Looking for an adventure where you can explore Oxford and then fall asleep in your tent? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Oxford campgrounds for you and your tent. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Our private four acre site is now available for winter tent camping. Services include an outhouse, electricity, fire ring and wood is provided. There are trails to hike around the pond and in the prairie. Tents can be set up anywhere, however, you can use the tipi pad(outdoor carpet over sand} without stakes. Winter camp is open from January 1 to April 30. A great meeting place for families and friends willing to experience the outdoors throughout the year. 5 miles from Williamsburg and I-80, within 30 minutes of Amana Colonies, Outlet Mall, Fireside Winery. We also offer wildlife, historical or cultural hikes to the Amana/Iowa River Valley area.
$25 / night
Macbride Nature Recreation Area (MNRA) is a 485-acre peninsula that has been leased by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the University of Iowa since 1969. There are ten kilometers of hiking and cross-country skiing trails. MNRA is home to the Environmental Education Programs: School of the Wild, Wildlife Camps, and Iowa Raptor Project. MNRA is located 15 miles north of Iowa City at 3895 Raptor Ridge Road, near Solon, Iowa.
We are a seasonal campground open April 15 thru October 15. We have seasonal, monthly, weekly, and overnight rates. We have planned activities as well as many amenities. River frontage, canoe/ tube rental, mini golf, pool and so much more.
$35 - $50 / night
This is a primitive, pack-in campsite. Located northwest of the Learning Center, it features a fire ring with sitting stones, an ADA platform for a tent, and one replica Wickiup. This pack-in site is designed for youth groups and single family use only. It attempts to recreate what life was like for the woodland peoples who lived here hundreds of years ago. Renters will need to carry in/carry out all equipment and refuse. There is a pit vault restroom nearby.
$54 / night
There is a primitive camping area at the Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area. Fees are $10 per night.
· Primitive environment
· Tents only
· No vehicle parking at the campsite
· Limited picnic tables and fire rings
· Restrooms in Main Campground
· Showers available in Main Campground
$10 / night
Guide
We tent camped here for two nights so we could visit the Amana Colonies. This is an RV park with tent sites on the lawn around the perimeter. A bit of a walk to the bathroom and showers, but the sites were level with short grass. The bathrooms and showers were very clean, and everyone was extremely friendly. The only drawback was that the tent sites don’t have picnic tables, but for two nights we made it work. We’d stay here again.
Legend
Large marina on Iowa River, Bobbers Grill restaurant on site, sand volleyball lots, playgrounds, horseshoe pits, camp store with propane/firewood, shower house, full hookups, tent sites.
Traveler
Lake MacBride State Park is divided into two areas, and you need a car (or boat) to get between the two sections. You may also be able to take the dam trail with a bike, but I'm not totally sure about that. One side is called the "modern campground" and has spots for RV camping and tent camping, and this campground has toilets, playground, beach, and shower house. The other side is the "non-modern campground" and has RV and tent sites, playground, boat access to the lake, modern bathroom and pit latrine, but NO shower house. Our family of two parents and 2 young boys stayed a Friday night in the non-modern campground in site #49, which is off to the side, close to the woods, and is appropriate for two tents. We had no complaints at all! The campground is well-maintained, the lake is beautiful, the modern toilet house was clean, there was water on site. Our kids played with other kids in the campground at the small but nicely maintained and modern playground. There were some safe little trails in the woods next to our campsite that our kids walked around on with lanterns and looked for bugs and spiders. There was a normal amount of chatter from a Boy Scout group that was near us, but the sound died down fairly early, and it was quiet sleeping. The next morning, we got up and did some exercise and watched the lake while the fog was still low. Saw lots of neat birds, including a great blue heron. There is no swimming beach on this side, but you can launch a boat (boat ramp) or kayaks and canoes. Many of the campsites were empty when we went, and for the empty ones, you just get your campsite on the honor system. I do sort of wish there was a shower house on that side, just in case, but that is probably what is keeping this site quiet. We reserved the campsite through ReserveAmerica, and unfortunately we had to reserve for a minimum of 2 days, so my only other wish would be that we could reserve for just one day, BUT the campsite was very inexpensive, only $9/night, so for $18 plus a very minimal processing fee (I think we paid $22 total for the 2 nights), we had a great place to camp, and much cheaper and quieter than a cheap motel, along our destination from Wisconsin to Kansas! Things nearby to check out include: the beach at the park, the Devonian Fossil Gorge in Coralville, and the Coffee Press (for coffee lovers) in Iowa City.
Guide
Our family enjoys tent camping at Kent Park because the sites are grassy and open, but more private than many Midwest campgrounds because they are lined with tall prairie grasses and trees. We stayed during an Iowa Football weekend, attended the game in nearby Iowa City, and then enjoyed the rest of our weekend exploring the ponds and trails in the park. Prairie life makes for good photo ops and bird-watching. Restrooms and campsites were clean and well maintained. We will definitely be back!
Scout
Was looking forward to camping there until I found out they do not allow pets at tent sites. Apparently they don’t feel responsible pet owners use tents. Not happy will never stay there
Traveler
24 years ago River Jct Lone Tree Iowa was Just stumptown. Outhouse at the top. Just a spot by the river. A lone camper. How things have changed . Still primitive tent campgrounds there. Alot of sites. Boat ramp. Camper sites no electricity. $10 per night. Bear & Sue's Adventure 2021.
Scout
It's a great recreational area, and a beautiful campground, tent camping is a breeze with very secluded sites, and well water very close to each site and a trail that leads to a large dumpster. Awesome lake to go kayaking on too!
Guide
Great open air tent sites right on the side of the lake. Perfect access to restrooms close to the beach and close to the beach and write-off the boat dock.
ScoutThe tent sites are very nice and private. There are waist high prairie flowers between the sites to provide privacy and beauty. New picnic tables. Lots of shade. visited in July
Guide
The Lake has been recently drained and refilled. The new trails around the lake are so wonderful. Electric and tent sites. Brand new five season cabins. Great all year round!
Ranger
Just looking for a layover spot after a long day of driving. Couldn't figure out where to register so we walked into the bar/restaurant, Bobber's Grill. The owner was at the bar. Was going to charge us $35 because he thought we needed hook ups. Explained we were self sufficient and really just needed a place to park...very willing to pay for a tent site. After confirming we needed nothing else, he said "Well if that's all you want, you can park in my lot here and buy a beer." Deal!! The tent sites were really muddy that day so we were thrilled to have a lot. Place is right on the lake. Lots of boating. Quiet at night. Really a fun place to be.
Scout
A little pricy for tent camping. Ten dollars per tent per night and you’re restricted to the primitive area. It’s not bad if you’re just wanting to get away for a little bit but stay close to town. Otherwise if you’re looking for a better get away from it all I’d recommend some place else.
Traveler
Fills up fast on rv side but great views. 1st come 1 serve. Lots of sites on the water and plenty of tent sites. Decent fishing, lots of bluegill and some crappie.
RangerThis campground has many amenities for the whole family. From tent sites, to Airbnb cabins for 9 people they have a site for everyone. They have laundry, showers, horseshoes, volleyball, basketball, fishing and a swimming beach.
TravelerUnique mix of RV and tent sites in a variety of sizes. Some close together would be good for groups and some remote. One shower room with flush toilets near entrance but vault toilets and water available throughout park. No other services.
RangerMy son and I tent-camped at Macbride Nature Recreation Area (not nearby Lake Macbride State Park) several times circa 2005. Always a good time. You can walk through the forest to get to the injured raptor center with outdoor aviaries. I marked this campground as new to the Dyrt map but the Dyrt changed it to a review of the state park. Oh well!
GuideLast minute on Saturday night they had only 2 spots left. We were tent camping but they only had electric sites remaining. We got site 31, beautiful spacious area, right off the River for fishing! Bathroom facilities were clean and had hot water. Each site has a water faucet. Host was helpful and the site was well maintained. Glad we found it in a last minute change of plans. Will definitely go back again!
Scout
Nice quiet little primitive campground next to the Wapsipinicon River. Unfortunately, when I was there the last weekend of May, the gnats were bad, and the mosquitoes were just starting to gear up. HOWEVER, take bug spray and enjoy the rustic peacefulness of this "best kept secret" for primitive and inexpensive camping sites. Beautiful location, ranger close by, wood for sale just across the bridge, fire pits and picnic tables at every site. Good for RV, trailer or tent camping… level ground and lots of shade. Primitive bathrooms, no showers or running water.
Traveler
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.
Guide
The campground at this state park is very well maintained. Multiple electric site are available to reserve, along with a handful that are first come-first serve. They also have a bunch of tent sites as well. Pit toilets and a modern showrhouse. Drinking water is available throughout the campground. Most sites are level with at least partial shade. Picnic tables and fire rings at each site. The campground is clean and quiet. Gets busy on the summer weekends, but very quiet during the week. There is a beach to swim, and great fishing in the lake.
Legend
Little Bear Campground is located right off I-80 at the West Liberty exit. It is right next to a trailer park. There are a few tent sites ($22/ night)and Rv sites($33/night). We pulled in late to stay the night. It had full hook ups with a fire ring and picnic table. The spot was good sized and clean. There is an office/ gift shop and a convent store within walking distance. There is 2 cute little cabins which run $49 a night. There is a pool(closed for season), and a playground for kids. I was surprised that the interstate noise was much quieter than I thought it would be. All and all it was a pleasant place to stop over.
Ranger
This campground offered much privacy when I went - I was the only person camping (tent camping). It was very quiet.
That being said, there are not many amenities. It has a vault toilet. I did not check the water hydrant, or even try to locate it, since I brought my own water for one night of camping. There is a small playground for the kids, but it is definitely not a modern playground (think back to the 1970's style playground when I was a kid!).
There are opportunities to hike and view wildlife - my favorite outdoor activities.
This campground is a real bargain. It was $10/night for any site, including the electric (I stayed in one of the non-electric sites near the back).
For me, it offers solitude. I will be coming back regularly.
ScoutJust off I-80 this was a clean, large, level, grassy tents sites. Gas station right next door. Owner was very friendly and helpful. No reservation needed. We came in after hours and owner greeted us and made sure we got settled. Would definitely stay here again.
Scout
This campground has 11 tent sites spread around a level, pretty wide-open grove of cottonwoods and four larger sites in the woods (#12-#15) accessed via a path that climbs the hill behind the parking lot. Nothing fancy, but it was everything we needed. We stayed down in the flat, near the bathrooms, because we arrived late and this was just a quick stopover, but if I were planning to hang around a bit I'd probably try to get one if the wooded sites. Bathroom/shower building is older but very clean and well maintained. Its a short walk down to the Devonian Fossil Gorge - a spillway for the Coralville dam. Lots of interesting geologic history on the interpretive path (also a pretty sobering picture of the gorge full of whitewater during a flood). Would happily stay here again.
LegendCheck-in was quick and easy. We proceeded to back-in site 61 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). We were one and done on what we thought might be a more difficult back-in, but there was enough level ditch in front to allow an easy swing. Our site was somewhat level, but we did have to put blocks under the passenger-side tires. We could back far enough in our site to park our F-450 in front of our rig at an angle and still put our back deck out. We got 2 bars on Verizon and could put out our Starlink. They have a double-hole dump station that can be accessed in both directions. This large COE has a variety of sites, with the 300 loop being full hook-ups. The sites down by the boat launch have electric only and tent sites. There are shower houses throughout the CG. Compared to other COEs we’ve stayed at, the sites here are closer together. The CG wasn’t full during the week but filled up on the weekend while we were there.
Guide
This is a really beautiful campground. The RV sites aren’t really out of the ordinary but the park sits upon a slight rise above the Missouri River and the road around the campground leads down to the river. Deer can be seen drinking from the river and grazing along the tree lines. There’s a cool spot where the river crosses the road in a shallow bend. There are even picnic tables scattered around.
The RV sites vary in length from about 25’ up to 60’. Unfortunately, none of them are more than mostly level and several are on about a 20 degree slope. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and fire pit. Some have electric but none have water. There is a fresh water station but no dump station. (We stopped at another park on the way to here but the park host told us there’s a dump site at the state park in Monticello; it’s about 10 miles from Anamosa). The park does have bathrooms and showers. There are tent sites as well as RV sites. Some sites can be reserved but others are walk-on sites. This year’s park host is a really special guy who’s very, very helpful but also very hands-off. He makes sure everyone respects the park and each other but isn’t intrusive.
Anamosa is a very sweet little town with a lot to offer for dining and local culture. (Don’t miss the “General Store Pub” in Stone City.) If you’re into motorcycles, make sure you visit the National Motorcycle Museum. The collection is exceptional and the arrangement quite intimate — especially considering the size and variety of the collection. We actually came here specifically to tour the museum but we’d definitely come back here for the overall beauty.
LegendIf you’re looking for a family-friendly place to pull over for a decent escape to nature, then you may very well want to consider Sleepy Hollow, which is just a few minutes north of I80. Given its proximity to the busy interstate highway, this campground scores high on the convenience factor being EZ on- and off-, but it is just far enough away where you will feel as though you have escaped both the non-stop whir of incessant highway traffic and the unsightly view of a heavily trafficked main roadway. Add on top of this that you’ll find this location is perfectly suitable to the RV crowd as much as it is the tent-pitching bredren that belong to my tribe of outdoor enthusiasts.
Here at this campground you’ll find RV and 5th Wheel sites offering both pull-thru and back-in sites complete with full hook-ups (water, 30 / 50 amp electric and sewage). There’s 7 tent sites that are very well shaded, have a decent patch of land and include picnic tables, fire pits and scattered stand-up BBQ grills. Whether you have a tent, an RV or not, this campground has a small handful of cozy cabins available to rent that come with running hot & cold water as well as electricity and are located close to the fishing pond. What I enjoyed most with the primitive camping area was the serenity offered by the abundance of new growth Oaks that shaded the place, along with unfettered views of the lake itself. Priceless.
Sleepy Hollow offers a number of amenities including: ‘catch& release’ pond (both swimming and fishing potential), ball pit, kid’s playground, puppy park, designated dumpsters, fairly decent WiFi, community firepits, general market store, laundr-O-mat, shower facility, pavilion, horseshoes, game room, volleyball and basketball courts, artificial beachhead with swim area and windmills. There’s a lagoon with hundreds of ducks, but depending upon how you look at this, it may or may not be considered an amenity, but if you have kids like I do, it’s a great distraction that offers up a lot of duck-feeding fun.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re looking for a decent bit of hiking, there’s a nice slice of nature near here at Sleepy Hollow a bit NE called Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area where there’s plenty of trails, shooting ranges and some fairly decent bird watching; (2) When you get tired trying to conjure up that next meal from your cooler or on-board fridge, then head over to nearby Renee’s Roadhouse where this roadside stand serves up standard Americana fare like burgers, sandwiches and wraps. For anything more substantial, you’ll have to take a longer drive east to Iowa City of which I recommend Steak & Shake, Back Berner Bar & Grill or Barrel House; (3) If you’d like to embrace the Amish vibe that exists here in rural Iowa, then head due north to Amana Colonies where you’ll come across hand-made blankets and artisan-crafted cabinetry all while offering you some very warm Midwestern hospitality.
Happy Camping!
Tent camping near Oxford, Iowa offers a variety of unique experiences, from serene natural settings to well-equipped sites perfect for families and solo adventurers alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Oxford, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Oxford, IA is Winter Camp at Walking Stick Adventures Farm with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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