Looking for the best campgrounds near Spencer, IA? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Discover great camping spots near Spencer, reviewed by campers like you.
"Really nice spot almost overlooking the lake (Through the trees), had fire ring, picnic tables and room for quite a lot of tents! For me and my family it was perfect!"
"I found this to be a great little spot to stay bike touring through Iowa. It is right in a lake, has water, and a nice vault toilet. Unlike the other reviewer I was literally the only one there."
". $10 per night and the Rangers came at about 3:30 pm to clean the vault toilet and collect my fee from the lockbox."
$10 - $18 / night
"The park itself is pretty nice with several trails and a small campground. There is an enclosed stone shelter house you can rent for gatherings."
LegendNice little park to stop at for a night on a trip. Only stayed here for a night on my way out west in 2024. Arrived a bit before dark and decided to sleep in my car rather than my tent just due to the timing and being tucked away by the river by myself. Never did figure out where a bathroom was unfortunately. There was a gas station right down the road for any conveniences you may need. There is a kayak launch right by the campsites that I would've put my inflatable into if I'd had more daylight/time here.
Not sure how larger campers would set up given the layout and how small the pads look, but there was plenty of room in front and behind the pads.
GuideThis is a small private campground that offers a quiet nights stay. Site size was moderate with some shade, a fire ring, picnic table, on a level gravel pad. $20 per Passport America members for FHU is sweet. The grounds were well cared for and was not to far from the interstate but far enough away that there was little noise.
GuideGreat Campground. The park Ranger on Duty was very helpful. Campsites were generous in space. Well kept. Fire Ring and picnic table on site were kept up well. Trails and scenery through the back hills are well kept and maintained.
GuideChosen at the last minute for its proximity to the Twin Cities area, the drive was about 2 hrs 45 minutes. Park is quiet, clean and very easy to hike. Entire park can easily be hiked in a day, with prairie, river and oak savanna views. The park rangers were not at the station at any point while we visited, meaning payment for firewood and parking must be done online. Really nice facility with flush toilets and showers sits between the two campground loops. Camped in Walk-In Site #1 and the seclusion from the electric sites was great. The walk-in sites are nestled in the woods and fairly private. From the parking spot to the campsite was an easy ~100’.
GuideStayed in the walk-in section of the campground. Just a short walk from the parking and vault toilet. Beautiful Oaks surround you as does the sumac, raspberries and mosquitos. Even though it rained it was a superb experience 🙏
GuideThis is a great campground in Mankato, MN. The sites are huge and offer water and electric. The shower house/bathrooms were decent - a little outdated, but not too bad. There was also a portable toilet near our site. We wish there was sewer, but we understand that being so close to the river this may not be possible. We will definitely stay here again if we are in the area.
TravelerFirst thing to know is that you cannot pay for anything there directly... no cash, no checks, no credit cards, no tap, nothing. You need to use the Yodel app to purchase firewood and, even if there is staff present, you'll need to pay for your site on the MN State Park reservations system. What's nice is that there is no convenience charge when you are on site. This totally threw us as we are used to pulling up and paying with cash or card to a human. And, they have no wifi. So you'll have to use your phone or, like I did, use your phone as a hotspot to use your laptop/tablet.
Once that was all finally taken care of, we got to enjoy our spacious site. It was HOT, but there is a tree in the center of Site 7 that offered shade and lots of bushes and trees around that offer shade. We just had to keep moving to get it. Each site has a firepit and picnic table. Site 6 has a trail going through it on the edge while Site 7 had a trail on the other side but it was several feet from the actual site. I'm not sure it ever gets busy there, but if it did, you may have people around your site if you choose those edge sites.
This place was SO quiet! I know that also has to do with the other campers, so thank you to our fellow campers that weekend who kept it quiet. No road noise at all. There are fields nearby, so if it's plowing season I imagine it would be quite noisy and quite dusty.
At the end of September, along with the heat, there were tons of what we later learned were Asian Lady Beetles, which actually do sting. Surprise! Then when they started slowing down, here came the midges/no-see-ums. So I came away with a lot of stings. Boo! My spouse did not. So I guess they just liked me a lot.
I would totally recommend Kilen Woods SP! It was a total surprise to use as we were looking for a last minute place to camp, so that was wonderful. If you're driving along I90 in Minnesota or I26 in South Dakota and need an easy overnight, check this place out.
LegendCamped in Site #59 on Oct. 6-7, 2023. Our site had a fire ring, table, as well as electric & water. Spirit Lake is behind the site, although there was no lake access from there. Nice hearing the water lapping on shore. Registering for a site was a little confusing. There was a friendly host in the campground. Our site sloped down toward the lake; had to use our traction boards to level the van as best we can. No privacy between sites. The 6 room restroom/shower was clean. Overall, the campground was large and well maintained. It had an RV park feel to it, which is not our preferred type of camping. I believe folks in larger rigs will be comfortable here.
ScoutTent 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.
Tent camping near Spencer, Iowa offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to enjoy nature and the great outdoors.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Spencer, IA is Oneota Little Sioux Access with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.
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