Best RV Parks & Resorts near Rathbun Lake

RV Park Reviews near Rathbun Lake

152 Reviews of 68 Rathbun Lake Campgrounds

• 

  Renee H.

  Ranger

  May. 7, 2024

  Howell Station

  Large spacious campground

  Well maintained campground with mature shade trees. Gravel sites, a little bit of leveling required. Poor Verizon cell signal, no internet signal. Not much natural privacy between sites, but sites were well spaced apart. Paved trail nice for biking and walking. Fishing nearby and the Dutch themed town of Pella is a short drive and a must see. Bathrooms and showers were nice, clean. Handicap camp site and bathhouse available. Firewood for sale at front gate. The potable water available at the dump station was clear and good for drinking. Dump station is easily accessible. Dumpsters were positioned around the campground. Staff was friendly. The night we stayed, there was a severe weather threat, and the staff, at the end of the night, had unlocked the storm shelters (utility area in the middle of the bathhouses) should the need arise. We ended up having to seek shelter because of a tornado warning.

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  Daniel C.

  Guide

  Oct. 18, 2023

  Lakeside Co Park

  Nice lake, but run down campsites.

  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.

• 

  Vita M.

  Scout

  Jul. 25, 2021

  Lakeside Casino RV Park

  No frills clean campground

  All the spaces are pulled through. It is very clean. There is full hook up for water, electric and sewer. All spaces are paved. There are picnic tables scattered throughout the park. If you are here to gamble, you will love it. If you are here to rest, you will love it. My wife and I feel safe in this park. I am in a wheelchair and this park allows me to move around freely.

• 

  Matt S.

  Legend

  Sep. 24, 2016

  Prairie Ridge

  Prairie Ridge has some nice wild flowers and a good view of Lake Rathbun

  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.

• M

  Michael W.

  Traveler

  Jun. 1, 2021

  Wallashuck

  Wallashuck Rec Area

  Very nice campground, each sight has a fire ring and table, plus a lantern pole. It is in a city park like setting and on the lake. Fire wood for sale at the entrance, you have to get water at the entrance only electrical hook up. Showers are very clean and there is also a children’s play ground.

• 

  Eugene B.

  Scout

  Sep. 11, 2021

  Little River Recreation Area

  Rv/tent sites on a big lake... Fish, fish, fish

  Nice little campground 4.5 miles of the freeway...9 minutes away from a small town with stores that stay open till 9. A bait shop onsite, closes early. Most rv sites with power, walk in tent sites w/o. Rates are great $12/15. Showers and flush toilets onsite as well as cabin rentals, canoe rental and fire wood available. Downside is a lot of flying bugs...not really biting just annoying. The lake has a lot of fish in it I hear... Family friendly.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  Oct. 28, 2022

  Little River Recreation Area

  Off the beaten path and very quiet

  General: This small county park (16 electric, 14 tent sites plus three cabins) is not reservable which might be an issue on summer weekends but on a Sunday in April, was no problem. Including us, only three sites were occupied. The rates are very reasonable -$15 for electric, and $12 for tent sites. 

  Site Quality/Facilities: Each site has a generous-sized picnic table and fire ring. Some sites are better than others, however. Sites 2 and 3 (both electric) are sloped down and the driveway is a bit overgrown. No physical separation between sites which when we were there was not an issue but might be when more crowded. Some of the sites have a direct water view but again, some are more sloped than others. 

  Bathhouse: A short hike uphill from all sites but it was very clean when we were there. The showers also looked clean, but I did not use them so cannot comment on how well they worked. 

  Activities/Amenities: Fishing! We saw a few boats on the water when we were there and there were two docks, one of them handicapped accessible. Swimming is not allowed but there is a nice day-use area not far down the road with a nice beach and picnic area. There are also horseshoe pits and a small but very nice playground. No hiking trails that I could discern. There was also a small little free library. 

  When we were there, we appreciated the quiet, out-of-the-way setting. It is close to the town of Leon but we circumvented it on the way in and out so I don’t know what services might be available.

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• 

  Heather M.

  Guide

  Oct. 9, 2021

  Howell Station

  Indian Summer weekend

  lovely, clean and very well spaced camp sites. Electric only with water and dump station nearby. clean bathrooms and showers spaced nicely thruout campground. Lots of large trees, close to bike path.

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  Mia L.

  Guide

  Jul. 9, 2019

  Elk Rock Campground And Boat Ramp — Lake Red Rock

  It's fine

  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.