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Yellow Banks County Park accommodates pets throughout its spacious campground with sites featuring fire rings and picnic tables. All tent, RV, and primitive camping areas allow leashed dogs with no breed restrictions, though pets must remain under control at all times. The park offers 10 designated electric sites plus tent camping areas with ample space between neighbors. Campground facilities include clean bathrooms, showers where available, and access to hiking trails suitable for dog walking. Large spaces between campsites provide dogs room to rest comfortably at individual sites. Grant Park's ten free campsite areas also welcome pets and feature well-maintained fire rings with cooking grills.
Multiple trail systems throughout these parks provide excellent opportunities for dog walking and exercise. Yellow Banks offers hiking paths connecting to Des Moines River access points where dogs can cool off during summer months. Ticks are prevalent in warmer seasons, so regular pet checks are essential when using the trails. Several campers report finding multiple ticks on their dogs during even brief outdoor activities. River Oaks RV Park provides full-hookup sites with gravel pads where pets are permitted, and their newly constructed bath house offers clean facilities for campers. The campground is notably quiet and well-maintained with good spacing between sites, making it suitable for pets that need separation from other animals. During state fair season, some campgrounds offer shuttle services to fairgrounds, allowing campers to leave pets comfortably at their sites.
"Wonderful trails, lots of space. Access to DM River, has nice pond, playgrounds, just a beautiful area. "
"camped here in 2021 and I enjoyed it but the first night I was there I ran my vehicle down the second night I was there I took a tour on the campgrounds and got verbally accosted but another camper for walking"
"I travel with my dog and during the 3 nights I stayed, I was constantly removing them from him, myself and within the inside of my van."
"Each of the 10 campsites are spacious and plenty of distance between. Nice quick trails with wildlife. The park is well maintained and well priced!"
"Thomas Mitchell park is located outside of Altoona Iowa on 197 acres. There are electric and non electric sites available."
"Perfect weather last weekend and loved the little creek to splash around in with the dogs. Loads of rock stairways to enter and edit the creek throughout the park."
"Plenty of room for our dogs"
"Our site had a great view of the lake, as well. The campgrounds are a drive away from the beach and most boat ramps. "
from $20 - $288 / night
Check Availability"We stayed here to go to the Iowa State Fair. It was easy to park here and catch a shuttle to the fair."
"Only used one stinky slinky, could have hooked up water with a 6’ hose, and the electrical was near the back of the site. Sites are gravel and it looked like most campers had to use blocks."
from $45 - $60 / night
Check Availability"We entered the park looking for a walk-up spot and landed on Site 67 which was not reserved. The site was spacious with a big tree with good shade and cover if needed."
"They have a beautiful lake and a beach. The water has minimal seaweed and great temperature! They have rentals for paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, etc, for a decent price!"
from $25 - $38 / night
Check Availability"With a theme park on one side and a casino on the other, both in walking distance. It’s more of a park and party place hahaha"
"Short walk to the amusement park. We were there for most of the early summer so we got a season pass to the park which included the water park. They also have workcamper programs."
"The Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the world with more than a million visitors every year! There is something for everyone in the family."
"I always loved going here when I lived in Iowa! The State Fair was a blast! Being able to actually stay there made it that much better!!"
"We will be staying here every year, this is the best site we've stayed at in central Iowa. Great fishing, bike trail right next to the campsite. Great views too. Dam is right there and you can fish."
"It’s well maintained, the bathrooms are clean, you’re not packed together like sardines, there’s a nice bike/walking trail around the park and (at least when we’ve visited) bald eagles, blue herons and"
from $22 - $24 / night
Check Availability"Quick and easy off/on road location. Was their first year. This is a new RV Park that was once a quarry. Hence the name. Big lakes and good areas to walk."
"They have porta potties around. Two places to launch kayaks. Most campsites have fire rings, picnic tables and trash bins. Some have grills."
from $15 / night
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GuideI just loved this campground. It has shade trees, grass, free showers and lots of room. It is part of a city park on the outskirts of Winterset. There is a dog park and one of the Bridges of Madison County is located within walking distance of the campground. This was well worth the 20 mile drive off I80. If I had known how m=nice this area was, I would have planned better and stayed here for more than one night.
RangerThis campground has many sites to choose from - RV with hookups as well as some non-electric tent sites. There are quite a few activities in Marshalltown, and it is within the Marshalltown city limits.
The downside is proximity. It is right next to the highway. When I was there in a tent, the hog trucks would drive by all night (loud and smelly). The RV sites are closest to the road, so maybe it is not so bad in an RV, but it is not particularly enjoyable in a tent.
Pros:
+ Marshalltown has quite a few places to eat
+ Nice bike trails (and a great bicycle store downtown)
+ It is near the Iowa River
+ Nice park in general with activities like a dog park
+ Camp host on-site
+ Decent sized campsites
+ Playground for the kids
Cons:
+ It can get busy on a summer weekend
+ Noisy - right by the highway
+ Mosquitos are really bad here
GuideOne of my favorite locations to camp in Iowa as a Boy Scout growing up was Ledges State Park. Since I hadn't been back in years, I decided to check it out and spend a night camping there. It's close to how I remember it.
The campground has a good picnic area, restrooms, and an excellent trail. It's also inexpensive.
What I enjoy most about this park compared to others in Iowa are the sandstone ledges and the slopes on the trail. There are some excellent views, so make sure your phone has enough battery to take photos (unlike me). I also spent a lot of time off the trail. It isn't too hard to get around. I'm not one who enjoys staying at a park that is mostly flat, so this is definitely a good place in Iowa for me to camp.
If you are looking for a cool place to camp within an hour of Des Moines, you should seriously consider this park.
ScoutOne of the more beautiful places to camp in Iowa. Awesome hiking trails and really well-shaded campsites. The hike in spots are great if you like privacy and being in the middle of the woods - but you don’t want to be THAT far from your car.
Beware of the raccoons. They’re plentiful and crazy smart here. We had one open our cooler, steal an egg from the cartoon - without disturbing anything else. Honestly, I was impressed! But some of our friends had them rip through their tents to get at food - not as impressive.
TravelerIn a grove of trees in a slightly hilly area. Easy access, but sites are gravel. Nice bit of grass with each site, most are at least partially shaded. Small dog park which is pea gravel, not grass.
GuideSpots kind of level, lots of choices of pull thru or buddy sites. Decent playground, water pillow for bouncing, fishing pond, dog park, swimming pool. Well maintained, lots of planned activities. KOA, so not a lot of nature. But no traffic or train noise. Full hook ups, including TV.
GuideSome full hook ups, sites not very level, playground ok. Can hear shots from gun range next door. Dog park, pool, arcade. We have camped here a couple times, and stored our rig here for a while. Didn't find there was that much going on here to keep us busy. Not a lot of nature, no trails or biking accessible from campground.
LegendWhile it was our first time camping in Iowa, we were extremely lucky to land upon this slightly hidden fresh water centered campground just a 20 minute drive south of Route 80 near Montezuma, wherein one needs only follow Road#63, before coming across Diamond Lake County Park. With the fall colors being in full bloom when we visited, the entire campground was awash in bright yellows, reds and oranges from the changing colors of the leaves. Also, as we were visiting in mid-October, versus some of the other reviews here, we found that we had the place mostly to ourselves, which made for a rather peaceful sublime respite we were searching for.
As for the campground itself, what we enjoyed most was how this location is, for the most part, very well organized in keeping the RV'ers and 5th Wheeler crowds together, while preserving a nice slice of verdant lakeside pasture for us primitive camper types. Each of the sites for camping come equipped with (in most cases) fairly new aluminum picnic tables, fire ring with folding BBQ grill. While we didn’t stay in the RV areas, given our tent-pitching persuasion, what we did see was fairly impressive and looked altogether rather brand new with freshly poured concrete slots and fairly mint-looking RV hook-ups (50 amp electric and water) and this same area also boasted a brand new restroom facilities.
Obviously, the main attraction here is Diamond Lake itself, with its more than 90 acres of fresh water, albeit murky fresh water, was certainly a hit with this camping family. We enjoyed being able to get out on the lake with our kayaks and canoes as well as go for very long walks around the circumference of the lake itself, with which you will find simply splendid trails. And if that’s not enough exploration for you, then head further inland and away from the lake to explore this parks other 660 acres of grassy prairieland.
From an amenities standpoint, there’s a decent amount, including: three shower houses, four shelters, 2 dump stations, three his / her latrines (some much more dated than others), boat ramp and fishing dock, a dedicated fish cleaning station and what looked to be a fairly new kids playground. In all there’s a total of 120 sites to choose from, with 80 designated for RVs / 5th Wheelers and 40 earmarked for primitive camping, which do not come with any electric, which was on one hand the biggest bummer, but on the other hand, offered up front-row access to lakeside camping bliss as many of these primitive campsites are located right on the water’s edge.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Check-in is self-registration and is done onsite, so net-net, this place is first-come, first served as no online or advanced registration is taken. While we didn’t mind this, and given that we arrived right around noon as folks were actually checking out, we got the ‘pick of the litter’ of campsites. Electric sites are $20 / night and non-electric are $10, so this place is incredibly affordable; (2) If you are looking for some grub nearby after growing weary of another meal of franks & beans, then there’s really just a few nearby options: Subway, Sauced Pizza & Pub, Casey’s and Yolanda’s Tacos over in the little town of Montezuma; (3) While there are actually few different campgrounds here at Diamond Lake, for primitive campers, the best sites IMHO are located as far southwest as you can possible go around the lake, where there’s more than a dozen or so sites that sit right in front of the water and present a completely isolated surrounding.
Happy Camping!
TravelerThe campground was nice, but it seems more for RVs. Sometimes you have to share a fire pit with other tents if it's busy. They have a small petting zoo and a small beach. This place feels more like a neighborhood verses camping in nature. Most people use this as a "summer home".
Yellow Banks County Park offers campers numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation near Swan, Iowa. The park connects to Des Moines River access points and features well-maintained hiking trails throughout its grounds. Sites at this dog friendly campground are spaced for privacy, with electric and non-electric options available during the camping season.
Fishing opportunities: Yellow Banks County Park provides access to fishing spots where visitors can try their luck. One visitor notes, "The boat ramp to the river though didn't look in great shape. But if you kayak it's probably fine. It has lots of electrical sites as well" while another mentions "Fishing not the greatest, Pond is silted to about 9ft deep, have caught few small bass, bluegill. Never tried the river here, but is known for big cats."
Explore Indian burial mounds: The park contains historical sites worth visiting. According to a camper at Yellow Banks County Park, "Great little campground. Theres a hiking trail that will take you to indian burial mounds. There is also fishing and boating. They have a fun playground also."
Kayaking and water activities: Lake Ahquabi State Park offers various water-based recreation options. As one visitor explains, "They have rentals for paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, etc, for a decent price! The hiking trails are really nice. If your up for it there is a hike that loops are the entire lake making it about 6-7 miles long."
Spacious campsites: Campers appreciate the well-designed sites at Whitebreast Campground. One camper shares, "We had site 24, sites were very spaced out and they are only on one side of the road so no sites backed up to ours. Plenty of room for our dogs," while another confirms "Lots of shade, quiet."
Free camping options: Grant Park offers no-cost camping near Swan. According to a visitor, "10 free sites. Well maintained and quiet. Pit toilet. paved fire ring area and picnic table at each site. Can stay up to 14 days. Beautiful trails." Another camper adds, "There are 10 beautiful campsites, all with new picnic tables, fire ring and cement pad so you're chairs are actually level!"
Wildlife viewing: Birdwatchers can find excellent opportunities at area parks. A visitor to Elk Rock State Park notes, "The best part about the trip was the eagles. We must have been there at just the right time, because lined all through the trees along the lakes edge were eagles upon eagles. I'd say we saw about 70 bald eagles perched in the tress."
Tick prevalence: Ticks can be a significant issue in area parks. A camper at Grant Park warns, "Let's talk ticks!! I travel with my dog and during the 3 nights I stayed, I was constantly removing them from him, myself and within the inside of my van. They always got on his feet every time he used the restroom and made their way inside."
Bathroom facilities: Quality varies between campgrounds. A visitor to Thomas Mitchell County Park reported, "Shower house was clean, pretty quiet, and only 5 miles off the highway," while another noted, "Spent 2 nights tent camping here. We stayed at site 4, glad I read reviews on here. I personally would not want to be in a site beyond number 7 as it gets too close to the dump station."
Beach conditions: Water areas may not meet expectations. One visitor to Lake Ahquabi State Park cautioned, "Whitebreast beach had sand at the top, leading me to believe it would be a typical sandy beach-not at all! As you made your way further down and into the water, there was muddy, wet clay and the beach floor was slimy and muddy."
Playground access: Thomas Mitchell County Park offers family-friendly amenities. A camper shares, "Thomas Mitchell park is located outside of Altoona Iowa on 197 acres. There are electric and non electric sites available. The outer loop has a creek that flows behind the sites with large stairs to get down to it. Kids were having a blast in the water."
Kid-friendly water features: Children can enjoy water recreation at various pet-friendly campgrounds near Swan. One visitor to Yellow Banks notes, "The park also has a playground for kids, baseball fields, and primitive camping," while another mentions the "creek to splash around in with the dogs."
Camping during events: Families might consider timing their visit around local events. A visitor to Iowa State Fairgrounds explains, "This is really convenient for folks who are going to the fair we plan to spend all week at the fair but if you're going for quiet this is not the place to be."
RV site conditions: River Oaks RV Park offers dedicated facilities for RVs. Campers report, "Nice size campground, sites have good spacing and full hookups that were installed with some thought. Only used one stinky slinky, could have hooked up water with a 6' hose, and the electrical was near the back of the site. Sites are gravel and it looked like most campers had to use blocks."
Dump station availability: Several dog-friendly campgrounds feature sanitary services. At Whitebreast Campground, the campground offers full hookups and a sanitary dump, while Yellow Banks features a "Double lane dump station."
Reservation timing: Securing sites requires planning at popular campgrounds. One camper advises about Yellow Banks, "By Thurs night, it's full. Few reservables, 90% i'd say are first come. The way it should be in my opinion."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Swan, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Swan, IA is Yellow Banks County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Swan, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 85 dog-friendly camping locations near Swan, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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