Best Camping near Villisca, IA

Looking for the best campgrounds near Villisca, IA? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Villisca, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.

Best Camping Sites Near Villisca, IA (74)

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Showing results 1-10 of 74 campgrounds

Recent Reviews in Villisca

255 Reviews of 74 Villisca Campgrounds


  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Littlefield Rec Area
    Nov. 11, 2024

    Littlefield Rec Area

    Great, quiet place to stay!

    Ok, so I stayed 3 nights, the second week of November. It was myself and two other campers who were there together. We had the entire campground to ourselves. Water was on and the bathrooms were open and clean! I happened upon a site with full hookups and it was $20.00 a night. I’m guessing in the regular season these would either be taken or they might charge more. Anyway, great relaxing stay! ****No cellular service available ***. I was able to get nominal service with an external antenna and booster…

  • Gudrun C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Adair City Park
    Oct. 16, 2024

    Adair City Park

    Convenient Spot

    No frills spot for an easy stop off I-80. Only 2 other campers the night we stayed. Great Mexican restaurant 2 blocks away.

  • Samuel H.
    Camper-submitted photo from Charity Lake
    Sep. 27, 2024

    Charity Lake

    Perfect Place to Spend the Night

    I believe I counted 4 total campsites at this place, I was the only one here towards the end of September on a Thursday night.

    It is close to the highway and you can certainly hear it but it didn’t bother me, it’s kinda handy to have a place close to the highway when you’re just stopping for the night.

    Single vault style toilet. There is a dumpster also.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Pottawattamie County Fairgrounds
    Sep. 25, 2024

    Pottawattamie County Fairgrounds

    Cheap and easy to get to from the highway

    This is a no-frills stop off on a road trip kind of place. The bathrooms were pretty gross and there are lights on all night so hopefully you have a blackout tent or good shades on your RV. It's nothing to write home about but it was quiet and I slept well. I would stay again

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Waubonsie State Park Campground
    Sep. 6, 2024

    Waubonsie State Park Campground

    Really good hiking trails

    Stayed one night on Sept 4. Camped at site 35 in the non-equestrian campground; non-electric fee $15. Parked van on the grass at this site. Like nearly all of the sites in this campground, this site was close to the campground road. Overall, I felt that the campsites were all bunched together - offering no privacy and spacing between sites. The shower house was closed during our visit. Water was also turned off at the wayer pumps in the campground. There was one single vault toilet available for all of the campers; it was reasonably clean. Wayne, the campground host, was nice & helpful. There is a self-serve firewood station in the campground; cost is either $5 or $10, depending on the amount of wood you purchase. The campsites have a picnic table & metal fire ring. I wasn't too pleased with this campground, but I was very happy with the nearby hiking trails within the park. It's a pretty state park with hills & lush forest. The day use areas looked great. I recommend those traveling along I-29 to stop at this park - not necessarily for the camping, but for the hiking. Had some T-Mobile 4G service.

  • Laura W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Green Valley State Park Campground
    Aug. 23, 2024

    Green Valley State Park Campground

    Timing is everything!

    Pretty grounds with woodland coverage on all sides in addition to the lake. We visited in August and realized it was prime family vacation time before school starts up again, so a little crowded and noisy. Spots are pretty close together too. But the grounds are quite lovely and the facilities were super clean. We plan to go back when Autumn arrives, mid week. Bonus easy shore fishing access.

  • Danni A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Waubonsie State Park Campground
    Aug. 11, 2024

    Waubonsie State Park Campground

    Quiet and Peaceful

    This park was a great place to head to and unplug for a weekend. We camped in the area without hookups, so we pretty much had that area to ourselves. The area with hookups was somewhat crowded. The bathrooms and shower were clean. Water is easily accessible. The park is small, and we didn't find much to do other than a few hikes. 

    There are signs in the bathrooms warning of the raccoons. These signs are not exaggerating. We had a raccoon at our campsite trying to steal our food while we were there, like the raccoon was less than 10 feet from humans during mid-day.

  • Alika T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Adair City Park
    Jul. 31, 2024

    Adair City Park

    Awesome little campsites!

    $15 full power / $6 tents / $5 dump only. They have 110 power as well as regular hookups. Playground, tennis / pickleball courts, little zip line, and covered picnic area.

  • Wanda E.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Victorian Acres RV Park & Campground
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Victorian Acres RV Park & Campground

    Great Place to Stay

    We arrived later in the day finding our spot was easy. The camp ground staff were very nice and friendly. The grounds were beautifully groomed. They amenities such as showers and bathrooms were clean and decorated cute. It was quiet and relaxing. We were able to get a good nights rest before hitting the road again. We would highly recommend.

  • C
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Manawa State Park Campground
    Jul. 26, 2024

    Lake Manawa State Park Campground

    Not great for tents

    This campsite seems nice, but with blaring Omaha heat and no trees, the heat here is absolutely brutal. It was mid July and still 96 degrees at 7:00pm, so I ended up leaving knowing it would be too hot for a comfortable night sleep. Beautiful view of the lake and short walk to the swimming beach.

  • Madison H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Arrowhead Park Pottawattamie County Park
    Jul. 5, 2024

    Arrowhead Park Pottawattamie County Park

    10 out of 10

    This was the perfect place for us — just passing through on our way out to Wyoming. This camp ground is awesome all around — especially for tent campers. Absolutely beautiful views of the lake and so many open camp sites even on the 4th of July. I wish we could have spent more time here.

  • Donner N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Charity Lake
    Jul. 3, 2024

    Charity Lake

    A treat of a spot

    Very pleasant spot with a few camp sites as options. Beautiful lake. Bathroom was rough, hole in the ground style with a gate for a door. But over all the site was worth it

  • a
    Camper-submitted photo from Arrowhead Park Pottawattamie County Park
    Jun. 15, 2024

    Arrowhead Park Pottawattamie County Park

    Perfect getaway

    Perfect place to get away for the weekend. Grounds are clean bathrooms are clean. Shout out to Dave the park ranger for being very generous. We drove from Davenport to stay here for Father’s Day weekend and we will definitely be back. You also can tent camp right next to the water as well. Love it!

  • Brian M.
    Camper-submitted photo from CAB Campground
    May. 21, 2024

    CAB Campground

    I gave 5 stars. There are no frills here!

    There are no frills here just quiet and the essentials, elec, water and sewer for $25/night. Great communication. If you're traveling near it's an inexpensive place to get some rest.

  • Steve G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Riverview Marina State Rec Area
    Apr. 24, 2024

    Riverview Marina State Rec Area

    Small Riverside Campground

    Getting there: A winding drive through Nebraska City to the River’s Edge. 

    Check in and staff: None 

    Amenities: Few Bathrooms: clean, well kept 

    Sites: Mostly open, very little shade. Campground is right on the banks of the Missouri River.

  • Danni A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Icaria Co Park
    Apr. 9, 2024

    Lake Icaria Co Park

    Beautiful Views

    This campground has beautiful views of the lake. The sites are very close together. Everything was very clean when we were there.

  • Cire C.
    Camper-submitted photo from Pottawattamie County Fairgrounds
    Mar. 2, 2024

    Pottawattamie County Fairgrounds

    Overnight or Long Term

    We have been coming to this campground every year. They have recently open during the winter which is great because not many campground are open during this time. Steve is such a great guy who is always looking out for you.

  • Jennifer N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Victorian Acres RV Park & Campground
    Nov. 26, 2023

    Victorian Acres RV Park & Campground

    Fine for a 1 night stay!

    Victorian Acres was fine for one night. Not a lot to say about it. It backs up to the highway, but after a long day of driving we slept through the noise. There weren’t any fire pits because “it was too cold”. That’s exactly why we wanted one. The bathhouse was ok. The women’s bathroom was fine, even large for the size of the campground. Unfortunately, both toilets in the men’s bathroom were backed up and broken, huge bummer! 💩 There was a small dog park , we didn’t get to use it since we got in late and left early so I cannot comment on the condition. We were on site 55, easy to access and leave from. It was sort of level, but we still felt like we were tipping sideways a bit in the van. There were 30amp electric and water hookups.

  • Sayler O.
    Camper-submitted photo from Mozingo Lake County Tent Campground
    Nov. 19, 2023

    Mozingo Lake County Tent Campground

    Early fall camp

    Came out to camp one night with my 5 year old. We stated on a friday night in October and the campground was not too busy at all.. maybe only 5 other groups there. Showers and bathroom were all fine, campsite was clean and well maintained. Loved that the tent camping sites were actually surrounded by trees, I see way to many tent campsites that are basically just in the middle of a grass field. There are walking paths and a couple of playgrounds around the lake close enough to walk to but far enough away they wont ever be a bother. Also if you like disc golf than this is the place to go, there is a brand new 18 hole course right next to the camp!

  • Ryan S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Botna Bend County Park
    Sep. 21, 2023

    Botna Bend County Park

    Another great Iowa county park

    Iowa has many great county parks, and this one is no exception. There are three campgrounds in the park. The South campground, Middle campground, and North campground.

    The South campground is closed for renovations. I read they are adding full hookups to this campground. The Verizon signal at this campground is usable for calls& text, but internet speeds are slow. Streaming will probably work but a video call will probably not. 

    The middle campground has nice level spots, and a nice shower house with warm water. There are 4 individual bathrooms, each with a shower. This campground had about the same Verizon signal as the South campground- good enough for calls and texting.

    The North campground has grass sites with more space between them than at the other two campgrounds. This North campground does not have a shower house, but it has a two room bathroom with running water. The Verizon signal at this campground is a strong 5G signal with great speeds. I also tested T-mobile and AT&T at this campground, and they were plenty usable but no where near as fast as Verizon.

    There is a meat shop and a sports bar restaurant within walking distance from the park. The walk within the park is a long walk. From the North campground to the registration box at the entrance is about 1 mile.

    While at the park I saw deer, raccoons, turkeys, and a 4 inch caterpillar crossing the road. There are also bison and elk in a fenced in area.


Drive Time


Guide to Villisca

Camping near Villisca, Iowa, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and friendly campgrounds. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure, there are plenty of options to explore.

What to do:

  • Hiking Trails: Enjoy the many nature trails available at Hitchcock County Nature Center. One camper mentioned, "Camping here also gives you access to the playground and nature trails into some beautiful countryside."
  • Fishing: Spend a day fishing at Lake Anita State Park Campground. A reviewer said, "Nice campground, clean, beautiful lake with bike path/walking trail around the entire lake."
  • Exploring History: Visit the nearby covered bridges and historical sites. A camper at Winterset City Park noted, "Nice city park campground close to lots of covered bridges and other things to see."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the restrooms and showers. One review for Hackberry Hollow Campground stated, "Nice clean bathhouse and restrooms."
  • Friendly Hosts: Many campers mention the helpfulness of campground staff. A visitor at Victorian Acres RV Park said, "The camp ground staff were very nice and friendly."
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy the roomy sites that allow for privacy. A review for Ash Grove Campground highlighted, "Tent sites are spacious and most are separated by lots of trees."

What you should know:

  • Mosquitoes: Be prepared for bugs, especially at Hitchcock County Nature Center. One camper warned, "The only downside is bring several bottles of bug spray; the mosquitoes are terrible!"
  • Cash Only: Some campgrounds, like Hackberry Hollow Campground, require cash for payment. A reviewer reminded, "Friendly reminder to bring CASH."
  • First Come, First Serve: Many sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so arriving early is a good idea. A camper at Ash Grove Campground noted, "You do have to pay a daily park fee on top of the camping price if you do not have a NE State Park Pass."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds for kids to enjoy. Hitchcock County Nature Center has a playground that families appreciate.
  • Nature Trails: Choose campgrounds with easy access to hiking trails. A family at Lake Anita State Park Campground enjoyed the trails, saying, "A bit noisy when I stayed, but overall a good place to stay."
  • Group Sites: Consider campgrounds that offer group sites for family gatherings. A camper at Pammel County Park mentioned, "The concrete pads were awesome for leveling our popups."

Tips from RVers:

  • Electric Hookups: Look for campgrounds with electric hookups, like Victorian Acres RV Park, which offers "30amp electric and water hookups."
  • Dump Stations: Ensure the campground has a dump station nearby. A reviewer at Walnut Creek Lake & Recreation Area noted, "Dump station by the entrance."
  • Level Sites: Check for level sites to make parking easier. A camper at Arrowhead Park Campground appreciated the "pull-thru sites were shared electric (only), with pit toilets nearby."

Camping around Villisca, Iowa, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. With clean facilities, friendly hosts, and plenty of activities, you're sure to have a great time!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What camping is available near Villisca, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Villisca, IA offers a wide range of camping options, with 74 campgrounds and RV parks near Villisca, IA and 1 free dispersed camping spot.

  • Which is the most popular campground near Villisca, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Villisca, IA is Viking Lake State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 10 reviews.

  • Where can I find free dispersed camping near Villisca, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Villisca, IA.

  • What parks are near Villisca, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 8 parks near Villisca, IA that allow camping, notably Saylorville Lake and Conestoga Lake.