Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Mason City, IA has a lot to offer. Mason City is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Mason City and user-submitted reviews.
$17 - $35 / night
"We love coming to Clear Lake! The campgrounds are always very well kept, bathrooms very clean! Easy access to the lake, and the town has so much to do during the summer months!"
"Clear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous. It is clean and close to the beach. Down town and other shopping is a short drive away."
$10 - $28 / night
"Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."
"When driving to my site two fawns were laying near the playground."
"Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails."
"Kids had a great time playing in the water, our site was about 20 ft from the waters edge."
"The group sites are close by and they were quite loud, but the rest of the park was nice and quiet. There is horse camping here, and the lake is nice for swimming."
"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."
TravelerYou will love this park. There are about 20 self-serve sites with electric and water. Self serve firewood. Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails. Sitting right on the Cedar River, it’s a great location to kayak and tube. Cheap at $20 a night. We showed up at 8:00 on a Fryevening and spots were available!
GuideGood time! It rained and was a little muddy, but it was nice. Site 11 is kind of small for a large tent like we have. The group sites are close by and they were quite loud, but the rest of the park was nice and quiet. There is horse camping here, and the lake is nice for swimming.
ScoutIt’s quiet, clean, and has some pretty views of the Iowa nite sky
LegendGeneral: A mixture of tent (non-electric) and electric sites, mostly arranged in several rows.
Site Quality: Mixed. Not all sites are level, and most do not have delineated parking pads (there is a small pavement indent to show where to access the site). A fire pit and picnic table complete the site. Most of the sites are too close together for our liking, however, when we were there (a Monday at the end of August, the day before school started), we were only one of three sites occupied so for our stay it didn’t matter.
Bathhouse: Basic but clean. My biggest complaint is there were no hooks or shelves for toiletries by the sinks. The showers looked nice but we did not use them.
Activities: Horseback riding (there are trails for this), hiking, fishing. Although we did see several trailheads, I did not have a map so didn’t explore them. There is an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads; I didn’t try to find hiking trails to get there).
Misc: A shout-out to the great host, Pam, who greeted us as we arrived. The observation tower, entrance gates, and picnic shelter were all constructed by the CCC and were beautiful. It almost seemed like the campground was an afterthought as it is outside the entrance gates and nowhere near the tower. The layout of the campground would be challenging if all sites were occupied.
LegendOur 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.
TravelerLocated by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park. Plenty of hiking trails, playground for the kids, and an amazing sand bottom swimming pond surrounded by sand beach. Golf is also nearby at The New Ulm Country Club which is open to the public. Nice level sites with electric, picnic tables and fire rings.
GuideOur sight overlooking a small grove of trees. Several species of birds I don't recognize kept us entertained the whole time. Bathrooms were exceptionally clean best I've encountered. We got bikes from nearby LeRoy city hall ($5.00 donation) really great program. The bike path traverses through the campground (shooting star trail). One drawback is the faint highway noise. I would visit this campground again.
ScoutWe love coming to Clear Lake! The campgrounds are always very well kept, bathrooms very clean! Easy access to the lake, and the town has so much to do during the summer months!
ScoutClear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous. It is clean and close to the beach. Down town and other shopping is a short drive away. Lots of families camp here. Spots are nice.
Horse camping in Iowa offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it an ideal choice for horse enthusiasts looking to explore the state's beautiful landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Mason City, IA is Clear Lake State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 12 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Mason City, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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