If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Rockford, look no further. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
This peaceful primitive campground includes a picnic shelter, pit toilet and fishing access to the Little Cedar River. Purchased in 1966, this park is managed for camping, picnicking, and wildlife viewing.
Traveler
Sites are approximately 2 miles from parking and the hike it relatively easy with minimal elevation change. You have a choice between a grassy walk or walking mainly on tar and gravel as part of the Blazing Star Trail. They are also accessible by boat.
There are 4 backpacking sites and they are well-spaced so you each have privacy. #3 and #4 are close enough that you could be in a group together but #1 and #2 are pretty isolated. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, wood cabinet/fish cleaning table, at least 1 flat spot for a tent, and a nearby porta potty.
Views of the lake are amazing with a variety of birds making appearances. Harvesting season may bring some farm sounds but otherwise, aside from the occasional train, you'll mainly hear the sounds of nature around you.
If you can make the walk carrying everything, including water, on your back, definitely check out one of these sites.
Guide
I only drove through here I did not camp. It was quiet and the sites were shaded. I saw water, electricity and a picnic table at every site. The pads are gravel and very level.
You can easily bike into town.
There is a dump station.
I had 3 bars of Verizon 4G which provided 70 down and 12 up.
On T-mobile I had 5 bars of 5G and 100 down and 7 up.
Guide
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.
Guide
Nice campground with grassy pull thru sites. But very close together. If full, you would have no privacy. Fortunately, it was 1/4 full, so no problem. Bathrooms clean, nice warm showers! Nice beach, lots to do. Would be a fun place if you don’t mind camping next to neighbors!
Legend
Roomy gravel sites. A mix of electric and non-electric sites. Commercial fire rings. Electrical needs refreshing. We had an issue with the 30A breaker not resetting on site 46E; eventually relocated to 47E. Park employee Noah was very accommodating and pleasant to deal with. He came out to the site to discuss options with us and eventually made some site reservation changes to resolve the situation. Close to town, nice historic district.
Scout
The owners Jan and Brian are super nice. The campground is a ways from their home and quite secluded and quiet. There weren’t any kids when we were there though, I imagine they could change the quiet aspect. The bathrooms and showers are very nice as are the sites. Well worth the $25 we paid!
ScoutArrived Sunday evening and found the campsite mostly empty, (season pass members had campers here but there was only one other active camper). Staff was very friendly and helpful. TOILETS FLUSH! Showers clean, basketball court, horseshoes, and volleyball all provided. Could see the sites being kind of close and it being a little pricey but more than worth it in my mind. Site 6&7 were perfect for hammocks
Guide
Beautiful large sites along the river so you can fish as well as has a pond that you can swim in with three beach entry areas. Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites. Nice walking trails on the east and south side of the park. Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate. It appeared that some of the campsites were seasonal but couldn’t confirm that.
ScoutWe were here mid week and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Beautiful old growth forest with lots of shade. For July the bugs weren’t bad. After traveling across South Dakota and dealing with 100 plus temperatures with no shade this was a welcome change. The rangers and hosts were welcoming and helpful. The bathrooms and showers are ultra modern and clean. We are planing on stopping back here on our way home.
Scout
Randy was amazing and very attentive to my questions. Check in was super easy and the directions for check in were clearly spelled out. Everything was mapped out and the website was easy to use as well. The pond itself was pretty to look at and made for great photos, however it was loaded with geese which made it not user friendly. I would recommend this campground, and I will definitely go back to camp again!
Scout
This campground became our favorite site in quite a while! Minimal bugs, very nice staff, beautiful sites with lots of nature! Dog friendly. Playground, mini golf, and pool all complimentary! 2 trails and babbling brooke were peaceful. They had kid and adult activities scheduled for Friday and Saturday which was a cool surprise when we checked in!
GuideWe visited in early April so the sites were quite exposed, I can imagine they would be more private in the summer. Water and showers were not open yet as it was too cold but the vault toilets were well maintained.
ScoutOk cell coverage for Verizon, no issues web surfing. Site 7E was larger with a good size and distance from others. Not the fault of the campground, bugs were in full force. Tons of tree coverage and very humid making it a great place for the little buggers. Would probably visit October/November when cold gets rid of them and the tree coverage. Hard to see the amazing views in the summer. Again, no fault of campground, just a consideration. Also, no real potty spots for pups. Either weeds/woods or muddy spots attempting to be grass/weeds. Best was around the showers/restrooms. Those were by far the shining gem of this campground. Fantastic bathing facilities. We’re self contained, so didn’t need it but my spouse did go use the restroom there instead of waiting. We peeked in the showers and they were really nice looking.
Guide
30/50/110 power. Drinking water and dump onsite but not on sites. Wifi! Hot showers, playground,boat launch,fire pits,grills,good camp host.town is right there 2 bars and restaurants. Gas station I think was 8 blocks up to the right. Been hard to find all this for 15 bucks a day!
Traveler
Very accommodating super nice people helped us back in and set up in middle of winter after dark after we had drove 2 days from the east coast. Our spot was on an incline but the water worked when temp was below freezing the camp was nice with new park for kids new basketball court new pavilion wish we could have been there in the summertime I’m sure the pool is nice when uncovered. I saw laundry and bathrooms by the river.
Traveler
Serenity, nature at its best, birdsong all day long wildlife at every turn our campsite was level the owners and manager were great hosts. We stayed several weeks the price was very reasonable, honey wagon service was included ; riding/ hiking trails from campsite.
GuideVery friendly and helpful owner. He even drove to town so we could follow him in. Has playground community area fire pit and a structure built to cover picnic tables. atv trails. Turkey river right there was 20 feet from my site. Porta potty and shower water is hot. 30/50 amp power with water on each site. Water fill station and dump station. Garbage .
Ranger
It's a nice spot off of the main road. It's pretty quiet, but there aren't many spots to camp. When you come in on the dirt road, it hooks to the right, and you'll come upon a dirt cul-de-sac. On the right, you'll see a grassy area set into the woods where you could camp. Other than that, your parking in the perimeter. There's enough room that virtually any size camper could navigate into this spot, but if there are other people, that will really complicate your life.
There is a boat launch and paths down each side of the launch you could fish. On the way in, you'll see a deck to the left, providing a scenic overlook. There's also a spot there you could potentially park, but you'll be very exposed if there is any foot traffic.
GuideWe arrived after dark last night so we weren't able to see the gorgeous view until the sun rose! Luckily we woke up early and went for a walk right as the sun was coming up. It was quite cold, a little over 20°, but that meant the lake was frozen solid so we got to walk around on it! Tons of fun. Unfortunately the bathhouse, water spigots, and dump station were closed. That is not a super big deal since we have a camper. And it was publicized on their website about the dump stations being closed. The sites were spacious, the one we were in was non electric and a back-in site. But for $24 a night it was pretty nice! Especially would be worth it if more of the amenities had been open, but with how cold it is, it's very understandable that they would have them closed. There was still an outhouse with a vault toilet that was open. Unsure if there is a working sink because we did not use it. We had to call to make a same day reservation which was a tad bit annoying but the man on the phone was very helpful and nice so not bad at all.
Scout
Easy in and out late fall camping. I got a great tent spot next to the river. This is a fine campground that I much prefer during the off season (it gets too busy during the warm season for my liking). The connection to hiking trails throughout the park is fantastic.
ScoutIt was so clean and peaceful. Not overly crowded. The camp host was so friendly and helpful.
ScoutGreat find! We thought we would be dry camping because it was Labor Day weekend. We found this Park on the app and thought we would check it out. It’s first come first serve. I really never thought there would be any hookups because of what I had read, but they had electric and water! We found a spot right on the Lake! Very busy but wonderful view, location and was only $20.00!
ScoutThis is a great campground with lots of shade and spacious tent pads! The large oak trees throughout the campground made for beautiful scenery and nice spots to string a hammock up. My site was right next to the bathroom building which did have a light on all night, but I had an eye mask so that didn’t bother me. $25/night for a tent site
TravelerWe stayed at the Big Island Campground in the beginning of August. The sites seemed pretty large to us. My kids loved skipping rocks at the little shore at the entrance to the big island. You cannot swim in the lake but there are canoes and kayaks to rent. We really enjoyed our time here. Rangers were super nice and helpful. We hiked about 5 miles, saw a few deer and other animals. Bathrooms were very nice and clean. All of us that remembered to reapply bug spray didn't have any bites.
Traveler
Here on a Wednesday (which is the only night the nearby restaurant is closed). It was empty. It's on a lovely river with swimming. Mostly people here for day use putting boats in.
Showers have hot water.
They don't take reservations. Would definitely stay here again if I'm in the area.
TravelerGreat spot for nature seekers. Great bike trails. Well spaced, quiet sites. Electric hookup for RV and easy dump station. Showers were what you can expect but good pressure and hot water. No where to swim in the lake.
Traveler
Nice campground, well maintained. Has water and power. Shower house available but no firewood. Buy firewood at the Casey's gas station. No dump station on site and that is also that the Casey's. $25 a night.
Camping near Rockford, Iowa, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping around Rockford, IA, has something for everyone, whether you're in a tent or an RV. Enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Rockford, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Rockford, IA is Shellrock River Co Preserve with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Rockford, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 tent camping locations near Rockford, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
