Best Tent Camping near Sheldon, IA

Looking for the best options for tent camping near Sheldon? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Sheldon. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.

Best Tent Sites Near Sheldon, Iowa (5)

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Showing results 1-5 of 5 campgrounds

Recent Tent Reviews near Sheldon, IA

172 Reviews of 5 Sheldon Campgrounds


  • Kimberly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nathan L.'s photo of tent camping at Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux near Sheldon, IA
    Sep. 18, 2021

    Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

    Beautiful tent site

    We didn’t stay long due to some severe storms that came through the area, but we had a beautiful tent campsite in the woods very close to some trails and the river. Just be prepared for a short walk from parking to some of the tent sites. The cabins and RV sites looked nice, too. If we’re in the area again we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here.

  • Debbie J.
    Aug. 16, 2020

    Maka Oicu County Park

    Large campground

    Tent camping spots are large and separate from RV spots .$15 a night for tents. Only problem was the distance to the bathroom. We had a very nice spot on the lake. Large grassy campsite with shade.

  • Joshua D.
    Mara F.'s photo of tent camping at Silver Sioux Recreation Area near Sheldon, IA
    Jun. 2, 2024

    Silver Sioux Recreation Area

    Hidden gem

    Was it expecting how nice this campground was compared to more primitive ones in the area. Beautiful site! Has tent camping, full rv hook ups, and a nice playground for the kids.

  • M
    Mallory S.'s photo of tent camping at Willow Creek Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Sep. 15, 2021

    Willow Creek Campground

    Well maintained

    They have 62 RV spots and seven tent camping sites the RV spots have a really nice level concrete pad half of them have electric and water and the other half also have a sewer hook up charge was $20 a night beautiful old trees new management that is really keeping everything clean Showers and restrooms Fills up on weekends

     

  • Mara F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mara F.'s photo of tent camping at Silver Sioux Recreation Area near Sheldon, IA
    Aug. 29, 2016

    Silver Sioux Recreation Area

    Meh for tent camping

    The campsite seems to be more for RVs. Tent camping is just a field with a few picnic tables in it and has a bit of a walk from the parking lot with your equipment. The shower house was nice and clean. There is a barn there to use as a picnic shelter which is very pretty. The overall campground is pleasant and in beautiful country.

  • Ivana B.
    Inez W.'s photo of tent camping at Palisades State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Oct. 24, 2021

    Palisades State Park Campground

    Very nice and clean

    We stayed there for only 1 night in a tent. It was very nice, a lot of people. We stayed there towards the end of October so they had heaters in the bathrooms. Nice, clean and big showers. The staff was very helpful and friendly. You can hear the train yes, but its not too bed. Would stay there again. For tent site 10 is really nice and big.

  • S
    Cody H.'s photo of tent camping at Split Rock Park near Sheldon, IA
    Aug. 2, 2018

    Split Rock Park

    Peaceful small town campground

    This is a pretty little campground next to a river. Tent sites have a loop in the back and rv sites are along the road. This campground is never full so if you need a spot for a night, this would be a good one to check. Lots of green grass and a nice playground. Many people do some fishing here too.

  • C
    Cody H.'s photo of tent camping at Split Rock Park near Sheldon, IA
    Feb. 26, 2022

    Split Rock Park

    Family favorite

    We love the tent camping. Large sites. Dog friendly. Trees for the hammock. We have 3 kids 5 and under. They like it too, but there are cliffs and water, so plan accordingly. Also, trains. The kids think it's cool watching the trains to by, but they do go in the middle of the night. So, if that's a deal breaker for you, so be it. If, like me, it's not, then this is definitely worth checking out.

  • Kaitlin B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo at Rivers Bend Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Jun. 14, 2022

    Rivers Bend Campground

    Very nice campground

    Decent size spots with lakefront views at just about all of them. There is a swimming hole with a little beach and walking/bike trail. They have tent sites that you have to walk to but they are right on the water away from all of the RV sites. The town of Rock Valley is small but very quaint. I'd reccomend the coffee shop Rooted. Will definitely be coming back here.

  • Cate S.
    Inez W.'s photo of tent camping at Palisades State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Sep. 12, 2017

    Palisades State Park Campground

    Great place, close to neighbors!

    Palisades is a great state park! Everyone there was so friendly and informative-- you can tell they really enjoy where they work. The park itself is beautiful! The only downside was how close the tent campsites were to each other. I would have liked a little more privacy and better views, but the sites were well kept!

  • Charlie B.
    Inez W.'s photo of tent camping at Palisades State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    May. 20, 2023

    Palisades State Park Campground

    Great spot close to Sioux Falls

    We enjoyed our stay in site 10. It was a large site, though on a busy weekend the proximity of 7, 8 and 9 would be bothersome. They have RV/Camper sites, tent only and adorable camper cabins. We were very happy to stay somewhere without a fire ban. The park is also close to Split Rock Park and Devils Gulch. There is plenty of hiking and it is only about 30 min from Sioux Falls. Overall, after looking around, I think 20 would have been the best tent site.

  • Nathan L.
    Nathan L.'s photo of tent camping at Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux near Sheldon, IA
    Jul. 18, 2024

    Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

    Nice little nook with lots of cover!

    This campsite was great! We had a tent site, number 24, and it was tucked into the woods but still close to the parking lot!

    The neighboring sites are far enough away where you still have privacy but if you had two next to each other with a large group it could still function as one. Beautiful hiking trails, play grounds, disc golf, volleyball net, and so much more. Also, the lady at the front was cute as a button!

    Highly recommend!

  • Joe R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Inez W.'s photo of tent camping at Palisades State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Jul. 25, 2022

    Palisades State Park Campground

    Well Shaded Park

    We happened upon this park during the 50th anniversary of the park so there were lots of park events happening. This is a very clean and well maintained park. We tent camp so much of my observations are geared for the tent camper. We stayed at site 34E, a long but narrow and slanted site. We were lucky to find some awkward somewhat flat place for our two tents. This site would be just fine for RV camping but I’d steer clear for tent camping. I’d estimate that 50% of the sites are flat and suitable for tents.
    Here are some key take aways from our 3 night stay in late July 2022. -clean and well maintained park

    • fair wireless service for Verizon
    • well placed and clean shower / restroom houses
    • nice playgrounds
    • great options on the park for paddle boarding, kayaking, water play as well as additional options at near by Devil’s Gultch and Split Rock parks.
    • Very well shaded park
    • Grocery store less than 10 min away.
    • Mosquitos weren’t a problem during out stay with a little bug spray prevention.
    • Nice aluminum picnic tables at all sites. Standard fire pits with grilling attachments.
    • employees will enforce local approved fire wood use Negatives:
    • lots of biting flies
    • if you like private sites this isn’t for you The interesting:
    • this is easily the most heavily staffed state park I’ve ever stayed at. If you like a constant park employee presence you’ll like it. I found it to be excessive however. During a 30 min time period we counted 8 employee vehicles to two park visitors driving by. It seemed to create unnecessary road traffic and noise at times. Park employees walk the park on foot in the dark at the 11pm to enforce quite time. There aren’t going to be any site reservation mix ups there either. Park employees constantly check sites and make sure reservations are correct. The camp host was very nice and makes the round frequently.
  • M
    Camper-submitted photo at Gull Point State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Jul. 9, 2019

    Gull Point State Park Campground

    Not a great spot for RVs

    This park is a CCC built park. Lots of twists and turns for an RV to get to their spot. We have a longer TT, and it was tight and nerve wracking to navigate. We had reserved a spot that was supposed to be long enough for our trailer, but was not. They were luckily not full but the spot we found was on a slope and uneven. I thought about driving 4 hours back home rather than continue to try to get the RV level. Someone across the way took pitty and helped us. I think the best RV spots are up the hill by the bath house.

    On Lake Okoboji but heavily wooded no view, acorns dropped on our roof every 10 minutes, I was afraid it would bust the skylight. Marshy area by the tent sites tons of mosquitoes. If you can get a spit at Emerson down the road, do that. Bath house and playground ok. No one answered the phone, no one at the ranger station. Rode our bikes down the road to get the bike trail.

  • Katrin M.
    Inez W.'s photo of tent camping at Palisades State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Jul. 7, 2019

    Palisades State Park Campground

    A very nice getaway!

    We camped here over the weekend with our dogs. The campground is within 10 miles off of I90.

    The park is not very big so there are not many campsites. Some have electric hook up, others are just for tent camping. All of them provide a picnic table and a fire pit. They also have little log cabins. We stayed at campsite 6 which was a very good spot. Some of the other sites seemed very close together without much privacy or shade.

    The park staff (rangers, camp host and volunteers) was extremely friendly. They always made sure that we had everything we needed. The rangers also offer different programs on the weekend like learning about geocaching or how to make campfire desserts.

    There is one bathhouse for the entire campground. It seemed a little old but got cleaned daily. There are also several vault toilets around the area. From the campground you have access to the water. There are also several short hiking trails from where you can see the rock formations.

    It was just a very short ride to the Devils Gulch (Jesse James historical site) or Split Rock Park. There is also a Dollar General close by. We would definitely recommend the campground.

  • Joshua D.
    Camper-submitted photo at Stieneke Area Park near Sheldon, IA
    Jun. 2, 2024

    Stieneke Area Park

    Small county park

    Small park, peaceful, river access for canoe/kayak. No designated camp sites but plenty of space for tent or camper.

  • amber P.
    Peter Z.'s photo of tent camping at Island Park - Rock Rapids near Sheldon, IA
    Jul. 11, 2021

    Island Park - Rock Rapids

    Love it !!!

    Very cheap , 15$ a night for rv with electric and water, 5$ for tents. Huge swimming area with slides for kids, and river with a lot of fish!!! Brand New shower houses .

  • Mick P.
    Asher K.'s photo of tent camping at Marble Beach State Rec Area near Sheldon, IA
    Jun. 4, 2018

    Marble Beach State Rec Area

    Great place to stay around the Okoboji area

    Campground Renovation: The campground will be closed from April 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019.

    Marble Beach`s campground is the largest in the Iowa Great Lakes Region. The campground is well shaded and features paved roads, boat ramps, modern restroom and shower facilities, as well as a sanitary dump station. The campground includes non-electric sites and sites with electrical hookups.

    Spirit Lake is the largest natural lake in Iowa and provides some of the best fishing in the state. Anglers will find challenging sport pursuing a variety of game fish including walleye, northern pike, muskellunges, largemouth and smallmouth bass, white bass, perch, bluegills, crappies, catfish, and bullheads.

  • Tim G.
    Jul. 6, 2021

    Alton Roadside Park

    Alton roadside park

    This is a small little kmown spot in the small town of Alton Iowa. It is $10 and there are a couple spots that have electric hook ups, a water pump hydrant, And a dumpsite. The camping fee is $10 per spot self-pay.

  • WThe Dyrt PRO User
    Peter Z.'s photo of tent camping at Island Park - Rock Rapids near Sheldon, IA
    Sep. 7, 2021

    Island Park - Rock Rapids

    Nice but high use

    Found a site with no problem but clearly this is an RV focused campground. I did find a nice grassy area for my tent but my neighbors aren’t far. The river is nice and the walking trails are ok.

  • Dan C.
    Asher K.'s photo of tent camping at Marble Beach State Rec Area near Sheldon, IA
    Sep. 4, 2022

    Marble Beach State Rec Area

    Good, but not great

    Camp sites for tents are super tiny and irregular shaped. Lots of sloping on sites. Generally tight quarters to other campers and plenty of road noise until about 10 PM. A few good options for fishing, boating and hiking near by.

  • amber P.
    Cody H.'s photo of tent camping at Split Rock Park near Sheldon, IA
    Jul. 16, 2021

    Split Rock Park

    Beautiful lil place

    Beautiful lil place with lots of scenery to look at, only a few rv spots, but a lot of nice tent spots. Might not be the greatest for kids under 5 , due to all the cliffs, but other than that we loved it!!

  • Opus 15 !.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo at Emerson Bay State Recreation Area — Emmerson Bay State Recreation Area near Sheldon, IA
    Jun. 28, 2022

    Emerson Bay State Recreation Area — Emmerson Bay State Recreation Area

    Nice State Park Campground

    Nice state park campground in West Okoboji Iowa. Close enough to the action of Lake Okoboji yet has a fairly remote feel. After doing some looking around the area, I believe that this is probably the nicest campground in the area. Sites are fairly close but not super tight. This is a good place to stay for a few days if you want to explore all that Okoboji has to offer. It was full the entire time that we were here and it does fill up quickly so book your trip well in advance.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Inez W.'s photo of tent camping at Palisades State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Jul. 26, 2019

    Palisades State Park Campground

    Nice stay in a state park

    We passed through Palisades State Park earlier this year and spent some time in the day-use area so we knew it was a good place to camp as we passed through South Dakota on another trip. One main (clean) bathhouse with two showers plus two pit toilets for those camping farther away on the loop. A mix of cabins, tent, and electric sites. Lots of trees. LONG driveways and some sites (such as 34E) are very large. The website allows you to view sites, so you know in advance what to expect. Nice walking trails and picnic areas.

  • Inez W.
    Inez W.'s photo of tent camping at Palisades State Park Campground near Sheldon, IA
    Aug. 25, 2021

    Palisades State Park Campground

    Wish we could have stayed longer

    Stayed here for an overnight on a cross country trip. It's a beautiful park that was only about half full. We had a big campsite and the entire tent area mostly to ourselves. They was one other party six sites up from us.

    Our site wasn't the most level but it worked. I would probably pick a slightly higher number or one with electric even if we didn't need it because they're more level.

    Being from out of the region, we were surprised by the number of earwigs, but that's nature, right?

    We definitely want to make our way back here for a longer stay.


Guide to Sheldon

Tent camping near Sheldon, Iowa offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the tranquility of the outdoors. With several options available, you can find the perfect spot to pitch your tent and unwind.

Tips for tent camping near Sheldon

  • Dog Creek Co Park provides basic amenities like toilets, making it a straightforward choice for those looking to camp without frills.
  • Oneota Little Sioux Access is ideal for campers who appreciate a no-frills experience, featuring essential facilities like toilets but lacking additional amenities.
  • Ranney Knob Area allows campfires, which can enhance your camping experience with warmth and ambiance under the stars.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Stieneke Area Park offers peaceful river access, perfect for canoeing or kayaking, making it a great spot for water enthusiasts.
  • Ranney Knob Area provides opportunities for fishing and exploring the surrounding nature, catering to those who enjoy outdoor adventures.
  • Cenla Campgrounds is big rig friendly and features picnic tables, making it suitable for family gatherings and outdoor meals.

Some prices for tent camping range from $10 to $20

  • Camping at Ranney Knob Area costs $10 per night, offering a budget-friendly option for campers.
  • Stieneke Area Park has no designated sites, allowing for flexible camping arrangements at a similar price point.
  • Cenla Campgrounds offers amenities for a slightly higher price, making it a comfortable choice for those seeking more facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sheldon, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sheldon, IA is Stieneke Area Park with a 3-star rating from 1 review.

  • What is the best site to find tent camping near Sheldon, IA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Sheldon, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.