Best Tent Camping near Sumner, IA

Tent campsites near Sumner, Iowa include several established options with varying amenities and settings. Echo Valley State Park Campground offers primitive tent sites along a trout stream, while Little Turkey Campground provides more developed facilities with electric hookups, showers, and drinking water. Chickasaw Park, located near Ionia, offers a more rustic camping experience with basic amenities suitable for tent campers seeking a quieter setting.

Most tent sites in the area are self-pay and non-reservable, requiring campers to arrive early during peak seasons to secure spots. Echo Valley State Park features only six first-come, first-served tent sites, making it particularly competitive during summer weekends. Pit toilets are common at most locations, though shower facilities vary significantly between campgrounds. Little Turkey Campground provides full shower facilities, while more primitive options like Adolph Munson Park and Cutshall Area offer only basic toilet facilities. Fire rings are available at most sites, but campers should check current fire restrictions, especially during dry periods.

The tent camping experience in this region offers opportunities for fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Echo Valley State Park provides access to trout streams and hiking trails suitable for morning walks. Sites are often well-spaced, providing privacy even during busier periods. A visitor commented, "I was a quarter mile from the next nearest site. Certainly a tent oriented campground, RVs would have a difficult time." For those seeking more seclusion, Yellow River State Forest's backcountry sites, though farther from Sumner, offer primitive tent camping with greater isolation. These backcountry areas provide a more immersive forest experience with dense tree cover and access to multiple trail systems, making them suitable for tent campers seeking a more remote outdoor experience.

Best Tent Sites Near Sumner, Iowa (26)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 26 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Tent Camping Reviews near Sumner, IA

285 Reviews of 26 Sumner Campgrounds


  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 26, 2022

    Camp John Schultz — Yellow River State Forest

    Nice back country state forest site

    Hiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects. Leave No Trace ethics include: minimizes fire impacts by gathering only dead, down, wood. Sounded by nature atop of hill hike near Fire tower ( only fire tower in Iowa), cell reception is found up here.

  • TThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 13, 2024

    Lime Creek Park

    Nice campground with a Quirk

    The pros: $10 fee ($15 electric), campground seems well maintained (grass is mown, security light works, tables in good repair, gravel access road in good shape, etc); no one here but us, the sound of the running Creek is soothing, vault toilet is probably the cleanest I've seen; ATT cell service was 3bars 5G The unusual: no specific site, no specific place to pull into, no site numbers or designation except on the electric pedestals. It's all grass. Pull onto the grass near the table or electric pedestal you want. The cons: highway traffic noise is easily heard and doesn't seem to stop for more than a few seconds (though the crickets/bug sounds and the creek sound is sometimes louder so you hear that instead), dust from vehicles passing on nearby dirt road filters thru the trees (due to dry weather?), and, well, it is, after all, a vault toilet-not my fav,

  • Mary S.
    Aug. 19, 2018

    Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest

    Small campground has nearby hiking and fishing

    This review is for Yellow River State Forest's Big Paint Campground which consists of sites 35 through 61. Big Paint is a couple miles from Little Paint, a larger campground with 70+ sites. There are two equestrian campgrounds (Creekside and Little Frontier with sites numbered 1 through 34) as well as hike in campgrounds for backpackers. A photo of an area map is included.

    Why did we choose Big Paint instead of Little Paint?

    It's smaller and that's just our personal preference. There were only 4 sites occupied early Friday afternoon and a few more were reserved. We liked site 35, the first site on the left as you enter. This site is like being in a garden with trees and flowers surrounding the site. It had rained and more rain was coming, so the gravel parking pad on #35 was appealing. Most of the sites are completely on the grass.

    Activities

    Stocked trout streams are an attraction for fishermen; see photo of stocking calendar. We enjoyed hiking despite the mosquitoes and humidity in August and were able to make a 5+ mile loop leaving from the campground. You can also hike from Little Paint, and there are equestrian trails. This would also be a good area for X-country skiing and snowmobiling. A photo of the trail map is included. Caution: hunting is allowed in the non-campground area of the state forest.

    Amenities

    Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Other than that, you can dispose of your trash and use a vault toilet. There's water at the information center (and a camp host site) outside the campground about 100 yards to the left.

    Cost

    You're not getting much (and that's not a bad thing) so the $9 fee seems fair. Pay up front at the entrance station, or make a reservation online at last 2 days ahead of time (and pay a reservation fee). There are 7 non-reservable sites at Big Paint. I doubt that Big Paint fills up; just check the reservation site to see if they get crowded.

    https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/yellow-river-state-forest/r/campsiteSearch.do?search=site&page=siteresult&contractCode=IA&parkId=610130

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Fountain Springs County Park

    Solitude and not much else

    This campground also goes by the name of Holbert. Small campground but free with a handful of picnic tables and campfires. The vault toilets were cleanish, thou older. This campground is next to a pretty little creek that you can play and fish in. The campground is really just a series of campsites strung out along the creek and road. It was pretty quiet while I was there, not many campers at all. There are no hookups for RV’s/campers so it is primarily tent camping or dry camping. There is an interesting story about how this camping area has come to be: the land was donated by Ella Ellis in memory of her husband William Ellis. They apparently loved the land and wanted to make sure it was never developed and could be enjoyed by all. A lovely story.

  • Lisa M.
    Jun. 13, 2019

    Pikes Peak State Park Campground

    Beautiful Views

    Some of the spots are a little uneven. Bring some leveling devices. This a very peaceful campground. Fire rings are on cement. Can find fire starters everywhere. No bugs in the 1st of June when we were there. Will plan on going back for sure. Reserve your spots cuz they go fast. If you love a great view and the smell of the outdoors this is your place!

  • Jessica H.
    May. 23, 2018

    South Bear Creek

    South Bear Creek Entrance

    The South Bear Creek entrance is located near Highlandville, IA off of Quandahl Road. This is Iowa Department of Natural Resources land and offers primitive camping only. There are no shower or restroom facilities and we brought our own water. There was a makeshift fire ring made out of rocks and so we used this to build our campfire. Be sure to bring a camp shovel for bathroom breaks. There was no fee at the time to camp here. It might be a good idea to call ahead to the Iowa DNR to see if that has changed.

    Bear Creek is known for trout fishing and is stocked by the DNR. Bear Creek runs for a little over 5 miles at this entrance. Highlandville does have a general store, so you can stock up on items such as snacks, firewood, and angling supplies if you plan to fish the creek.

    Note: There is also a Bear Creek Campground which offers electrical sites along with restrooms, showers and a playground as well as Bear Creek Cabin rentals if you're looking for something with more amenities.

    We camped the last weekend in October and had the entire area to ourselves. We walked along the creek and Quandahl Road. It was a quiet area and we enjoyed camping in a more primitive setting.

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 26, 2022

    Little Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest

    Great State Forest CG with trout streams

    Stayed in 2 primitive tent sites: table, fire ring, shaded. Great sites for hat are all within walking to stocked trout streams! CG is in valley, cooled air, shaded, cold water streams to cool off. Pit toilets, trash bins, self registration with some sites reservable.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    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.

  • B
    Jun. 12, 2022

    Lake Meyer County Park Campground

    Great spot, tents included

    This is a great little park if you need a place to stop for the night. It was very inexpensive for tents ($10 I think) and the tent camping area was very nice with 3 giant pine trees and some picnic tables and fire rings. As someone who bicycle tours I appreciated fire wood being on site and close to where the tent area is. The bathrooms aren’t the best but they worked. Overall its a safe, clean, welcoming campground for both tents and RV’s.


Guide to Sumner

Tent camping near Sumner, Iowa offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.

Local Attractions for Tent Campers

  • Enjoy the peaceful surroundings at Echo Valley State Park Campground, where you can hike scenic trails and explore a petting zoo nearby.
  • Visit Chickasaw Park for a unique experience by an old quarry, perfect for fishing and swimming at your own risk.
  • Experience the charm of River Ranch Camping, known for its backwoods camping vibe and proximity to nature trails.

Activities for Outdoor Enthusiasts

  • At Little Turkey Campground, you can enjoy fishing, hiking, and relaxing by the fire with friends and family.
  • Adolph Munson Park offers a primitive camping experience, ideal for those looking to disconnect and immerse themselves in nature.
  • Take a stroll along the trails at Twin Ponds Co Park, where you can enjoy the tranquility of the ponds and surrounding wildlife.

Tips for Tent Camping Near Sumner

  • Make sure to bring your own firewood, as many campgrounds like Haus Park do not provide this amenity.
  • Be prepared for a more rustic experience at Saude Rec Area, where facilities are minimal but the natural beauty is abundant.
  • Pack plenty of water and snacks, especially when visiting places like Cutshall Area, which lacks amenities like trash disposal and water hookups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sumner, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sumner, IA is Little Turkey Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Sumner, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.