Top Tent Camping near Steamboat Rock, IA

Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Steamboat Rock? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Iowa tent camping excursion.

Best Tent Sites Near Steamboat Rock, IA (17)

Showing results 1-10 of 17 campgrounds

Recent Tent Reviews In Steamboat Rock

172 Reviews of 17 Steamboat Rock Campgrounds


  • Leslie K.
    Camper-submitted photo from Outback Campground & Resort
    Oct. 7, 2024

    Outback Campground & Resort

    Wallaby Cabin Review

    This review is for the Wallaby cabin. This cabin supposedly has a bathroom with a shower, 3 beds and a kitchenette. The bathroom has a shower so small it is difficult not to rinse one's hair while applying shampoo. There is no sink in this room for brushing teeth, washing hands or face, etc. There is no mirror either, or hooks for towels or washcloths or clothes. There is also no heater. The cabin has no closet or any place to hang any clothes. There were several bugs crawling on the ceiling. The wall A/C could not help but spew dust, as it was coated with that on the filter and cover. The trash can had a clean bag, which occupants are required to leave in dumpster at checkout. When removing the bag, the stuck-on mess under it was appalling. The bed in each loft area had obviously been used and not changed, as the covers were in disarray and the bottom sheets not clean. The main bed has a zipped on plastic cover which the loose fitting fitted sheet will not stay on, causing occupants to end up sleeping on plastic. We purchased a blanket to go over it for the next night. We would not have stayed more than one night but, as we had reserved 3, it is not refundable. The tv is to the side of the immovable chairs, so that one must have head turned completely to one side to watch. The cabin has such a slant that a ball will roll by itself to the entrance side. All this for more than$350 for 3 night stay.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Dows Pool Park & Campground
    Sep. 28, 2024

    Dows Pool Park & Campground

    Shady, quiet campground with electric & water hookups and a dump station

    I only drove through here I did not camp. It was quiet and the sites were shaded. I saw water, electricity and a picnic table at every site. The pads are gravel and very level.

    You can easily bike into town.

    There is a dump station.

    I had 3 bars of Verizon 4G which provided 70 down and 12 up.

    On T-mobile I had 5 bars of 5G and 100 down and 7 up.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cedar View Park
    Sep. 28, 2024

    Cedar View Park

    Beautiful park, gross bath house

    This is a lovely park. It is fairly quiet, you can hear some highway noise in the distance. The lake is lovely and clean. The spots are gravel, most sites will require some leveling but are not too bad. 

    Each site has a newer electric pedestal with 30 and 50 amp service, and each site has a water spigot, as well as a picnic table and fire ring.

    There are a few sites that back up directly to the lake. There is a swimming beach and a dock. There is a city park adjacent to the campground with a playground and picnic shelter.

    I had 3 bars on on T-mobile which got me 64 down and 18 up. On Verizon I had 3 bars which got me 65 down and 12 up.

    The shower house was pretty bad though. It was older, which doesn't bother me, but it was dirty. There are camp hosts on site but I guess their duties do not include ever cleaning the restroom. There was food trash in there all week, and if you look around you'll find feces, blood, and personal hygiene trash including used condoms.

    I would stay in this campground again because I have a self contained unit and do not need to use the on-site shower house.

  • Michael K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Ashton Wildwood Park
    Sep. 22, 2024

    Ashton Wildwood Park

    Small but great spot to camp

    Very clean, easy to reserve. Bathroom was a pit toilet but clean. Camp spot was clean and well-maintained.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Union Grove State Park
    Aug. 12, 2024

    Union Grove State Park

    Loved it!

    Loved this campground! We just stayed for one night, but wish it had been two. Small and quiet. A few trails to hike and a horse camp that I didn’t have time to explore. Nice lending library as well. Bathroom/shower combos are nice (1 is ADA). Not far off the interstate. Some sites are off with level & weird (ie stairs/door open on an incline and away from the table), and our picnic table was sloped. So pick your site carefully. 19E was ok - table not level and high stairs required from TT but good for Starlink connection and close water spigot (elec only at these sites)

  • Niki S.
    Camper-submitted photo from R Campground, Inc
    Jul. 15, 2024

    R Campground, Inc

    Very clean, friendly owners, great co-campers

    Randy was amazing and very attentive to my questions. Check in was super easy and the directions for check in were clearly spelled out. Everything was mapped out and the website was easy to use as well. The pond itself was pretty to look at and made for great photos, however it was loaded with geese which made it not user friendly. I would recommend this campground, and I will definitely go back to camp again!

  • Greg K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Alden riverview campground
    May. 5, 2024

    Alden riverview campground

    15$! Alden Riverview Campground

    30/50/110 power. Drinking water and dump onsite but not on sites. Wifi! Hot showers, playground,boat launch,fire pits,grills,good camp host.town is right there 2 bars and restaurants. Gas station I think was 8 blocks up to the right. Been hard to find all this for 15 bucks a day!

  • Deb K.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ashton Wildwood Park
    Dec. 23, 2023

    Ashton Wildwood Park

    I love this secluded little campground!

    I live just 7 miles away, but I love to take my grand daughter here for overnight camping.  Most of the sites are tucked into the woods and very spacious.  It's only $7/night!  There is some play equipment for children.  There is only a pit toilet in the campground and it's nice enough for midnight runs.  (Bring your flashlight!)  Drive up the road to the observatory and there is a bathroom with flush toilets and a hot shower, also a water spigot on the back side.  There is also a big group site for family get togethers.  There is a nice little circle hike that's not too difficult and was great for rehab after my knee replacement.  I'd highly recommend it, but I don't want it to get too crowded!

  • Lisa T.
    Camper-submitted photo from George Wyth State Park
    Nov. 10, 2023

    George Wyth State Park

    Good local camping

    Easy in and out late fall camping.  I got a great tent spot next to the river.  This is a fine campground that I much prefer during the off season (it gets too busy during the warm season for my liking).  The connection to hiking trails throughout the park is fantastic.

  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cedar Bend Park
    Sep. 7, 2023

    Cedar Bend Park

    Peaceful place

    It was so clean and peaceful. Not overly crowded. The camp host was so friendly and helpful.

  • v
    Camper-submitted photo from Cedar View Park
    Sep. 3, 2023

    Cedar View Park

    Wonderful Find!

    Great find! We thought we would be dry camping because it was Labor Day weekend. We found this Park on the app and thought we would check it out. It’s first come first serve. I really never thought there would be any hookups because of what I had read, but they had electric and water! We found a spot right on the Lake! Very busy but wonderful view, location and was only $20.00!

  • Topaz G.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ashton Wildwood Park
    Sep. 2, 2023

    Ashton Wildwood Park

    Rustic. Huge sites. Nature.

    Definitely follow the directions on Dyrt, google took us on a winding gravel road that led to the same place.

    The sites are very spacious, could easily accommodate multiple tents.

    We arrived just after 9p after a long long day of driving and found the park easy to navigate.

    Please be courteous when finding a spot after dark. The park was mostly empty but even still some people were shining flashlights at our tent.

    Hoping to do an early morning hike, the trails, observatory and orienteering course all look awesome.

    The entire property was well maintained, previous campers enjoyed copious amounts of beer and threw the cans into the brush, but I can't fault the park for that.

  • Matthew S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA
    Aug. 17, 2023

    Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA

    Nice Park/Clean Bathrooms

    This is a quiet and nice park. Lots of pull through lots. I am missing a swimming pool but they do have a beach by a pond if that interests you. Bathrooms are cleaned daily but at times are quite nasty. Not their fault people are just nasty.

  • P
    Camper-submitted photo from Riverview Park Campground
    Jul. 18, 2023

    Riverview Park Campground

    Clean open Campground

    There’s a bit of road noise, but there’s lot of room here on a Tuesday. The grounds are well kept. Was able to get a clear view to the north for excellent Starlink reception.

  • R
    Camper-submitted photo from Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA
    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.

  • Michele M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Rock Creek State Park
    Jun. 5, 2023

    Rock Creek State Park

    Worst spots in the park- 6 & 7

    Stayed 2 nights in 6/7. No shade, giant electrical boxes, whole campground is downhill from dump station and the smell on Sunday morning is really unpleasant. Feels like whole campground is crammed together and smoke from campfires is thick enough to chew.

    When we were there, teens were running littler kids off the playground; someone dumped all the TP in the men's room in to the toilets on Sunday morning, and the showers were too hot to use, with no way to adjust water temp.

    On the bright side, the lake is pretty, it's right there at the campground. Boat, kayak and canoe rentals seemed reasonable and little store was convenient.

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Deerwood Park
    May. 30, 2023

    Deerwood Park

    Great we spot

    Quiet, camp host was nice. Firewood available for purchase for $1. Nice lake very close to the campground.

  • Jeannie D.
    Camper-submitted photo from Briggs Woods Park
    May. 25, 2023

    Briggs Woods Park

    Pretty place

    Nice camp, decent sites, GREAT buddy sites! Cell service is null, and no wifi. We do love the hiking over here!

  • kThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Rock Creek State Park
    May. 24, 2023

    Rock Creek State Park

    Scenic campground on lake, great sunsets.

    The campground area is clean. Showers and toilets are clean. The RV section of campground was nearly full but the tent/non-hook up section had lots of space. One can camp on lakeside but be aware that these spots have a slope, not comfortable for my van. Park management was fine with changing campsite. Contact info for ranger was available at entrance. Overall good experience.

  • m
    Camper-submitted photo from Wilder City Park
    Oct. 5, 2022

    Wilder City Park

    Beautiful city park

    Wilder Park is a beautiful city park. Very much a gem, quiet and peaceful . 50 + sites with about half of them full hook up. Costs for a full hook up in 2022 was under $25 a night. The park has two fishing areas, a dog park,pickle ball, volleyball mini golf, basketball and two playgrounds. A beautiful walking and bike path connects the parks to the neighboring cities. A free dump is also available. We highly recommend this park. 1

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Rock Creek State Park
    Sep. 23, 2022

    Rock Creek State Park

    Nice place

    Beautiful scenery with lake front camping. Sunset over the lake! Found a great trail to hike, also the opportunity to rent a boat or paddlebord. Clean bathroom with good showers. Limited shade options.

  • C
    Camper-submitted photo from Timmons Grove County Park
    Sep. 8, 2022

    Timmons Grove County Park

    Necessities okay, loud road noise

    A very functional camp. I was solo on the grounds mid week. 18$ seemed steep, but there was electric and scattered water pumps. Potable toilet no showers or wash rooms. Nice playground if you have kids. Nice and flat with a fair amount of shade.



Guide to Steamboat Rock

Camping near Steamboat Rock, Iowa, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or an adventure-filled weekend, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Fishing: Many campers enjoy fishing at Pine Ridge Park. One reviewer mentioned, "Decent fishing. Quiet campers." This park is a great spot for both experienced anglers and beginners.
  • Hiking: Explore the trails around Tower Rock. A visitor shared, "There are lots of places to hike all around the area." It's perfect for those who love to connect with nature.
  • Kayaking and Canoeing: The Iowa River near Pine Ridge Park is ideal for paddling. One camper noted, "You can put in upstream and paddle down." It’s a fun way to enjoy the water.

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the well-maintained restrooms and shower houses at Dakins Lake County Park. A reviewer said, "The shelter is very nice and overlooks Dakins Lake." Clean facilities make for a more enjoyable stay.
  • Spacious Campsites: Many enjoy the roomy sites at Little Wall Lake County Park. One visitor remarked, "Spacious sites along a gorgeous lake." This gives campers a bit of privacy and comfort.
  • Quiet Atmosphere: Campers often mention the peaceful environment at Hickory Grove Campground. A happy camper noted, "By 10:30 the park was quiet and peaceful." It’s a great place to unwind.

What you should know:

  • Mosquitoes: Be prepared for bugs, especially during warmer months. One camper at George Wyth State Park Campground mentioned, "There were tremendous amounts of mosquitoes." Bring repellent to keep them at bay.
  • Noise Levels: Some campgrounds, like Beeds Lake State Park, can be noisy due to nearby highways. A visitor noted, "Sleeping in a tent it was very noisy at night." Consider this if you're a light sleeper.
  • Reservations: Many campgrounds, such as Hickory Grove Campground, have sites that can be reserved online. A camper advised, "Make reservations; facilities this good are full by Friday."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with kid-friendly amenities. Pine Ridge Park has a playground that kids love. One parent said, "My kids love this campground."
  • Group Sites: If you're camping with a large family, consider sites that can accommodate groups. Beeds Lake State Park is great for gatherings, as noted by a camper who mentioned, "It would be perfect for large family/friend gatherings."
  • Activities for All Ages: Choose campgrounds that offer a variety of activities. Pine Lake State Park has hiking, fishing, and swimming options, making it fun for everyone.

Tips from RVers:

  • Electric Hookups: Many campgrounds, like Dakins Lake County Park, offer electric hookups. A reviewer mentioned, "The campsites are large and very clean." This is a big plus for RV campers.
  • Access to Water: Look for campgrounds with water access for easy cleanup. Hickory Grove Campground has good facilities, as one camper noted, "The shower house and restroom was new in 2017."
  • Quiet Spots: Some RVers prefer quieter locations. Pine Ridge Park is described as "quiet at night," making it a good choice for those who want to relax.

Camping near Steamboat Rock, Iowa, has something for everyone. Whether you're fishing, hiking, or just enjoying the peace and quiet, you'll find a spot that suits your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Steamboat Rock, IA is Stoehr Fishing Area with a 2-star rating from 2 reviews.

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

    TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Steamboat Rock, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.