State Park Campground

  good place for a day trip

  We just did a day trip here with families who have a bunch of kids. Great park for kids and they loved floating down the river. We did a fun short hike as well. We checked out the camping situation for our next visit to Des Moines and decided a park a bit further away was worth a more secluded camping experience. Sites were not secluded and not very exciting plus they seemed very set up for an RV experience not so much tent camping. The bathrooms look pretty nice though. Definitely a nice place to spend a few hours, but the campground leaves something to be desired for me.

• 

  Sara S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 25, 2016

  Ledges State Park Campground

  great walk-in site

  We went to this state park with family and had a great time. We chose to do a walk-in tent site because my brother in law recommended it. The site was great! It had tons of trees, dirt area to set up tent, and nice grass surrounding it. The fireplace and picnic table we unexpected with a walk-in site, but a good surprise :) We camped mid-October and were pleased to see the modern bathrooms still open too! Loved the canyon drive and it’s fabulous views :) We heard about an awesome bicycling trail that connects this park with another and are already planning a trip to go back and do a bike trip! Excellent experience.

• P

  Patti M.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 18, 2018

  Cherry Glen Campground

  Relaxing in the beauty that is Iowa

  Went in without a reservation. No problem. Pleasantly surprised to find out it's an Army Corps of Engineers park; meaning if you have a annual National Parks pass, you get a discount. Didn't know that. We paid $11 for a tent site. Lots of RV sites around. The whole area around Saylorville Lake has camping. Lush green plots of land everywhere. I forget how pretty it is in the Midwest when I'm gone for so long. Quiet, relaxing place. Friendly staff. We took a long walk through the campground and others nearby. Boating and swimming in the lake.

• 

  Whitney S.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 9, 2022

  Yellow Banks County Park

  Ever changing

  I camped here in 2021 and I enjoyed it but the first night I was there I ran my vehicle down the second night I was there I took a tour on the campgrounds and got verbally accosted but another camper for walking near their campground and then I mistakenly left some food out and my dog and I were woken up by wild dogs.
  In 2022 I came out again and it was a much better adventure the campgrounds are beautiful they have two different electric sights and they have a newly furnished tent site.

• 

  Willy W.

  Ranger

  

  May. 31, 2020

  Adventureland Campground

  It’s an adventure.

  This is a great spot if you plan on staying in the area and want to go to Adventure Land or Prairie Meadows. There are lots of restaurants near by like Spectators and Jethro’s BBQ.

  As far as the RV park goes it’s pretty busy, mostly small families and older folks. The lots aren’t very big and you are kind of packed in there. They have a swimming pool and a fishing pond. The office also has a little store to buy goods.

  They do have a small area to tent camp in. I probably would stick go rv though. There are also comfort stations lol for showers and bathrooms.

  They do also sell firewood and during July 4th Adventure land puts on a really great fireworks show.

• 

  j B.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 17, 2021

  Swede Point Park

  Great camping experience

  This county park has many amenities not to mention that it is close to a very popular bike trail (High Tressel Trail Bridge). There are a few miles of mowed trails along with a couple of trail through the woods up and down hills. Do you like volleyball? They have that and ahalf court basketball too. If your family or group likes games, the park maintains a flat well groomed area for play games. The bathroom/shower house has music 🎶. Wood is for sale. I plan to return. Plan to get here Wednesday or Thursday because this park is FIRST COME basis. NO RESERVATIONS! AndALL of the electrical sites were full Thursday evening. There were plenty on tent sites still available.

• S

  Staci I.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 21, 2021

  Lenon Mill Park

  River View!

  We settled into one electrical site and one tent site for our adventure. The tent section offers fairly large sites, and views of the river. Our electrical site was decent size and the"backyard" was right up to the river bank. We anticipated some rain so we set up a screen tent for shelter right along the river to enjoy the view while we waited out the rain. Electricity at these sites appears to be brand new. The dirt work that was done to accomplish this had not yet been smoothed out, so making sure your area is lit to avoid tripping and ankle sprains is essential. As it turns out we camped on the same weekend of a large group's annual camp out at this location. 2nd weekend in April every year. Several families with RVs, and while they were great neighbors, we came to understand the site we were in is usually a part of their group. There are no reservations at this campground, so setting up early is the only way to assure you have the site you want. The facility has running water by mid April, no shower, but a single flushing toilet and sink, no soap. The campground does not have a trash can or dumpster on site at all, so you must pack everything out. Really good stay

• 

  RN P.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 21, 2023

  Swan Lake State Park Campground

  Perfect

  Tented camped in late October, the weekend before closing.  I was only tent camper in the electric only sites.  If there was a tent only location, I didn't see it.  Those in campers that need water and electricity are regulated to gravel 'parking lot' sites.

  Beautiful park with playgrounds, swim beach, fisbee golf, paved trail, many fishing bars, and more.  

  Electric only sites are small and spaced out well.  Most have level drive perfect for sm camper or suv camping. Grass has slope, but I think you can find a good enough place for tent, I did.  Bathroom clean enough, I didn't use showers. I enjoyed the privacy of lake-front site J.

• 

  Wendy P.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 19, 2018

  Ledges State Park Campground

  Beautiful hikes. Prepare for coons.

  One of the more beautiful places to camp in Iowa. Awesome hiking trails and really well-shaded campsites. The hike in spots are great if you like privacy and being in the middle of the woods - but you don’t want to be THAT far from your car.

  Beware of the raccoons. They’re plentiful and crazy smart here. We had one open our cooler, steal an egg from the cartoon - without disturbing anything else. Honestly, I was impressed! But some of our friends had them rip through their tents to get at food - not as impressive.

• 

  Amy G.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 2, 2018

  Sportsman Park

  Beautiful solitude with well manicured campsites

  This was one of the nicest county campgrounds I've ever seen. We've been to a lot of them, but this one stands out. Not to mention that the price was unbeatable! So much more reasonable than at home. Set off the road a bit in a tiny little town in Iowa, it's along a river and very close to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, an 89 mile loop trail (paved) that goes through several towns and counties. It costs $2/person/day if you are 18 or older, or a year pass is $10. There is also a lodge that you can rent.

  We rented a cabin for $50, because it was only about $10 more expensive than what we were planning on spending for a campsite in Minnesota. Normally, we stay in tents, so we were very pleased to find the options that this campground had to offer at such reasonable cost! If you wanted a tent site without electric, it was only $8. Electric sites were only $12. And the sites were incredibly well groomed. They were clean (I didn't see any trash). And they were tucked into the woods. A caretaker lives on site, and although we rarely saw him, it was obvious that he cared about his job. The bathrooms were clean and cared for too!

  We were in a cabin and they were simple, but suited our needs. They had two wooden cabin-style buildings with little front porches (not screened in, but room under the overhang for chairs). Inside, you had two bunk beds, and the bottom bunk of one was a pull out futon, so you really had room to sleep 5 people. (Must mention: The futon in our cabin was horribly uncomfortable. I would have given 4 stars to the review because of it, but the futon alone shouldn't take away from the rest of the campground, which was immaculate). There was also a bathroom with an ADA shower, toilet, mirror and sink. In the room, there was a mini fridge, coffee maker, microwave, little sink and it even had air conditioning! Tucked in the corner was a folding table and chairs. A few hooks scattered around the walls completed the room. The A/C in ours wasn't at full working capacity, but it did chill the room down enough to be very comfortable. And it was very hot outside! We also had a little fire ring and picnic table, just outside the door.

  The campground could accommodate plenty of tents and campers alike. Some electric, some not. All with very nice grassy pads for tents, all with picnic tables and fire rings. Grass was well clipped and there were plenty of parking spaces. It was very quiet when we were there, but I assume it gets busy on the weekends. The shower/bath house had separate bathrooms (both unisex) and both with toilet, mirror, sink and shower). Both were very clean for a camp bathroom. A little campground for those wishing to camp together was at the back of the park. It, too, had bathrooms. But they were locked, so I couldn't peek inside.

  Bottom line, it was well worth our $50 for the cabin (you can't even get a hotel room for that price any more). I'd love to go back and tent in the quiet of a weekday eve when the crickets are chirping and I can feel the breeze through the tent!

  Please note - there are no trash cans at the campground if you are in tents or RV's (the cabins have them inside). It is a carry in/carry out campground

  There are LOTS of water pumps all over the campground. Yay for water!!

• 

  Tom S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2016

  Ledges State Park Campground

  Don't fall off the ledge!

  One of my favorite locations to camp in Iowa as a Boy Scout growing up was Ledges State Park. Since I hadn't been back in years, I decided to check it out and spend a night camping there. It's close to how I remember it.

  The campground has a good picnic area, restrooms, and an excellent trail. It's also inexpensive.

  What I enjoy most about this park compared to others in Iowa are the sandstone ledges and the slopes on the trail. There are some excellent views, so make sure your phone has enough battery to take photos (unlike me). I also spent a lot of time off the trail. It isn't too hard to get around. I'm not one who enjoys staying at a park that is mostly flat, so this is definitely a good place in Iowa for me to camp.

  If you are looking for a cool place to camp within an hour of Des Moines, you should seriously consider this park.

• 

  Matt S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 14, 2016

  Iowa State Fairgrounds

  The Iowa State Fair - The BEST in the World!

  The Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the world with more than a million visitors every year! There is something for everyone in the family. The campground is really built for RV and Camper Trailers, personally I would not pitch a tent there. It has two large shower houses and flush toilets. It is contained inside the Iowa State Fairgrounds. This is an amazing event that showcases the best of Iowa agriculture and is fun for the family. This is not your typical campground. The Fair generally begins the second Thursday in August and runs 11 days. Enjoy the fun!