Best RV Parks & Resorts near Shellsburg, IA

Several RV campgrounds operate within 30 miles of Shellsburg, Iowa with varying amenities and hookup options. Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres offers 96 sites with full hookups including 50-amp electric service, water, and sewer connections on mostly level sites. Amana RV Park & Event Center provides spacious pull-through sites on gravel pads approximately 20 miles south of Shellsburg, open from April through October. "Wide open park with very very easy access. The people running the place were incredibly friendly and helpful," notes one camper about the Amana facility. Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area Campground features both 30-amp and 50-amp electric sites suitable for larger motorhomes, while Morgan Creek Campground provides water and electric hookups with a sanitary dump station on exit.

Seasonal availability varies significantly among area RV parks. Most facilities operate from mid-April through mid-October, with limited winter camping options at Sudbury Court Motel & RV Park, which remains open year-round. Big rig accessibility is generally good, though some sites require leveling assistance on gravel surfaces. According to a review, "The electric sites all seemed to have a slant to them," which may require blocks or levelers for larger motorhomes. Dump stations are available at most parks, though not all offer on-site sewer hookups. Pet-friendly policies are standard throughout the region, with dedicated pet areas at some locations. Reservations are recommended for weekend stays during summer months, particularly at the more popular parks like Amana RV Park where pull-through sites fill quickly during peak season.

Best RV Sites Near Shellsburg, Iowa (85)

    1. Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres

    5 Reviews
    Vinton, IA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 443-4000

    $35 - $50 / night

    "The staff was really nice, showers were clean and they had laundry too! It backs up to a corn field, right off the Interstate but the noise was barely there. Huge grass pull through lots everywhere."

    "Well run campground with full hookups available for$35/ night. Bathrooms are clean and lots of warm water for showers. Great place for a night or two. Near the highway but road noise is minimal."

    2. Amana RV Park & Event Center

    10 Reviews
    Amana, IA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 622-7616

    $25 - $42 / night

    "This is a great location right in the Amana Colonies to explore the area. There are sites for tents up to big rigs. They have showers and laundry and the folks are very nice."

    "We used our bikes and biked around the colonies. Place was clean, showers and bathroom great. We were there after Labor Day and had section to our selves.Lots of dump stations. Minimal tres however."

    3. Sudbury Court Motel & RV Park

    1 Review
    Marengo, IA
    23 miles
    +1 (319) 642-5411

    "One of the few places around Cedar Rapids that is open in winter. 35$/night. Management is pleasant."

    4. Cedar River Campground

    11 Reviews
    West Liberty, IA
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 946-2431

    $35 - $50 / night

    "Convenient location a lot of amenities and activities"

    5. Lakeshore RV Resort and Campground

    2 Reviews
    Oelwein, IA
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 800-9968

    6. Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area Campground

    6 Reviews
    Shellsburg, IA
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 436-7716

    $17 - $60 / night

    "We stayed in a 25 foot travel trailer in the middle of the week. Weekends are pretty much sold out.
    We love the area. Kayaking, biking, and fishing. Very well maintained grounds."

    "The gentleman that takes care of the campground takes great pride in his work and it shows - kudos to him!  There is a nice hiking trail around the lake, about 8 miles complete loop. "

    7. Linn County Park Morgan Creek Campground

    4 Reviews
    Atkins, IA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 892-6450

    "Water and electricity at site, along with picnic table and fire ring. Trails close by and only about 5 min from expressway."

    "Beautiful park with trails and playgrounds. Site was great and had everything we needed. Bathrooms were very well kept. Love this park."

    8. F. W. Kent Park

    18 Reviews
    Oxford, IA
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 645-2315

    $20 / night

    "Park offers: lake fishing, paddling, swimming beach, trails, education center. Sites offer: hard surface, table, fire rings, hosts, firewood for purchase, play areas, RR, storm shelters, views."

    "Amazing experience with lots of amenities and space to spread out."

    9. Six Pines Campground — Backbone State Park

    29 Reviews
    Dundee, IA
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 924-2527

    $15 - $25 / night

    "The camp ground that we stayed at was family friendly. Hammocks were ok to put up. The only not so great experience was that 2 out of the 3 showers on the women's side were out of order."

    "Backbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa.

    There are two campgrounds."

    10. Pinicon Ridge Park

    9 Reviews
    Central City, IA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 438-6616

    "Water and electric hookups, dump station near by. Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table."

    "Storm shelter right on site. Playground is awesome for kids of all ages. Hiking trails are well marked and all over the park and state land nearby. Lookout Tower is a must see."

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RV Park Reviews near Shellsburg, IA

354 Reviews of 85 Shellsburg Campgrounds


  • Lauren M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 17, 2025

    West Overlook Campground

    Amazing Iowa stop for 2 nights

    On our way across the state and was concerned about needing power. Was able to find 1 spot for 2 nights only a day early. Very popular place. E/W with dump station in the campground. Water access by beach and boat. Next to the dam on lake side. Spacious sites. Well maintained. Concrete pad with picnic table and fire pit. Close to town if needing shopping.

  • David S.
    Sep. 1, 2022

    Pinicon Ridge Park

    Nice clean and generally spacious

    Stayed in The Plains area. Water and electric hookups, dump station near by. Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 26, 2024

    Beyonder Getaway at Sleepy Hollow

    Short Jog to This Campground Outpost From I80

    If you’re looking for a family-friendly place to pull over for a decent escape to nature, then you may very well want to consider Sleepy Hollow, which is just a few minutes north of I80. Given its proximity to the busy interstate highway, this campground scores high on the convenience factor being EZ on- and off-, but it is just far enough away where you will feel as though you have escaped both the non-stop whir of incessant highway traffic and the unsightly view of a heavily trafficked main roadway. Add on top of this that you’ll find this location is perfectly suitable to the RV crowd as much as it is the tent-pitching bredren that belong to my tribe of outdoor enthusiasts.

    Here at this campground you’ll find RV and 5th Wheel sites offering both pull-thru and back-in sites complete with full hook-ups (water, 30 / 50 amp electric and sewage). There’s 7 tent sites that are very well shaded, have a decent patch of land and include picnic tables, fire pits and scattered stand-up BBQ grills. Whether you have a tent, an RV or not, this campground has a small handful of cozy cabins available to rent that come with running hot & cold water as well as electricity and are located close to the fishing pond. What I enjoyed most with the primitive camping area was the serenity offered by the abundance of new growth Oaks that shaded the place, along with unfettered views of the lake itself. Priceless.

    Sleepy Hollow offers a number of amenities including: ‘catch& release’ pond (both swimming and fishing potential), ball pit, kid’s playground, puppy park, designated dumpsters, fairly decent WiFi, community firepits, general market store, laundr-O-mat, shower facility, pavilion, horseshoes, game room, volleyball and basketball courts, artificial beachhead with swim area and windmills. There’s a lagoon with hundreds of ducks, but depending upon how you look at this, it may or may not be considered an amenity, but if you have kids like I do, it’s a great distraction that offers up a lot of duck-feeding fun.

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re looking for a decent bit of hiking, there’s a nice slice of nature near here at Sleepy Hollow a bit NE called Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area where there’s plenty of trails, shooting ranges and some fairly decent bird watching; (2) When you get tired trying to conjure up that next meal from your cooler or on-board fridge, then head over to nearby Renee’s Roadhouse where this roadside stand serves up standard Americana fare like burgers, sandwiches and wraps. For anything more substantial, you’ll have to take a longer drive east to Iowa City of which I recommend Steak & Shake, Back Berner Bar & Grill or Barrel House; (3) If you’d like to embrace the Amish vibe that exists here in rural Iowa, then head due north to Amana Colonies where you’ll come across hand-made blankets and artisan-crafted cabinetry all while offering you some very warm Midwestern hospitality.

    Happy Camping!

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 22, 2024

    Oelwein City Park

    This is a beautiful city park campground

    I enjoyed my 5 night stay at Oelwein City Park Campground. It's located on the south end of town, there is only one business within walking distance. It's a great restaurant (Oelwein Family Restaurant) and it's about a 15 minute walk.

    There is one shower house, and several vault toilets throughout the park. The shower house is old and a little run down but was very clean. I had no problems using it.

    The city park is adjacent to the campground and has picnic shelters, a playground, and a dog park.

    There are electric and water hookups at most sites, and there is a dump station. The park was pretty full on the weekend as you would expect, but very quiet during the week.

    I had great Verizon and T-mobile service here.

  • Mike C.
    Sep. 4, 2021

    Blue Inn Campground

    Cozy, basic CG

    37 full-hookup sites, some tent sites, all right on edge of town. Adjacent to Kitty Creek, joins Maquoketa River. Some concrete pads, most are gravel, fairly level. Pretty tight layout, average of only 30-40' between sites. New fire rings, picnic tables in good condition. Bakery and other facilities are closed due to COVID. Previous campers at our site left lots of trash on ground...always disappointing. Electrical and water were good. Sewer connections a bit high.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 1, 2024

    Beyonder Getaway at Sleepy Hollow

    Sleepy Campground Oasis Stone’s Throw from Highway Thoroughfare

    Should you be traveling east-west on one of the country’s busiest thoroughfares – Route 80 – and find yourself in central Iowa and looking either for a place to pull over for a day or for much longer than that, then you may very well want to consider Beyonder Getaway at Sleep Hollow. Given its proximity to a busy interstate highway, this campground scores high on the convenience factor, but it is just far enough away where you will feel as though you have escaped the busy hustle and drive-by buzz of non-stop traffic. 

    This campground oasis planted square in the middle of the 'prairieland' of the Hawkeye State, you’ll appreciate that there is a decent-sized lake here that is perfect for a quick dip should you want to get some swimming in and cool down from the blistering Midwestern summer heat or perhaps you’d like to put a kayak or canoe in to get some decent oar exercising in or cast a line to try your luck and some mild ‘catch& release’ fun – whatever the reason … up to and including no reason at all … the mini lake that is front and center here at Beyonder is both a good distraction as well as makes for a great landscape. 

    As for the campground itself, there’s RV sites offering up pull-thru and back-in sites complete with full hook-up water, 30+ 50 amp electric and sewage lines. If you’re a primitive camper like me, there’s a handful of sites (7 by my count) that include picnic tables, fire pits and scattered stand-up BBQ grills. And if you don’t have either a tent or an RV, no worries, Sleepy Hollow will easily rent you one of their 3 cozy cabins which are located up front and close to the fishing pond, where these structures come with running hot and cold water along with electricity. 

    With amenities in mind, Beyonder packs a punch with offering the following: horseshoes, kid’s playground, dog run/ puppy park, designated dumpsters, fairly decent WiFi, community firepits, general market store, laundr-O-mat, shower facility, pavilion, game room, ball pit, volleyball and basketball courts, man-made beachhead with swim area and windmills. Oh, and there’s a lagoon with hundreds of ducks, but depending upon how you look at this, it may or many not be considered an amenity. My kids loved it and we had a lot of fun feeding our feathered friends. 

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) When you get tired of digging through your Cordova roto-molded cooler or onboard mini-fridge, then head on over to nearby Renee’s Roadhouse where this roadside stand serves up standard-fare Americana fare like burgers, sandwiches and wraps; (2) For anything more substantial, you’ll have to take a longer drive east to Iowa City of which I recommend Foundry Food+ Tap, Back Berner Bar& Grill or Casa Tequila Tiffin; (3) Should you be looking to explore a nice slice of nature while here at Beyonder’s then head due northeast to Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area where there’s plenty of trails, shooting ranges and some fairly decent bird watching; (4) If you’d like to embrace the Amish vibe that exists here in rural Iowa, then head due north to Amana Colonies where you’ll come across what looks like German colonies that have been expelled from the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) where this displaced utopian outcrop will sell you anything from blankets and cabinetry all while offering you some nice wienerschnitzel and apfelpflanzen. Auf wiedersehen! 

    Happy Camping!

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 30, 2025

    New Wine Park Dubuque County Park

    Nice small county park campground

    General: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad. 

    Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. 

    Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there. 

    Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station. 

    We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 27, 2019

    Little Bear Campground

    Cute and Quaint

    Little Bear Campground is located right off I-80 at the West Liberty exit. It is right next to a trailer park. There are a few tent sites ($22/ night)and Rv sites($33/night). We pulled in late to stay the night. It had full hook ups with a fire ring and picnic table. The spot was good sized and clean. There is an office/ gift shop and a convent store within walking distance. There is 2 cute little cabins which run $49 a night. There is a pool(closed for season), and a playground for kids. I was surprised that the interstate noise was much quieter than I thought it would be. All and all it was a pleasant place to stop over.

  • R
    Jun. 22, 2023

    Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

    Great place to stay

    We stayed at started at the Lost Island water park KOA for just one night while passing through the area. We were in our class C while slowly making our way across the country. We had no problems getting a spot here. Sites are gravel for the RV, reasonably level, and very well maintained. Most sites are pull through. Hookups are in very good condition. Each site had a grassy area with a picnic table. Staff was very friendly and helpful. There was a playground, beach and fenced dog area. Cost was very good for the amenities provided.

    The campground had a store, gas station and propane available.

    We had 4 bar LTE with Verizon. Our hotspot was usable and performed very well. We enjoyed our brief stay at this campground. We will stay again when traveling this way.


Guide to Shellsburg

The Shellsburg area sits in Benton County, Iowa at 853 feet elevation with a humid continental climate that averages 35 inches of annual rainfall. Most campgrounds within 30 miles of Shellsburg have gravel pads that can become muddy during spring rains, especially in April when many RV parks near Shellsburg open for the season. Summer temperatures average 83°F with moderate humidity.

What to do

Hiking at Kent Park: This 1,052-acre park offers a 2-mile trail around a landscaped lake with walking bridges made from recycled iron. "I was there in early October so the weather was too chilly to use the nice beach. Great shower house," notes a visitor to F.W. Kent Park.

Water activities on Cedar River: The Cedar River provides boating opportunities at several campgrounds. "We stayed at this campground for 7 nights with W/E hook ups. There is hiking in the park and very little road noise," mentions a camper at Pinicon Ridge Park.

Mini golf and paddleboats: Some RV parks include family activities on-site. "Great owners, loads of stuff for kids (putt putt, paddle boats, horseshoes, basketball, Gaga, trampoline, playground)," reports a visitor to Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres.

What campers like

Clean facilities: Multiple campers mention bathroom cleanliness as a priority. "The bathrooms and shower were very clean with lots of hot water," notes a reviewer at Pinicon Ridge Park.

Level sites: Campgrounds with properly leveled sites receive higher ratings. "Site was pretty level. The trails were very nice and easy for most people to be able to walk," says a camper at Linn County Park Morgan Creek Campground.

Storm shelters: Safety features matter to campers in this severe weather region. "Clean shower house with storm shelter. Mixed sun and shade with generous grassy sites, fire pit and picnic table," notes a reviewer about the Plains area at Pinicon Ridge Park.

What you should know

Highway noise: Some RV camping areas near Shellsburg sit close to interstates. "Near the highway so it has truck noise," mentions one camper about Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres, while another notes that "Near the highway but road noise is minimal."

Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds fill quickly during summer weekends. At Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area Campground, one camper warns: "Weekends are pretty much sold out."

Bug activity after mowing: Spring and early summer bring increased insect activity, especially after maintenance. "They hadn't cut the grass but was in the process of cutting it. This caused swarms of bugs. We are from Ky backwoods and are use to bugs but this was awful," reports one visitor to Beyonder Getaway.

Tips for camping with families

Playground quality: Multiple family-friendly campgrounds feature exceptional play areas. "This place had so much! They had a little train ride, miniature golf course, catch and release fishing in their pond, splash pad," shares a camper at Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres.

Accessibility considerations: Some sites accommodate mobility needs. The same reviewer adds: "My daughter is in a wheelchair so we requested the accessible site. It's right next to the showers with an adapted pic-nic table and raised fire pit!"

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular RV campsite near Shellsburg, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Shellsburg, IA is Beyonder Getaway at Lazy Acres with a 4.2-star rating from 5 reviews.

What is the best site to find RV camping near Shellsburg, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 85 RV camping locations near Shellsburg, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.