8 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Based on the available data, none of the campgrounds near Waverly, Iowa are specifically equipped for equestrian camping. The JSON data indicates that all listed campgrounds have "NO horse-corral" among their features. Shellrock River Co Preserve offers free camping with basic amenities including toilets and allows pets, but does not have dedicated horse facilities. While Black Hawk County Park and George Wyth State Park provide various recreational opportunities including hiking trails, fishing access, and shower facilities, neither mentions accommodations for horses.
For equestrians seeking camping options, the campgrounds in this area would require bringing portable corrals or high-line setups. Backbone State Park offers extensive trail systems that could potentially be used for day rides, but lacks horse-specific overnight facilities. The terrain around Cedar Falls and Waterloo includes connected trail networks spanning over 100 miles, though these are primarily designed for hiking and biking rather than horseback riding. Most campgrounds in the region maintain standard camping amenities like electric hookups, water access, and fire rings, but without specialized equestrian features.
"** 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.)"
"On Cedar Valley bike trail (100+miles of interconnecting bike trial. major Hwy on two sides of park, sleeping in a tenet it was very noisy at night. and a train track close by (again at night)"
from $16 - $24 / night
Check Availability"Right on the bike trail.. Hot showers.. Good place to camp..."
"Kids had a great time playing in the water, our site was about 20 ft from the waters edge."
"There are miles of trails. Is hiking your thing? What about equestrian? Maybe mountain bike trails? You can even take the family for a nice leisurely walk on the easier trails."
"Backbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa. There are two campgrounds."
from $16 - $25 / night
Check Availability"Big grassy field surrounded by huge (walnut) trees. There a gravel track that goes along a large river. Trees everywhere so bring bug spray. Quiet, peaceful. Not private but worth it."
"Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails."
"It runs along the Cedar River and has a put in for paddlers nearby. It is situated right off the blacktopped road."
from $16 - $36 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $14 - $26 / night
Check Availability
TravelerYou will love this park. There are about 20 self-serve sites with electric and water. Self serve firewood. Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails. Sitting right on the Cedar River, it’s a great location to kayak and tube. Cheap at $20 a night. We showed up at 8:00 on a Fryevening and spots were available!
GuideBackbone is a very diverse area. There are miles of trails. Is hiking your thing? What about equestrian? Maybe mountain bike trails? You can even take the family for a nice leisurely walk on the easier trails. Exploring is fun at this park because there is so much to see. The Trout stream was busy the weekend we were there. You might even want to play a round of Gulf. We have solar on our trailer so we stayed in the Six Pines campground and it was beautiful. We listened to the night animals for hours.
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!
RangerBackbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa.
There are two campgrounds. I have camped in both:
Modern Campground: This is a large, modern campground with all of the standard amenities found in a modern campground… electric hookups, flush toilets, water. I have camped here twice, both times in my travel trailer. Overall, it is a nice campground with decent space in between campers, however, I tend to avoid it during the busier summer and fall colors seasons.
Primitive Campground: This is my favorite at Backbone for camping, especially in the autumn after the leaves have fallen off of the trees. As this campground is non-electric, there are not many people camping after it turns colder. I have spent many nights there alone in the primitive campground, watching RVs pull in and then leave after realizing that it has no hookups.
Nearby trout fishing: Backbone is home to one of the more popular trout streams in Iowa. The fishing is easy as most of the fish are stocked (April-October). Still, it is an enjoyable fishing trip as the stream itself is mostly rocks and gravel, with several deep holes. The water is cold and clear.
Other activities: Hiking is very popular in Backbone. I have also seen rock climbing and rappelling. There are some nice spots away from the trout stream for wading and a little swimming. Backbone State Park also has a small lake with a swimming area and boat rentals during the summer. Several nice cabins are available for those who do not want to camp.
TravelerWe stayed here two nights. That was plenty, although it's not really the park's fault. The lake was super gross, with excessive floating moss (probably a weather issue) and EXCESSIVE goose poop everywhere. The beach was basically unusable, with goose bombs everywhere. It was better when we kayaked, but still gross.
So why the five stars? 1. The bathrooms were fantastic. 2. The camp site was really nice and plenty of room. 3. The hiking was superb. Felt like we were not in Iowa. 4. The driving through the park was also really great and I will go back this fall to look at leaves. 5. There is a cave you can explore on your own. We did. It's awesome. It's muddy. It's super cool. 6. There are some decent bouldering spots. 7. Cheap, huge bundles of firewood at park entrance. 8. Really friendly at the camp store. 9. Close to Strawberry Point. Go to town to Clayton's Pharmacy and get an old fashioned soda. Fantastic. 10. Close to Edgewood and the Edgewood Locker. Go visit and stock up on meat on the way home.
TravelerThis campground has many things to do. This place has tent, rv and cabin camping, you can choose modern or non modern camping. Fun activities include fishing, swimming in a lake and also ground fed springs, boat rentals on the lake, hiking also horse trails, rock climbing, caves, playgrounds shelters for events and parties. I am sure there are even more things to do that I didnt have the time for.
LegendI have visited a lot of Iowa parks and campgrounds. Backbone is one on my favorites. Backbone is the oldest state park in Iowa. You can take your canoe out on the lake or hit some of the hiking trails. There are cabins for rent if you don't want to sleep in a tent.
Click on the following link to download the trail maps: www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/parks/trailmaps/trails_backbone.pdf
This is a great place to stay but make sure you get your reservations in early if you plan on staying on the weekend. If you want it to be quiet and prefer less crowds but you still want to enjoy the park, I highly suggest taking some time off of work during the week and avoiding the weekend.
This is a special place, the facilities, the showers, the campsites, the trails, and the lake are top quality.
LegendThere are two campgrounds at this park (the first state park in Iowa): a primitive one and a “modern” one. The primitive one (Six Pine) only has a pit toilet and each site has a fire grate and a picnic table. The modern campground (South Lake) has 30 amp, 50 amp, and tent sites. The electric sites are very close together (too close for our liking) so we opted for a tent site. We were in a loop with about six sites, and while the site size was generous and spaced a decent distance apart, there was no delineation between sites and no specific place to park your vehicle (and you cannot park on the road). These sites were also decidedly bumpy and not level; it took us about 15 minutes of maneuvering our van around to find a reasonably level spot.
The restrooms were six separate rooms, each complete with toilet, sink, and shower; they were clean.
We drove around the park and saw the balanced rock (meh) and I walked the short distance to the mouth of the cave. There was good signage to find the cave but once there, no information about the cave and its safety (or not) was available so I opted not to explore its dark and wet interior! There are seven trails in the park; the East Lake trail was a treat to hike. It hugs the lake for about two miles and while you can veer off onto the Bluebird Trail, I enjoyed hiking out and back for a different view. You can also hike from the South Lake campground to the beach– about a mile but the trail does start and stop, and you have to walk on the road for a bit. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats but we did not take advantage of this. We also did not swim so I cannot speak to the quality of the lake (other reviewers took issue with this). There is also a CCC museum, but it was not open while we were there.
We stayed one night which was sufficient for us. It might have been nice to stay longer if we decided to rent kayaks or hike different trails.
ScoutIt’s quiet, clean, and has some pretty views of the Iowa nite sky
Camping options near Waverly, Iowa sit within the Cedar River watershed, characterized by gently rolling terrain and elevations ranging from 850 to 1,050 feet. The region typically experiences hot summers with temperatures averaging 82-85°F from June through August, and humidity levels often exceeding 70%. Winter camping requires preparation for temperatures that can drop below 0°F from December through February.
Cycling access: George Wyth State Park Campground connects to over 100 miles of paved bike paths throughout Cedar Falls and Waterloo. "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," notes camper Stephanie J.
Kayaking and canoeing: River access points at Camp Comfort Recreation Area offer paddling opportunities with equipment rentals available seasonally. "Kids had a great time playing in the water, our site was about 20 ft from the waters edge," reports Chantal C., highlighting the easy water access from campsites.
Trout fishing: The cold-water streams at Cedar Bridge County Park provide habitat for stocked rainbow and brown trout. According to Tim M., "Sitting right on the Cedar River, it's a great location to kayak and tube. Cheap at $20 a night."
Budget-friendly options: Shellrock River Co Preserve offers free primitive camping with 3-day maximum stays. Camper Tammie C. states, "Secluded free camping with port a potty, fire rings and a shelter. My AT&T service worked enough for a podcast but not streaming."
Clean facilities: Visitors consistently mention well-maintained shower buildings, especially at South Lake Campground in Backbone State Park. Edward B. notes, "All reservable spots...clean bathrooms, showers and spots. Beautiful park!"
Accessible trails: While dedicated horse campgrounds near Waverly, Iowa are limited, many parks offer multi-use trail systems. Brandon P. from Shellrock River Preserve says, "It's quiet, clean, and has some pretty views of the Iowa nite sky," making it suitable for day-use equestrian activities with appropriate permits.
Flooding risks: Several campgrounds experience seasonal closures due to high water levels, particularly in spring and after heavy rainfall. Jennifer T. from George Wyth reports, "Because it is so close to river anytime it rains heavily there is flooding in several areas of the park. And almost every year it's even been bad enough to close the park completely."
Limited equestrian facilities: Most campgrounds in the Waverly area lack dedicated horse corrals or equestrian campsites. While riders seeking horse-friendly campgrounds near Waverly, Iowa will need to bring portable containment systems, day-use trail riding is possible at several parks with proper permits.
Weather variability: The region experiences significant seasonal temperature fluctuations, with summer humidity and insect activity peaking in July and August. At Shellrock River Preserve, Ax H. advises, "Trees everywhere so bring bug spray. Quiet, peaceful. Not private but worth it."
Playgrounds and beaches: Black Hawk County Park combines family-friendly amenities with recreation options. Travis R. shares, "Nice place good amenities. Has plenty of fishing access archery gun range. Boat access. Decent shower/bathroom facilities."
Scout-friendly locations: Backbone State Park accommodates group camping for youth organizations. Rachel H. reports, "I went with a group of entering sixth grade Girl Scouts on a weekend tent camping trip to this park. The campsites were simple to access and the grounds were easy to navigate. We hiked on the famous Backbone trail."
Water safety awareness: Several parks feature swimming areas, but water quality varies by location and season. Supervise children closely near water, as Max K. from George Wyth notes, "The lake for swimming was a little gross but we did it anyway."
Electrical hookups: Most developed campgrounds offer 30-amp service, with 50-amp available at select locations. At South Lake Campground, Edward B. advises, "No full hook ups - must fill water tanks before parking and 30/50 power available."
Off-season value: Reduced camping rates apply during shoulder seasons, typically October through April. Mary S. shares about George Wyth, "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."
Dump station locations: Most designated horse campgrounds and equestrian camping areas near Waverly require self-containment, as facilities are limited. Plan accordingly by mapping dump stations before arrival, as not all campgrounds provide on-site sanitation facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Waverly, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Waverly, IA is George Wyth State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Waverly, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Waverly, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
