Best RV Parks & Resorts near Saylorville Lake

It's no surprise that the fair grounds always have some sort of event going on throughout the year, my family and I stay in this campground a few times a year to hit up multiple days for certain events. The site is pretty standard, but it has full RV hook ups, and always seems to be full of happy and friendly people. Plus it's location is so close to the fair grounds, it's better and far more affordable than any hotel

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.

the land they have is substantial. There's a boat camp, a bird watching area, a playground, plany of park space with picnic tables and BBQ pits, hiking and biking trails, and even a lodge that I assume can be rented for events. There are roughly 25 campsites, and I recommend a reservation ahead of time. I camped on a Monday in late July and there were only 4 sites not reserved when I arrived. There are electrical and full hook up options. If you just car camp and don't need electric, unfortunately there is no lower price for tent-only camping. Translation: tent campers pay electric hook up prices. Enjoy charging your phone? If you have a dog, walking the grounds would be a good time. There's a lot to check out here and with the bike trails, bringing a bike to check out the area and surrounding lakes could be fun.

This is a county park that is was well wooded and quite busy on a June Friday night.  Lots of local folks.  Stayed at the front-end of the part where apparently the sites are a little closer together than the rear sites.  Was passing through on a cross country trip so only stayed on one night.  Site with full hook-ups was only $30.  Partial or no hook-up even less.  You can reserve a spot by going online, though they do keep some as FCFS.

A few negatives about the park is that, with the local flavor, there were a lot of extended families there, and they all seemed to bring there dogs.  Lots of barking going on.  Our space was out of level but manageable, and the bath house and outhouse were on the rustic side.  Decent enough place when passing through, and a great price!

I like this place, I really do. It certainly packs a punch with all of the amenities that Kellogg RV Park offers up, not least of which is partnering up with apparently the best burger joint in the whole of Iowa. Burgers and camping? Can it get any better? Well, while this location gets extra points for achieving EZ on- and off-again I80 highway access, that likely is also its downside, as you are so close to arguably the busiest of all thoroughfares here in the state of Iowa that it makes you wonder if you are really getting away from it all or just taking a quick pitstop. 

As for the grounds themselves, they are very well organized and nearly everything on this property is either brand-spanking new or has a nice degree of ‘kitsch’ that just feels right where you are at in the middle of the Midwest. There’s a well-appointed separate laundry location on the NE corner of RV Park, with a community shower/ bathroom facility smack-dab in the middle of the place, making it central and convenient to get refreshed. There’s a simple little loop that will jog you around the place, where in all there’s some 38 spots perfectly carved out for RVs or 5th Wheelers. While the map for Kellogg RV Park indicates a playground behind the laundry, if it was there to begin with, it has been replaced by a chicken coop, which I have to admit is pretty dang awesome to be woken up by these fine-feathered friends each dawn. Plus, um, there’s fresh eggs for your brunch munching pleasure! 

With amenities in mind, each pull-thru, gravel-strewn site (all 18’ wide with lengths ranging from 65’ to 85’) comes equipped with all of the typical hook-ups (20 / 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) along with plenty of in-ground fire rings, stand-up BBQ grills and plenty of brand new picnic tables along with complimentary WiFi. There’s solar panels on the for southwest corner of the campground, which sadly eliminates the vibe that you are out in nature. If there was just one bit of advice I would give this place it’s this(and it’s quite simple): plant some trees! That’s the one thing I noticed that felt incredibly weird… there’s just a few trees in this whole place. Granted, it is somewhat surrounded by corn fields, but here’s a hint: After mid-September when all that corn is harvested, the place feels like a barren desert, so how you compensate for that is by planting trees, shrubs, bush or anything that would make this place feel like it was planted in nature versus carved out of a watershed. 

While the main office is up front where you would have seen that Iowa’s Best Burger Café sign, where there’s also an Amoco gas station along with a convenience market that has limited groceries and supplies. Bonus points to Kellogg RV Park for having an F5-rated tornado shelter located on-site, so while your RV might blow away, no worries, you and those you hold most precious will be protected in the event of a tornado, which is important because this state gets hit by them all the time. They’ll also sell you a bundle of firewood for$6 / bundle, which is fair, especially considering that they’ll deliver the bundles directly to your site. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) IMHO the best sites are those located as far east and north as possible (yes, right near the laundry facilities and chicken coop). Why? Well, because they will be furthest away from I80, so less noise, plus they are on the periphery, so this offers up better views of corn country, and additionally, more tranquility. Plus the shower / restroom facilities are centrally located, so not too far away; (2) If you are looking to get buzzed while out here at Kellogg RV Park, you are in luck as just nearby there’s Grinnell Craft Brewhouse, Buzzed Bee Meadery as well as Van Wijk Winery – all of which are absolutely worth the visit!; (3) Should your foodie vibes need to be tamed while here, head on over to nearby Maytag Blue Cheese for a slice or slab or head on over to Dayton Meat Products, which not only processes meat in case you are out and about with a bow & arrow, but will serve up some pretty outrageously awesome sausages, loins and particular cuts of meats that you just can’t find anywhere nearby. Oh, and if farmer’s markets are your thing, then check out nearby Grinnell Farmers Market or Jasper County Farmer’s Market – both just 10 minutes from here; and (4) Once you grow tired of pillaging your on-board mini-fridge or Cordova roto-molded cooler and are looking for some local fare, I will have to admit that Iowa’s Best Burger Café does live up to its boast – and while I didn’t have another burger while I was in the ‘Hawkeye State’ I do make it my business to check stuff out when I see ‘Best’ noted anywhere and there’s reasonable proof behind this claim here, so give the good folks here the better side of your discerning tastes and try them out. Oh, and there’s that little thing that there’s not too much competition in these parts, so unless you are up for a good drive, the only other joint is RJ’s Bar& Grill, which trust me, is much more Bar than Grill. 

Happy Camping!

The Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the world with more than a million visitors every year! There is something for everyone in the family. The campground is really built for RV and Camper Trailers, personally I would not pitch a tent there. It has two large shower houses and flush toilets. It is contained inside the Iowa State Fairgrounds. This is an amazing event that showcases the best of Iowa agriculture and is fun for the family. This is not your typical campground. The Fair generally begins the second Thursday in August and runs 11 days. Enjoy the fun!

This is a beautiful State Park on the southwest side of the Des Moines metro. It is hidden from most of suburbia but very close to shopping, movies, restaurants, and the Des Moines night life.

It is also a perfect place to escape all of those things and enjoy the huge walnut trees, green grass, and trails.

The campground is clean but it is very small with very few amenities. Most of the campers had small RVs or camper trailers, but there were a few tents. This would be rated higher if it had larger facilities.

All in all, this is a nice park to get away from the suburbs or enjoy them. It's up to you.

Open for off season camping. 14$/night for full hookups with pull thru RV sites.

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.