Best Tent Camping near Story City, IA
Tent campsites surrounding Story City, Iowa offer secluded wooded spots and small lakeside settings that appeal to campers seeking quiet natural environments. Ashton Wildwood Park, located approximately 43 miles south of Story City, provides spacious tent sites tucked among trees with pit toilets and hiking trails. Colfax Quarry Springs Park, another tent-friendly campground in the region, features waterfront sites with fishing access and basic amenities for primitive tent setups.
Most tent campgrounds in the Story City area require self-sufficiency from campers. Sites generally include fire rings and picnic tables, though amenities vary significantly between locations. Ashton Wildwood Park charges $7 per night with pit toilets in the campground area and flush toilets available at the nearby observatory. Drinking water access is limited at most sites, making water containers essential equipment. Several campgrounds maintain portable toilets but lack shower facilities, reflecting their primitive nature. The Colfax location recently added new restroom facilities that campers report are well-maintained.
Tent camping experiences near Story City tend toward the rustic and quiet. The spacious sites at Ashton Wildwood Park accommodate multiple tents and provide substantial privacy with wooded surroundings. Seasonal factors affect the camping experience, with spring and fall offering less crowded conditions. Big Wall Lake Wildlife Management Area offers more primitive backcountry tent camping with minimal facilities but provides good access for fishing and wildlife observation. Many sites throughout the region feature sandy or level terrain suitable for tent placement. A visitor to Ashton Wildwood noted, "Most of the sites are tucked into the woods and very spacious. There is a nice little circle hike that's not too difficult."
