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Best Tent Camping near Plainfield, IA

208 Reviews

Tent campgrounds around Plainfield, Iowa offer rustic, primitive options scattered across several natural areas. River Ranch Camping in Nashua provides tent camping with limited amenities and a backwoods feel about 15 miles southwest of Plainfield. For those seeking an alternative, Chickasaw Park near Ionia offers primitive tent sites adjacent to an old quarry with river access approximately 10 miles from Plainfield.

Most tent sites in the Plainfield area operate with minimal facilities and infrastructure. Chickasaw Park charges $10 per night through self-pay stations and maintains mowed grounds but little else. Pit toilets are available but poorly maintained according to visitor reports. River Ranch Camping features picnic tables and some hookups, though drinking water is not provided. Campfires are allowed at some locations like Chickasaw Park but prohibited at others, making it essential to verify rules before arrival. Roadman Roadside Park offers flush toilets, drinking water, and maintained grass areas suitable for tent setups.

The primitive nature of tent camping near Plainfield creates unique opportunities for solitude and nature immersion. A camper noted, "My family loves River Ranch. It doesn't have all the amenities like other campgrounds but that's what makes it a great place to camp. It is back woods camping." Sites typically feature grassy tent pads and some tree cover, particularly along river corridors. Little Turkey Campground, while farther from Plainfield, provides more amenities including showers, making it suitable for tent campers wanting a less primitive experience. Colwell County Park north of Plainfield offers drive-in tent sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and toilets, though without electric hookups or drinking water. These tent-focused campgrounds trade convenience for quiet surroundings and natural settings where visitors can experience Iowa's woodland and riverside environments.

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Best Tent Sites Near Plainfield, Iowa (21)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Plainfield, IA

208 Reviews of 21 Plainfield Campgrounds

  • 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,

  • Kerry M.
    Aug. 25, 2021

    Wolf Creek Rec Area

    Quiet campground in the heart of Iowa

    Wolf Creek is a nice little campground near Beaman, IA (Beaman is very small, near Conrad as well which has a grocery store).

    There are 10 RV sites, which are $15/night and several tent/small camper sites which are $10/night.

    The campground has potable water but no showers. There are vault toilets.

    The campground has a nice playground, which was a feature we enjoyed when my daughter was little.

    My favorite part about this campground is the privacy. The tent sites are spread out and it is fairly easy to find one without neighbors too close.

    Activities:

    + Playground

    + Creek fishing

    + Nice benches and swings

    + Comet trail for hiking and biking

    + Hunting nearby

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 28, 2024

    Cedar View Park

    Beautiful park, gross bath house

    This is a lovely park. It is fairly quiet, you can hear some highway noise in the distance. The lake is lovely and clean. The spots are gravel, most sites will require some leveling but are not too bad. 

    Each site has a newer electric pedestal with 30 and 50 amp service, and each site has a water spigot, as well as a picnic table and fire ring.

    There are a few sites that back up directly to the lake. There is a swimming beach and a dock. There is a city park adjacent to the campground with a playground and picnic shelter.

    I had 3 bars on on T-mobile which got me 64 down and 18 up. On Verizon I had 3 bars which got me 65 down and 12 up.

    The shower house was pretty bad though. It was older, which doesn't bother me, but it was dirty. There are camp hosts on site but I guess their duties do not include ever cleaning the restroom. There was food trash in there all week, and if you look around you'll find feces, blood, and personal hygiene trash including used condoms.

    I would stay in this campground again because I have a self contained unit and do not need to use the on-site shower house.

  • B
    Jun. 12, 2022

    Lake Meyer County Park Campground

    Great spot, tents included

    This is a great little park if you need a place to stop for the night. It was very inexpensive for tents ($10 I think) and the tent camping area was very nice with 3 giant pine trees and some picnic tables and fire rings. As someone who bicycle tours I appreciated fire wood being on site and close to where the tent area is. The bathrooms aren’t the best but they worked. Overall its a safe, clean, welcoming campground for both tents and RV’s.

  • Chantal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 22, 2021

    Chickasaw Park

    Used to be a Quarry

    We love love love to come camping here. It's $10.00 per night last we stayed, placed into a self pay pole. While the grounds are mowed that is about all that is done on the camping side of the river for maintenance. I won't walk into the pit style restrooms let alone use them (kids can be jerks 🙄). There is a small park on the adjacent side that does have a shelter. There are no hookups so consider this a primitive campground. It is adjacent to an old quarry where swimming and fishing is currently allowed at your own risk. Due to multiple accidents and or deaths jumping/diving and cliff jumping is no longer allowed and can be a misdemeanor charge if found doing so. On the river side there is a small dam that also offers fishing. If you're not afraid of ghosts, are respectful, and you follow the road ALL THE WAY BACK there is a very old cemetery (we found it foraging firewood) which we thought was very intriguing.

  • Steph H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 17, 2017

    Lake Louise State Park Campground

    Great Group Site

    Our group of 12 stayed at one of the two group sites at Lake Louise State Park. Our site holds up to 30 and the neighboring site holds up to 50. Our site was a beautiful spot with large shade trees, three picnic tables and two fire pits. We also had a large grassy area to play and an area to put up our tents that was away from the activities. A vault toilet was beside us but it was also for the other group site so they had to constantly walk thru our site to get to it. The trails were nice but small and the beach is not recommended. Even though it's part of a river it was very stagnant yucky water and dirty sand.

  • Ax H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 29, 2025

    Shellrock River Co Preserve

    Great Free spot for tent camping

    Big grassy field surrounded by huge (walnut) trees. There a gravel track that goes along a large river. Trees everywhere so bring bug spray. Quiet, peaceful. Not private but worth it. Free, 3 day max stay

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 8, 2024

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Surprisingly quiet campground on a summer weekend

    We tend to stay at campgrounds during the off or shoulder season for a quieter experience so it was with some apprehension that we reserved this campground for a summer weekend so that we could meet friends for Paddlefest. We were happy to discover that despite being a full campground, it was quiet at almost all hours of the day and night. It was, however, an entirely different story on the lake itself, where boats gathered all day to party!

    There is little separation between the sites but there are trees located throughout, some of which provide shade to the site. The camper pads were a mix of dirt and gravel and mostly level. We were lucky to snag Site 34 (reserved about three months in advance) – it was on the end, making it a much larger site than the interior sites (all end sites in our section were larger) and we had plenty of shade trees, a welcome relief on a very hot weekend. 

    The paved roads leading to the sites are very narrow and would appear to be one-way but are not designated as such, resulting in some confusion. The site numbers are only listed on one side, even though most of the sites appeared to be pull-through. 

    The restrooms and showers were clean and had soap and (dated) air dryers. 

    Overall, we had a very pleasant two-night stay even though we were prepared for a different experience.

  • Mary S.
    Aug. 31, 2018

    George Wyth State Park Campground

    Another bargain at an Iowa State Park

    Why Should You Camp Here?

    • Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.) There is no separate park entry fee (unlike some states).

    • You can rent kayaks, canoes or pedal boats near the campground at Wyth Lake. And there are 3 other nearby lakes.

    • There's a small beach at Wyth Lake.

    • The Cedar River is on the edge of the campground.

    • You're so close to Cedar Falls and Waterloo which means there are craft breweries!

    • We were only there for a night but I saw this on reserveamerica.com: "The Lake-to-State Park Bike Route is a 50 mile route connecting Pine Lake and George Wyth State Park. The route primarily utilizes county highways and established bike routes and paths once inside Cedar Falls/Waterloo." 

    • We didn't do everything we could do there, because we were just passing through. Check this out: https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/george-wyth-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IA&parkId=610125

    Amenities

    • The usual fire ring and picnic table

    • Dump station and potable water

    • Flush toilets and running water in bathrooms along with push button showers. Ok, push button showers are not ideal. Just keep pushing that button and hopefully you'll be okay with the temperature that you can't control!

Guide to Plainfield

Tent camping near Plainfield, Iowa offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several options to explore.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • At Chickasaw Park, you can enjoy fires and bring your pets along, making it a great spot for family camping.
  • River Ranch Camping provides electric hookups and a sanitary dump, catering to those who want a bit more comfort while still enjoying the outdoors.
  • Colwell County Park features picnic tables and toilets, ensuring a more convenient camping experience for visitors.

Some prices for tent camping range from $10 to $0

  • Camping at Chickasaw Park costs around $10 per night, making it an affordable option for budget-conscious campers.
  • Thunder Woman Park is currently closed for camping, but it’s worth noting for future reference.
  • Enjoy free camping at South Fork Access, perfect for those looking to save money while exploring the outdoors.

Local attractions and activities

  • At Chickasaw Park, visitors can swim and fish in the adjacent old quarry, though caution is advised due to past accidents.
  • River Ranch Camping offers a backwoods camping experience, ideal for families looking to connect with nature.
  • For a unique experience, explore the old cemetery found while foraging for firewood at Chickasaw Park.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Plainfield, IA is River Ranch Camping with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 21 tent camping locations near Plainfield, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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