Searching for the best camping near Waterloo, IA? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Waterloo, IA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
$15 - $23 / night
"**
- Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.)"
"Off a main highway, but you feel like you are a long ways from no where. If you are a biker there is a wonderful bike path."
"The fenced dog park was fantastic for those of us with dogs. A lake with beach area and an area for fishing founded it out! Would recommend!"
"Just stayed one night passing through Iowa. Very pretty Campground with colorful Kabin’s and a lake for swimming or paddle boats. Level sites but not much shade."
"Nice park with a bike path around the lake. A few nature trails, but nothing I would call hiking. Two vault toilets placed on the bike path. One modern bathroom with showers in the campground."
"The lake is small, no wake lake - but great for using your SUP or kayaks."
"Nice lake very close to the campground."
"Sigglekow Campground in Black Hawk County Iowa is one of a kind! Quite and secluded, if that's what you're looking for. To get out and decompress it's a great spot."
"Would be nice if it had gravel parking but that's a small inconvience.. also good kyack location."
$15 / night
"Surprisingly with it's location in relation to Hwy 20, it's actually pretty quiet. There is a paved trail that'll take you over to the lake so it's not a bad walk."
"The playground was impressive and the Cedar Valley nature trail was very well kept."
"Volleyball net, frisbee golf, bike trail, and playground!
Be prepared for mosquitoes though! Lots of standing water and lots of mosquitoes!"
"The trails and hiking was the best part though. We went for hours with our dogs and had so much fun. They were easy."
"We like this campground a lot, very nice shade, playground area, as well as nice trails. Clean restrooms and shower stall"
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
RangerI enjoyed my 5 night stay at Oelwein City Park Campground. It's located on the south end of town, there is only one business within walking distance. It's a great restaurant (Oelwein Family Restaurant) and it's about a 15 minute walk.
There is one shower house, and several vault toilets throughout the park. The shower house is old and a little run down but was very clean. I had no problems using it.
The city park is adjacent to the campground and has picnic shelters, a playground, and a dog park.
There are electric and water hookups at most sites, and there is a dump station. The park was pretty full on the weekend as you would expect, but very quiet during the week.
I had great Verizon and T-mobile service here.
ScoutGreat RV park. Lots of room and cabin rentals for folks that don’t have an RV. The fenced dog park was fantastic for those of us with dogs. A lake with beach area and an area for fishing founded it out! Would recommend!
TravelerWilder 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
LegendWhy Should You Camp Here?
Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.) There is no separate park entry fee (unlike some states).
You can rent kayaks, canoes or pedal boats near the campground at Wyth Lake. And there are 3 other nearby lakes.
There's a small beach at Wyth Lake.
The Cedar River is on the edge of the campground.
You're so close to Cedar Falls and Waterloo which means there are craft breweries!
We were only there for a night but I saw this on reserveamerica.com: "The Lake-to-State Park Bike Route is a 50 mile route connecting Pine Lake and George Wyth State Park. The route primarily utilizes county highways and established bike routes and paths once inside Cedar Falls/Waterloo."
We didn't do everything we could do there, because we were just passing through. Check this out: https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/george-wyth-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IA&parkId=610125
Amenities
The usual fire ring and picnic table
Dump station and potable water
Flush toilets and running water in bathrooms along with push button showers. Ok, push button showers are not ideal. Just keep pushing that button and hopefully you'll be okay with the temperature that you can't control!
TravelerCame in late but found a spot, only 6 first come fist serve camping sites. I was a quarter mile from the next nearest site. Certainly a tent oriented campground, RV’s would have a difficult time. Will certainly stay here again. The hiking trail was perfect for a morning stroll with my dog and coffee and there certainly is a petting zoo (my German Shepard was a little uncertain about the goats)
ScoutThis has so much to do. Fishing, kayaking, boating, swimming and camping. Great park in campground and two more parks in area. Off a main highway, but you feel like you are a long ways from no where. If you are a biker there is a wonderful bike path. It will take you all the way through Cedar Falls and Waterloo you could bike all day long. Nice little cozy places to enjoy lunch along the bike trail.
TravelerGreat small town campground. Very quiet, especially on weekdays. Great place to take long walks with great paths and scenery. Small town Iowa with convenience store close by.
ScoutIf you're looking for a wooded campground that offers you both quiet sites to relax but also offers a variety of activities for all ages, this is the place for you to setup your tent, or RV. For little ones, there is a large sand playground area with slides and swings. There is a sand beach to swim, where they also rent kayaks & canoes. The campground is located along the Cedar river, for those who want to boat and fish on a river, as well as multiple lakes to fish and a lake to ski. There are numerous soft bike trails throughout the park. And a hard trail that is part of 150 miles of bike trails in the Waterloo & Cedar Falls area.
The campground's shower house is handicap accessible. All sites have 50 amp service and the water provided is from the city of Waterloo. There is an onsite dump station.
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Waterloo, Iowa, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Waterloo, IA is George Wyth State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 13 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 85 dog-friendly camping locations near Waterloo, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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