The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Palo, IA

368 Reviews

Natural areas surrounding Palo, Iowa offer several primitive tent camping options within a 30-mile radius. Wickiup Hill Primitive Campsite provides walk-in tent sites with basic amenities, while Macbride Nature Recreation Area features secluded wooded tent-only sites accessible by short hiking trails. Wakpicada Natural Area in Central City offers year-round tent camping with good tree cover and fishing opportunities. For those seeking more private tent camping experiences, Gardner Family Farm provides primitive tent sites on a working hemp farm north of Cedar Rapids.

Most tent-only sites in the Palo region require campers to pack in their own supplies. Wickiup Hill features fire rings with grates, pit toilets, and includes firewood with the camping fee. Sites at Macbride Nature Recreation Area have picnic tables and fire rings but no drinking water, requiring tent campers to bring their own. Surface conditions vary from established dirt pads to natural forest floor. Wakpicada Natural Area provides fire rings, picnic tables and trash service, making it suitable for tent campers seeking slightly more developed sites while maintaining a natural setting. Most primitive tent campgrounds in the region allow pets and campfires, though seasonal restrictions may apply.

Tent campers report varying experiences across these locations. According to reviews, Macbride Nature Recreation Area offers "small, quiet and secluded" tent sites, though one camper noted spiders were abundant in the morning. At Wakpicada Natural Area, a visitor mentioned that "good tree cover made the experience fun" even during extreme heat, with "quiet campgrounds that aren't right next to each other." Wickiup Hill provides an accessible tent camping experience with "primitive amenities near Wikiup Hill Learning Center" and an "ADA platform for tent" camping. The walk-in nature of these tent-only sites creates a more secluded backcountry camping feel while still being relatively accessible from nearby towns.

Map showing campgrounds near Palo, IowaExplore the Map

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Palo Contest

Enter to Win

Best Tent Sites Near Palo, Iowa (23)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 23 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Palo Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Palo, IA

15 Photos of 23 Palo Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Palo, IA

368 Reviews of 23 Palo Campgrounds

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 16, 2022

    Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area

    Unique County wildlife site along Maquoketa River

    Unique hike or paddle primitive site. Native forbs and wildlife surrounding the area. Two parking sites to hike in or access by river. Site is along river, has table, fire ring, latrine. Pack in, pack out and Leave No Trace.

  • C
    Jun. 6, 2018

    Matsell Bridge Natural Area

    Nice little inexpensive primitive site... spaces almost always available

    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.

  • TThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 13, 2024

    Lime Creek Park

    Nice campground with a Quirk

    The pros: $10 fee ($15 electric), campground seems well maintained (grass is mown, security light works, tables in good repair, gravel access road in good shape, etc); no one here but us, the sound of the running Creek is soothing, vault toilet is probably the cleanest I've seen; ATT cell service was 3bars 5G The unusual: no specific site, no specific place to pull into, no site numbers or designation except on the electric pedestals. It's all grass. Pull onto the grass near the table or electric pedestal you want. The cons: highway traffic noise is easily heard and doesn't seem to stop for more than a few seconds (though the crickets/bug sounds and the creek sound is sometimes louder so you hear that instead), dust from vehicles passing on nearby dirt road filters thru the trees (due to dry weather?), and, well, it is, after all, a vault toilet-not my fav,

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 30, 2025

    New Wine Park Dubuque County Park

    Nice small county park campground

    General: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad. 

    Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. 

    Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there. 

    Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station. 

    We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!

  • Emma N.
    Sep. 25, 2017

    Sugar Bottom Campground

    Boats and Beautiful Views

    Our one-night stay at the Sugar Bottom- Coralville Lake Campground was terrific! My husband and I stopped there during our cross-country road trip. We arrived around 7:30pm on a Sunday in September and easily got a spot. The lady at the entrance station was incredibly kind and answered all of our questions.

    The campground is very well marked, with easily visible site number labels. Each site is in a grassy area with a picnic table and fire ring with a grate. Our site had a tree or two that provided some shade, but some other sites were a but more shaded.

    We ended up staying in site #103, which is right by the water. What a beautiful view we had! Our campsite was very close to a boat dock, a sand volleyball court, and a sandy beach. We didn't have a chance to swim at the beach, but it looked really nice! It had a large, designated swimming area that was marked with floating ropes. We were also located close to a building with restrooms. Each restroom had a clean, hot shower. The showers were free, which was a plus!

    In my opinion, this is definitely a 5-star campground. I can't wait to come back!

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Fountain Springs County Park

    Solitude and not much else

    This campground also goes by the name of Holbert. Small campground but free with a handful of picnic tables and campfires. The vault toilets were cleanish, thou older. This campground is next to a pretty little creek that you can play and fish in. The campground is really just a series of campsites strung out along the creek and road. It was pretty quiet while I was there, not many campers at all. There are no hookups for RV’s/campers so it is primarily tent camping or dry camping. There is an interesting story about how this camping area has come to be: the land was donated by Ella Ellis in memory of her husband William Ellis. They apparently loved the land and wanted to make sure it was never developed and could be enjoyed by all. A lovely story.

  • Angie G.
    Oct. 2, 2021

    Primitive South Campground — Lake Macbride State Park

    Nice Lake View

    We stayed in a walk-in site for one night at the Non-Modern campground. It was wonderful! We arrived at dark and set up our backpacking tents but were able to see stars and be separated from our neighboring site. The campground had a water spigot to fill containers and dumpsters (no trash at site). There are no amenities at the campsites in this campground. A restroom with pit toilets similar to a National Park are on-site. They were very clean, as was the campground. It is on a lake so you will hear boats in the early morning hours and wildlife.

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2021

    Cottonwood Campground/Coralville Lake (COE)

    Nice forested CG near Coralville Lake

    Tent area among trees includes fire rings. Showers/restrooms onsite, walk in sites too, firewood available at West Overlook permit station, beach nearby, Iowa River and Coralville Lake nearby (good fishing).

  • Clint G.
    Jul. 19, 2021

    Pinicon Ridge Park

    Perfect County Campground

    We stayed at this campground for 7 nights with W/E hook ups.  Dump available on entrance/exit.  The site was a level rock pad witch was very spacious with a fire ring and picnic table.  Nearest grocery store was within 5 miles.  The bathrooms and shower were very clean with lots of hot water.  There is hiking in the park and very little road noise.

Guide to Palo

Tent camping near Palo, Iowa offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed options, campers can find the perfect spot to set up their tents and unwind.

Local Attractions to Explore

Tent Camping Prices

Tips for Tent Camping Near Palo

  • When staying at Buffalo Creek Area, be prepared for a more primitive experience, as amenities like firewood and picnic tables are not provided.
  • At Three Elms County Park, ensure you bring your own supplies, as this site lacks basic facilities.
  • For a more comfortable experience, consider Tipi Camp at Walking Stick Adventures Farm, which offers unique accommodations and amenities like a hot water shower and kitchen supplies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Palo, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Palo, IA is Wickiup Hill Primitive Campsite with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Palo, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Palo, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring