Best RV Parks & Resorts near West Liberty, IA

Close to major highway. Gravel sites. Clean campground. Many paved and grass walking trails surrounded by trees and natural areas. Bath/shower house is under construction. Child’s play equipment. Bathrooms with flush toilets nearby. Dump station for a fee. All sites had water and electric. Water was off during our visit in March. Park connected to nearby town by paved trail, approx 1 mile away. Gas and convenience store nearby. Camphost on site. Park is in a quiet rural location. Payment is made at dropbox when entering the park. Cell signal was 2 bars with Verizon.

Little Bear Campground is located right off I-80 at the West Liberty exit. It is right next to a trailer park. There are a few tent sites ($22/ night)and Rv sites($33/night). We pulled in late to stay the night. It had full hook ups with a fire ring and picnic table. The spot was good sized and clean. There is an office/ gift shop and a convent store within walking distance. There is 2 cute little cabins which run $49 a night. There is a pool(closed for season), and a playground for kids. I was surprised that the interstate noise was much quieter than I thought it would be. All and all it was a pleasant place to stop over.

Hiding underneath of the I80 bridge carrying you over the Rock River, you’ll spot Lundeens Landing on the EAST side of this interstate (you’ll want to take note of this as The Dyrt has this campground in the wrong location on the WEST side of I80 in the small town of Barstow). Getting here to Lundeens is not the easiest journey, as you’ll need to head northwards on I80 crossing the bridge (if you are coming in by way of Colona), where you’ll want to get off on I88 heading west, where shortly after the exit, you’ll have to make a U turn and take the frontage road (193rd Street) that straddles I80 heading south until you can catch Route 4 / Barstow Road heading east, where you’ll pass underneath that bridge holding up I80 and continue east about 2 miles before spotting Lundeens on the left with a gorgeous view of the Rock River.

Now that you’ve made your way here, let me tell you about this place. First, you’ll be greeted by the main office that sits up about a story on stilts, which BTW isn’t for bird watching, but rather to safeguard the building from any river flooding that may happen (and trust me, in this parts, it happens). After checking in with the owner, Joe, or one of his few employees, you’ll make your way down a single narrow loop that will take you to your designated plot of land. It goes without saying that the best sites are those located right in front of the Rock River. And if you’re a tent camper, you’ll find bliss at the far end of the loop as far away from the main office as possible, where you’ll find water & electric-equipped sites tucked into some really thick brush complete with your own mini-forest.

Apart from the very warm Midwestern hospitality that you’ll receive here from Joe, his father and the rest of the Lundeens crew, this medium-sized camping outpost offers up a no-frills, basic level of camping comfort with direct access to one of the most exciting rivers I’ve had the great pleasure of kayaking and fishing on. Amenities include: pull-thru and back-in sites for RVs, general market, typical RV hook-ups (water, 15 / 20 / 30 / 50 amp electric), concrete patios, picnic tables, fire rings, honey wagon, dump station, pet-friendly, playground, nature trails, weekly events, boat ramp & 7 river docks, shuttle service, canoe & kayak rentals, pretty clean restroom & showers, innertubes, adventure island (located just across the river) and a small beachhead.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) While it’s likely the direct access to Rock River that attracted you to this location, if you have bikes, you should bring them as the frontage road that brought you here is one very EXCELLENT road to bike on to see and explore the gorgeous Midwestern country landscape that exists here; (2) In speaking with Joe’s father at length about the campground, there’s plans to put in another campground area just across the street and due northwest of this property, which will offer additional RV spots, a designated laundry facility with coin-operated washers & dryers as well as many more amenities; and (3) Depending upon your interest and a craving, if you want to gnosh on some local grub, the best nearby spots include: Choppers Bar & Grill, Tap 22 Bar & Grill and 11th Hour Bar & Grill (yes, everything's a Bar & Grill out in these parts).

Happy Camping!

If you’re looking for a family-friendly place to pull over for a decent escape to nature, then you may very well want to consider Sleepy Hollow, which is just a few minutes north of I80. Given its proximity to the busy interstate highway, this campground scores high on the convenience factor being EZ on- and off-, but it is just far enough away where you will feel as though you have escaped both the non-stop whir of incessant highway traffic and the unsightly view of a heavily trafficked main roadway. Add on top of this that you’ll find this location is perfectly suitable to the RV crowd as much as it is the tent-pitching bredren that belong to my tribe of outdoor enthusiasts.

Here at this campground you’ll find RV and 5th Wheel sites offering both pull-thru and back-in sites complete with full hook-ups (water, 30 / 50 amp electric and sewage). There’s 7 tent sites that are very well shaded, have a decent patch of land and include picnic tables, fire pits and scattered stand-up BBQ grills. Whether you have a tent, an RV or not, this campground has a small handful of cozy cabins available to rent that come with running hot & cold water as well as electricity and are located close to the fishing pond. What I enjoyed most with the primitive camping area was the serenity offered by the abundance of new growth Oaks that shaded the place, along with unfettered views of the lake itself. Priceless.

Sleepy Hollow offers a number of amenities including: ‘catch& release’ pond (both swimming and fishing potential), ball pit, kid’s playground, puppy park, designated dumpsters, fairly decent WiFi, community firepits, general market store, laundr-O-mat, shower facility, pavilion, horseshoes, game room, volleyball and basketball courts, artificial beachhead with swim area and windmills. There’s a lagoon with hundreds of ducks, but depending upon how you look at this, it may or may not be considered an amenity, but if you have kids like I do, it’s a great distraction that offers up a lot of duck-feeding fun.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re looking for a decent bit of hiking, there’s a nice slice of nature near here at Sleepy Hollow a bit NE called Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area where there’s plenty of trails, shooting ranges and some fairly decent bird watching; (2) When you get tired trying to conjure up that next meal from your cooler or on-board fridge, then head over to nearby Renee’s Roadhouse where this roadside stand serves up standard Americana fare like burgers, sandwiches and wraps. For anything more substantial, you’ll have to take a longer drive east to Iowa City of which I recommend Steak & Shake, Back Berner Bar & Grill or Barrel House; (3) If you’d like to embrace the Amish vibe that exists here in rural Iowa, then head due north to Amana Colonies where you’ll come across hand-made blankets and artisan-crafted cabinetry all while offering you some very warm Midwestern hospitality.

Happy Camping!