Best Cabin Camping near Salix, IA

Ponca State Park is a perfect winter getaway, with spacious well equipped newer cabins and beautiful scenery

The cabins here are top notch! The park is so beautiful too!

This is a large state park in the northwest corner of Iowa, surprisingly wooded considering how close to Sioux City it is located. Touted as a year-round park, there is a large network of trails, some of which can be used as equestrian. HOWEVER, the trails are not labeled and there is no (or very fleeting) cell service so that even after looking at the map (located on a board in the park, not a paper one), I wandered aimlessly around the park getting lost. One of the trailheads requires that you tramp directly through Site 12 to access! I explored this trail for approximately a quarter of a mile, but it became very overgrown and because I was not sure where I was going, I ended up turning around.

The campground is divided into three sections

• Sites 1-11 are located on either side of the access road are a bit too close together for our preference and despite the park being so wooded, have no foliage or other visible separation between the sites. These sites all have electric hookups

• Sites 12-14 are at the top of the hill and have the easiest access to the restrooms; they also have electric hookups. In my opinion, Site 14 would be the most desirable. Given that there are only three sites here, there was a surprising number of cars driving past these sites.

• Sites 15-30 are primitive tent sites and located near Cabin#3 (a CCC cabin). 

The bathrooms were clean and (don’t laugh at me), the toilets had lids! Given the current virus situation, this was a nice and welcome surprise! 

There was no camp host and we only saw one ranger during our stay. There is a nice playground, but it is not located anywhere near the campground (it is located closer to two of the cabins). If you are camping with children, please note this. There are three cabins, one that was built by the CCC and a lodge which also looked to be a CCC product, although it did not appear to be open when we were there.

They have unearthed some great fossils here. Lots of hills. Horseback riding. Fishing pond. Cabins. History too. Easy drive down to the Missouri River. Plus they have a pool!

So much fishing! River and lake. Very peaceful during the spring and fall. Great mushroom hunting in the hills. Lots of spots for rvs, tents, and they have cabins. Love the shooting range.

So much to do on site. Miles of trails! My family did 7 miles. Wonderful views of 3 states. Along the Missouri River. Lovely welcome center with puzzles and games. Beautiful cabins that are responsibly priced and have fun names.

This park was amazing! We spent labor day weekend there 3 years in a row. Huge cabins that were clean and ready to go. Trails were super close so kids could explore while I made dinner and cleaned up. Tons of activities, we went kyaking, kids did crafts, and a couple of us went to a class on dutch ovens. We would definitely go back.

This campground has seen huge improvements over the last decade. They now sport an impressive set of cabins and other facilities for the 21st century camper. Tent camping continues to be available and has better privacy than many sites throughout Nebraska. The park isn't far from a small town where you can easily get anything you might need for your trip. Explore some of the activites that staff hold weekly or go take a hike! There's also playgrounds and a pool for the kids.

Deer Ridge campground is 1 of 3 campgrounds within Hillview Rec area. It is the most popular one of the 3, it has flat sites with access to shower house and running water and 30 amp hookups. There is plenty of hiking trails, a pond for fishing or swimming, an Elk herd, 2 picnic shelters, an outdoor learning center, horseshoe pit, sand volleyball court, 2 playgrounds, and plenty of grills and picnic spots and in the winter a tubing hill. They also have 2 cabins as well. As of 2019 they also added a 9 hole disc golf course as well.

They have a lot of different sleeping options, from tent to hotel-like cabins. We went a long time ago when it was just tent sites. Some were along the river but most are back in the forest. Aside from the river, there are trails and a pool. Friends have said there are many very recent additions including rock climbing walls, archery, horseback riding, etc. The charm of the area is still there: riverfront views, rolling hills, simple trails through nature. Many other small parks along the whole river nearby, plus a full golf course and Sioux City. Perfect for a road trip stopover or a long weekend for locals.

This park is definitely a must see for all types of campers. They have everything for all types of campers. There is a visitors center that has a little bit of the history of the area as well as education of the Missouri river. There is different types of cabins, (or look more like houses). There is a little fishing pond by the visitors center, as well as a swimming pool. There are paved roads through out the park with a few designated rv campsites. As well as tent camping scattered throughout the park, and camping off the Missouri river. There are several hiking trails, horseback riding, archery, 2 lookout points, and even a golf course. This is a place that anybody can find a outdoor activity to do.

Clay County Park underwent some staffing and management changes at the beginning of last year. The whole area was thoroughly cleaned, trees trimmed, trails groomed, restrooms spiffed, etc.  Guest feedback on these changes was overwhelmingly positive and we expect further growth this season. 

We've begun working closely with SD Game, Fish and Parks and they are a great partner. This season, we will be adopting their reservation platform for guests to register. We expect to continue making incremental improvements and are looking forward to the 2023 camping season.

For additional information, please visit our Facebook Page (Clay County Park). We will be open for campers beginning Saturday April 15, 2023. Reservations can be made online at campsd.com or through the call center at 1-800-710-2267 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Follow the link and select "Make a reservation" tab. Reservations are accepted up to 90 days in advance of your arrival at the park.   **Camping reservations must be made before setting up on a campsite. 

Clay County Park features 40 electric campsites, 8 tent sites, 1 cabin, a multi-use trail, picnic shelters, and a boat ramp. We look forward to seeing you at the park soon! Thank you.

Park staff and volunteers did a great end of season cleanup and are now fine-tuning details for Summer 2023.

This KOA just north of the Iowa border is first class. ! Friendly staff and perfect for kiddos. The pool and adventure area are right up your alley if traveling with kids.

Great spot to stay and gravel bike. Wish I had more time.

This was a restful stop. Sites had plenty of space between and it was very quiet. There’s a nice long sidewalk for an evening stroll. The lake was drained but the views were still nice. For $25, you can’t beat that!

Plan on using your leveling blocks. The wifi is just there to tease you—no internet.