Best RV Parks & Resorts near Rathbun Lake

I am sure this was a user error! We didn't get to the entrance until late about 8:30 pm when it was dark. Sign was difficult to see. Wasn't marked for trailer camping. Difficult to get out once we decided we didn't understand where we were going. I bet this is a great spot but not for navigating after dark.

There are tons of things to do during any stay at Thousands Hills (affectionately called Thousand Chills). There are kayaks and canoes to rent, lakeside shelters, plenty of trails to hike, and plenty of campgrounds. There are areas that have cabins and also places that have RV hookups. Really great for anybody!

I went after a rain and it was beautiful. Many of the trails absorb water well and it's not too muddy. The trails and campsites are dog friendly and are very well marked.

RV park is relatively quiet and easy to get into. The concrete in our site was in poor condition, it had crumbled leaving a dip in the pad. The cable didn’t work, but electric and water had no issues. Easy on and off to the interstate. There is only one garbage dumpster near the entrance and we didn’t see a camp host on site or anybody to check in with. We stayed just one night on our way through the area and were comfortable.

Unfortunately there's no lake view, but there's full hookups and a good mix of tent and RV sites. Be careful of low lying trees for taller campers.

Rathbun Lake has a lot of camping options. What I like about Bridgeview is the number of campsites with lake views. The bridge isn't much to see so don't be fooled by the name.

The campground is clean with modern amenities. There is plenty of sites for tents and RV's. This is a great place to relax at Rathbun Lake.

We camped in spot #20 of the north loop. I would not recommend any spot in the center second of the loop. It was more like parking than camping. If we parked in the direction to utilize the full hookups we would have had our awning out over our neighbors campsite.
The state park has some nice trails for hiking. Use bug spray because the ticks are bad. Some nice views of the lake

Rathbun Lake is a destination for boaters and campers in the State of Iowa. The Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains several facilities around the lake. Island View campground has some really nice views of the lake.

Island View campground is clean. The sites are pretty open, there are trees but there is also a lot of open space. The park has a nice play set for kids and there are baseball fields nearby.

This is a great place to go if you like to boat. There are three different boat ramps in the park.

Honey Creek resort has everything. Golf, nice dining, camping, boating, and lots of fun. This resort has RV camping and beautiful cabins. It is a State owned facility but don't confuse it with Honey Creek State Park (which is also a nice park, you can read my review on thedyrt.com).

If you are looking for a place to pitch your tent and hike go to Honey Creek State Park. If you want luxury camping with cabins and 9 holes of golf, Honey Creek Resort is for you. It is not cheap but it is a nice place to plan a short vacation of relaxing fun.

This campground sits right next to a busy highway and the tent spots are right out front and have very little shade. The tent spots are very close to a busy highway. The tent spots are also VERY close together which is frustrating.

The lake is right next to the tent spots and you can walk to the beach which is nice. 

The water faucet was pretty far from the tent spots near the front. Bathrooms are new. There's a playground for the kids which is nice.

The RV camping is all within nice shaded areas. I wish the tent spots were back there.

Honey Creek State Park is located on the north side of Rathbun Lake in southern Iowa. Boat ramp at the park is large (6 lanes) with several docks to assist loading and unloading. Location is about 10 minute drive from Honey Creek Resort which provides a nice 18 hole golf course, water park, and restaurant.

Shower house / bathroom was very clean. Camping site contained a few trees so we were able to string up a tarp to provide shade and protect firewood and furniture from rain. We were there the week before the 4th of July and during the week, there were only about 6 other campers there. The weekend was a bit busier but still sites to be had. Be careful driving around the park as I don't think there was a day we didn't see at least 8 deer wandering around the campsite or near roads.

Nice park - would definitely stay there again.

First, there is no dump station! All sites have water and electricity with 20, 30, and 60 amp plugs. The sites are 20 dollars. The campsites located near the entrance are pull-through but need maintenance. The campsites along the lake will support short to medium length RVs or trailers, and all are back in. As of this posting, all are not level and in poor condition. The city of Huneston, Iowa is a few minutes away and has several gas stations and a grocery store.

Campground Review: Honey Creek State Park is on Rathbun Lake, a very popular place to boat, fish and camp in Southern Iowa. We camped in the Group Campground with out Boy Scout Troop. We pulled into camp after dark and between the headlights of our vehicles and our lanterns (My Goal Zero Light House 250) we set up camp in the dark.

We explored the campground, there were some nice trails and nice spots to camp. The bathrooms were clean but they were a little bit of a walk from the Group Site. The weather was great and the bugs weren't bad. I would recommend Honey Creek State Park.

Ranger Review: The Goal Zero Light House 250 is a nice lantern. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The light settings are perfect. You can use half of the lantern or the full lamp power. You can adjust the lighting power by turning the knob on the front. It can be charged with a wall charger, a solar panel, or the green hand crank on top of the lantern.

We used it when setting our tent up in the dark and it did a good job. At 250 lumens it is just the right amount of light to let you see what you need with out blinding you in the dark. We did not start a campfire that night, instead we placed the Goal Zero Light House 250 on the ground and we surrounded the lantern with our camp chairs as if it was a camp fire. We were up for three hours talking and never did the lantern light weaken.

I like this light. It is too heavy and bulky for backpacking but it is great for car camping. There is a smaller model but I don't know if it will work for backpacking.

Like most Iowa state parks, no sewer or water hook ups at site. Not super level. Near red rock, but cannot see the lake from the campground, cannot access the bike trail directly from campground. Wooded area, no trails or anything special in the park. Showers flooded the bathroom and had to push the button every 30 seconds to keep the water going.

Around this area there are many Marion county campgrounds that have better sites and amenities.

We arrived on Thursday evening. After a short debate we opted to pay the extra money for an electric site - based solely on the fact that the water wasn't turned on in the basic site loop (we later discovered it was also off at the swimming beach).

At a guess the basic sites aren't used much as they seemed less kept than the electric sites. Finding a place to pitch a tent in the electric loop was a challenge but we did find one that had enough level grass. Site 4 - close to the water spigot and a modest walk to the bathroom/showerhouse.

Though it was definitely busier come Friday night not all the sites were full and most seemed to be retired or semi-so with grandkids. No party atmosphere - which is what we happened to be looking for this trip.

A nice, quiet place to spend a weekend away with Amish country store a close distance by.

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.

Lake Rathbun is a destination for boaters and campers in the State of Iowa. The Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains several facilities around the lake. Prairie Ridge campground is one of those facilities.

The campsites are good. They have a fire pit, a place to hang food to keep away from raccoons, electricity, and a nice gravel pad for your vehicle or camper. It has modern toilets and some of the campsites have a nice overlook of the lake.

What stands out at this campground is the prairie grass and all of the wild flowers. It is a nice weekend getaway.